VIOLENT DENUNCIATION OF ACCUSED BRITONS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 11093, 19 April 1933, Page 3

VIOLENT DENUNCIATION OF ACCUSED BRITONS

Prosecutor’s Frenzied Address SEVERE SENTKNf ES EXPECTED. In an address characterised by almost vicious hate, the Soviet prosecuthe trial at Moscow of the British engineers for alleged sabotage and espionage, called for the death sentence on all the accused with one exception. In amazing language for a court of law be indicated a revoltin'- the accused, staling to jjr Thornton, against whom lie directed the main attack: “Perhaps you will ,K! ,lse<l as n,an " re f or cur Soviet liable somewhere.” Sonic Press ccrrespondeiihi are inclined to the view that long terms of imprisonment with exile will be the fa to of the Britishers, which is in striking contrail to the relentless demand of the prosecutor for the full penalty and Ids exhortation that "if e court, considers it necessary io order that extreme measure, your hands must not shake.” Soviet law provides penalties for the offences of sabotage and nspionago up to shooting of the accused. M O.scow t April 17 The faces of AV. H. Thornton and William MacDonald were noticeably strained and Mr Monkhouse looked paler and more careworn when the trial resumed. M. A'ishinsky, the prosecutor, pounding the table with his fish continued to address the Court with renewed vigour. He described the breakdowns at various power stations, and declared that sabotage could be the only reason for them. Sometimes doctors, when operating, left, their instruments in the body, he said, and something of that sort had happened at the Zouisvsky station, which consequently became pretty sick. Referring to the first Moscow station, he said that the wreckers evidently had a five-year plan for sabotaging, which was started in 1 I)2S. “Gusev has confessed to being a gahotageur and a secret agent, and I will ask for the severest punishment for him,” said M. Vishinsky. There was commotion in the Court when he referred to Mr Cushny as working like a crack secret agent. Mr Cushny jumped up and shouted; "I did not do any spying.” The judge called him to< order. After an adjournment M. Vishinsky directed the main attack on Mr Thornton. Once he_ turned wrathfully towards him and exclaimed: "You will be no use in Russia or England. Perhaps you will be used as manure for our Soviet fields somewhere.”

Facing Mr Cushny he said: “You deny everything, but we will unmask you like Messrs Monkhouse, Thornton and Nordwall.’’ Continuing, the* prosecutor declared: “All the prisoners are guilty except Mr Gregory, and; alf deserve death, but our Courts are not vengeful. Nevertheless, if the Court considers it necessary to order .that extreme measure, your hands must not shake. 1 ' M, Vishlnsfcy, concluding, loudly denounced Mr Monkhouse, who had admitted giving bribes through Mr Thorntoij,euphemistically called presents. Mr Monkhouse had gathered Soviet secrets.

Mr Monkhouse: What constitutes secrets?

M. Vishinsky; We will judge and convict you according to our laws. He described Madame Kutusova as a pleasure-seeking woman without conscience. but pleaded for mitigation as she ultimately turned State wit-

. Again addressing Mr Thornton, the prosecutor said: “You are a worthless creature. The evidence shows that you are guilty of espionage, wreckage and bribery. I see no reason to uphold the charges against Mr Gregory, "’ho has not harmed the Soviet, but the punishment of Messrs MacDonald, Monkhouse, Nordwall and Oushny must be the most severe that is possible. The Court in deciding its verdict must remember that the Soviet does not seek blood or vengeance but defence of the Socialist revolution.’’ M. Virshinsky ended by declaring that all the accused, except Mr Gregory, were guilty under article 58, carrying penalties up to shooting, but the failure of their plans must be considered in mitigation.

It is surmised locally that Mr Gregory will be acquitted. Mr MacDonald and Mr Thornton sentenced to 1° years, Mr Monkhouse to> three yearn, Mr Cushny and Mr Nordwall bound over, GuseY and Lobanov to death, and the other accused to varying terms of imprisonment. The sentences on the Britons may be com-, muted to exile since the Soviet obviously ig v anxious to hear the last of the international aspects of the affair.

The prosecutor’s most biting Phrases were reserved for Mr Thornton and Madame Kutusova. Of the latter he said: “Rolling in a luxurious motor car between Moscow and Per- , tovka. she sold herself for money, ambitious to make a foreign career, but her full confession must be considered in passing sentence.’’ Madame Kutusova’s face twitched 18 Vishineky made insinuations against her morale, and she was nearly in tears. The closing passage of M. Vishins speech was devoted to an at- * tack on Mr Thornton. Turning to the dock he cried: “You arc a cotvard b >'nature. Within 21 hours you confessed, betraying and endangering the heads of 27 of your fellow countrymen. That was not a lie, it was * ol ’se. it was cowardice and treachYou are useless both to Russia an d to England. Perhaps you will be useful as aiertiliscr for our Socialist fields somewhere.” The general impression of correspondents in Russia is that death sentences .on the British accused are uni*kely, but that there is grave danof imprisonment. The British t-mited Press correspondent adds that rom his conversations with well-in-Wmed, Soviet economists, he gathers ■ the Government does not intend to use the trial as a pretext for debouncing the debt to Metropolitan Ackers. His informants believe that the ■ - viel is most unlikely to impair ite Jscnrd for the punctual payment of ‘Orelgu obligations. U is understood two of the Vickers employees.

Messrs Buckle and Burke, arc ready to continue in Russia to fulfil outstanding; contracts if the firm desires.

As for the Court scenes, the only laugh during the afternoon was when M. Vishinsky said that the Englishmen not only paid the Russian prisoners for espionage and sabotage, "but paid them stingily.” Avium tlie trial was resumed last evening the prosecutor, grim and redvisaged. wearing the Order of the Red Banner, urged the importance of the irial in the eyes of the world. He idled up adjectives in a denunciation of the Soviet’s enemies. Referring to British attacks, he- said: "AVe have never concealed the class nature of our justice. Our Courts defend the proletariat as theirs defend the capitalist class. "Monkhouse must remember that lie is here not as a representative of

Bic Vickers Company, but as an mdividual,” continued M. A'ishinsky.

”He is accused of espionage, sabotage and bribery.” Toward the dose of the session the accused listened apathetically to the weakening rhetoric of ACshinsky, who fell back upon technicalities and discussed the meaning of espionage. He declared that the Soviet's interpretation corresponded with that of English legal dictionaries. M. A’ishinsky claimed that the accused Russians had proved traitors, therefore he demanded the death penalty for them. He emphasised that the crimes of the Russians were more heinous than those of the Englishmen. This is taken to mean that he will not demand the death penally for the Englishmen. It was decided to conclude the summing up to-day. After that the last pleas of the accused will follow the defence counsel’s speeches. The verdict is expected to be delivered late to-day or early to-morrow. The Riga correspondent of “The Times” says Mr Monkhouse’s courage and self-defence in challenging the evidence of the Russian informers noticeably worried the prosecutor, M. Vishinsky, and completely put him out of his stride.

The Moscow correspondent of the “News-Chronicle” states that M. A’ishinsky spoke for four hours and never walj> at a loss for word or phrase. He addressed the Bench as “comrades.’'