‘FACE-SAVING’ EXPULSIONS

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32734, 11 October 1971, Page 13

‘FACE-SAVING’ EXPULSIONS

I (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) . MOSCOW, Oct. 10. British diplomats who studied Russia’s internal politics suffered most from the Kremlin’s retaliation to the mass expulsion of alleged spies from Britain, according to details released by the British Embassy in Moscow yesterday. Two of the four British diplomats who must leave Moscow within 14 days were the last remaining staff of the Embassy secretariat the section which studies and analyses internal affairs in the Soviet Union. The secretariat’s work was part of the recognised and accepted activity of any embassy overseas, an Embassy spokesman said. Although the retaliatory measures may seem harsh, the general reaction among foreign observers in Moscow was that the Kremlin had done the very least it could to save face. The cancellation of a visit to Moscow by the British Foreign Secretary (Sir Alec

i Douglas-Home), due to have taken place early in the New Year, is not seen as drastic; it could easily be rearranged if and when Moscow and London patch up their differences. NO DIPLOMATS Political observe, j in Moscow say that one aspect of the Russian retaliation which might prove significant for British-Soviet Union relations is that it does not affect diplomats responsible for political ties between the two countries. T.ey also note that official Russian versions of the measures avoid saying how many ” itons are affected. Moscow has attempted to keep the exact number of Russians expelled a secret from their general public. This may mean that the man-in-the-street feels that the Soviet Union has given Britain tit-for-tat, and can now drop the matter. In all, the Soviet Union cxnelled fou diplomats and a British business representative. They will have to leave within 14 days. One of them, the First Secretary (Mr Philip Hanson), arrived in Moscow only a month ago. In addition, 10 men formerly with the Embassy in Moscow, were declared persona non-grata. meaning that they will not be able to return to th- Soviet Union. The visas of three British businessmen due to come to the Soviet Union were ilso cancelled. The retaliation affects 18 people, compared with the 1105 Russian officials barred or expelled from Britain; it ( reduces the number of Britisn I diplomats in Moscow from 39 to 35.

A British official said that the immediate effect would be to restrict the embassy’s day-to-day activities, bat added that the Russians had given no indication that leplacements for those expelled would be banned. The four diplomats told .to leave all said that they were sorry to be going. “Eve enjoyed being here and found it interesting and enjoyable. I was looking for ward to another year,” said the Second Secretary, Miss Ann Lewis, aged 31. The others expelled were Mr Hanson, who was seconded to the Foreign Service for a year from lecturing at

Birmingham University, and was also a secretariat member; the assistant Naval attache, Lieutenant-Com-mander Anthony Wolstenholme. aged 31, and . Mr Alan Holmes, an administrative attache. ALLEGATION REJECTED The Russian Note gave the grounds. for their expulsipn

and that of a business epresentative, Mr Vladimir Haltigen, aged 27, as “activities incompatible with their official status.”

The allegation is understood to have been firmly rejected by the B.itish Ambassador (Sir John Killick) when he was summoned to the Foreign Office and handed the Russian Note. Lieutenant - Commander Wolstenholme, like one of three businessmen whose visas to enter Russia have been cancelled, was recently accused of illegal intelligence work by a Moscow newspaper “Izvestia.” A week ago another newspaper, "Pravda,” accused Mr V. Ingram, who worked for the English Electric Company, of collecting secret information—a charge denied by a company spokesman in Britain. NAMES CONFUSED

The British Embassy assumed that the Soviet Note referred to Mr Mark Ingram, of the General Electric Company. Mr Martin Lorentz, a representative of the Golodetz company, and a Mr L. Shalit, who works for an unidentified machine-tool firm, were also named.

The 10 former embassy officials declared persona non grata included the former secretariat members, Mr Robert Longmire, head of the section until some months ago; Mr Ray Hutchings, Mr Geoffrey Murell and Professor Alec Nove of Glasgow University, attached to the section in the mid-19505. VISIT CANCELLED An Embassy spokesman told questioners that the measures were “bound in some degree to harm BritishSoviet trade,” and this was understood to have been a warning given by the Ambassador at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Apart from the moves against the four businessmen, a visit to London next month by the Russian Foreign Trade Minister (Mr Patolichev) has been cancelled, as has a meeting in January of the Joint Commission on Co-operation in Science, Technology and Commerce.

These cancellations make the immediate future for bilateral trade seem bleak, but they need not have any longterm effect observers say.