SOVIET RIGHTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 81, 6 April 1933, Page 7

SOVIET RIGHTS.

UPHELD BY LABOUR.

COMMONS DEBATE.

British Protests Criticised As

Unreasonable.

ARRESTED EMPLOYEES,

(United P. A.-Electric Telegraph—Copy right)

(Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 5. Sir Stafford Cripps (Lab., Bristol), following Sir John Simon in the House of Commons debate on the Russian Goods Importation Prohibition Bill, moved the rejection of the bill on the ground that the "White Paper disclosed no adequate grounds to demand the liberation of the British arrested workers without a trial, or the granting to the Government of exceptional powers for the purpose of reprisals against the Soviet Government.

He said that before such extraordinary powers as were sought by the citizens concerned should be exercised, all available means of legal redress and the denial of the tribunal's justice must have been clearly established.

The Foreign Office on March 10 really demanded the liberation of the Britishers without trial, while Sir Robert Vansittart had informed the Russian Ambassador, M. Maisky, that the allegations against the arrested men were regarded in London as "grotesque and hysterical, and staged as part of a hunt for scapegoats owing to the ill-success of certain industrial undertakings in Russia."

This was about as offensive a statement as could be made to any foreign Ambassador. It would be to the interests of the arrested men themselves to treat the matter on a friendly basis instead of working botTi nations into a state of excitement and hysteria.

Sir John Simon's Frank Words. Extra time was allotted for the debate on the bill, but it will be disposed of to-morrow night. Sir John Simon, moving the second reading, said that the Government desired to negotiate a new trading agreement, and the negotiations were proceeding when ■ a very disturbing event occurred.

Sir John then referred to the arrest of British engineers, adding that at the risk of incurring the accusation of prejudicing the issue on which legal remedy had not been exhausted, the Ambassador told the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs that if his Government wished to continue friendly relations it must refrain from being drawn by the police into trumped-up and fantastic accusations against a friendly and reputable British company. The Soviet answer stated that investigations made by the internal authorities regarding a series of unexpected breakdowns in the electrical station at Moscow had established that the breakdowns were the result of the wrecking activities of criminal elements whose object was to destroy the electrical stations and to put out of operation the factories dependent upon them. It was added that investigations showed active participation by certain employees of Metropolitan Vickers.

Examination Lasts Hours. Mr. Monkhouse, with no charge made against him, was submitted to a first examination of 19 hours by three teams of examiners. After referring to the second examination, lasting 17 hour.3, Sir John Simon said that lie had studied many systems of law, but no one could dispute that any testimony obtained by these means was rubbish.

The Government had not the slightest desire to sever friendly relations with Russia, but there was no proper basis for really friendly relations if the story presented in the White Paper represented the way in which men who went to that country were to be treated.

He knew of no way that he could secure for these men a fair trial, but one thing they could do was to convince the authorities of the anxiety felt here.

At any moment the Soviet had power to stop goods coming from this country to them without a breach of, the most-favoured-nation clause. In the interests of these men, and in order to bring home to the Soviet the state of real gravity of the situation, the Government 'asked in the bill for power which the Soviet Government already had.

The Government fiad not the slightest intention of making any statement as to its use of that power, which could not possibly be used before April 18.

If there was nothing else the House could do to help British subjects in peril, it at least could give the Government of the country to which these men belonged the authority sought in the bill.

Liberals Approve Policy. Sir Herbert Samuel said his Liberal followers approved of the energetic representations being made to the Soviet concerning the arrested Britons, but they hoped that the extraordinary powers the Government is now seeking will be used solely to secure a full measure of justice. Though there was room for negotiations to secure a better balance of trade with Russia, there was 110 need to denounce the existing trade agreement.

Mr. G. Locker-Lampson (Conservative, Wood Green) asked: "Why did not Labour protest against the execution of the 35 Russians without a trial?" He added: "I have always protested against lending money to Russia. It would have been far better to have lent it to the Dominions, who stood by us during the war, while Russia stabbed us in the back.

"Apart from public funds, British citizens have sent £250,000,000 to Russia."