SOVIET RAID MYSTERY

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 115, 18 May 1927, Page 7

SOVIET RAID MYSTERY

Arcos Questionnaire to Home

Secretary.

REPORTS REFUTED.

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyrtgnu

LONDOX, May 17. The public is much in the dark respecting the document which is stated to have been the cause of the raid on Soviet House. The "Morning Post" says there is good reason to suppose that the secret document was destroyed while the police were endeavouring to obtain access to one particular room. It is generally agreed that the statement made by the Home Secretary, Sir Wm. Joynson-Hicks, in the House of Commons did not elucidate the mystery of what the seized papers contained. It is hoped that more information will be given on Thursday. The police and detectives who have been engaged in searching Soviet House since the raid was made on the premises finally left the building at 6 p.m. yesterday. The caretaker immediately locked the gates. It is expected that Arcos, Ltd., will resume business to-day. After the police had gone M. Sorokin, acting chairman of the Arcos Company, sent a letter to the Home Secretary, Sir William Joynson-Hicks. In this he asked the following questions:— (1) What were the allegations upon which the "extraordinary action" of the police was taken? (2) What has been removed from the building ? (3) What complaints, if any, can the Home Secretary make against the company, as a result of the inspection of its premises and papers? The "Daily Express" says all that is certain is that many of the circumstantial reports about sensational discoveries are unfounded. This paper says it understands from a high authority that the police have not found anything which could be described as a complete list of Red agents, nor have they discovered evidence concerning sums of money paid to British agitators when the general strike was in progress last year by the authorities at Moscow. A reported discovery of bank-notes, passports, and documents concerning the visit of the President of France, M. Doumergue, is also declared to be completely inaccurate.—(A. and N.Z. and Sydney "Sun.")