VICKERS ENGINEERS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 81, 6 April 1933, Page 11

VICKERS ENGINEERS

STORY IN WHITE PAPEE

METHODS OF THE OGPU

PRISONERS TERRIFIED

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, April 4. A White Paper has been issued covering the correspondence which passed between March 12 and March 17 between the British Ambassador at Moscow (Sir Esmond Ovey) and the Foreign Secretary (Sir John Simon), or the Permanent Undersecretary (Sir Robert Vansittart), respecting the position in Russia arising out of the arrests of the Vickers engineers.

It begins by detailing the arrest of Mr. Monkhouse, who was called upon to make a complete confession. He was told he would be treated as a criminal if he refused. Mr. Monkhouse explained that he visited England regularly to inform his company of the state of.busi-' ness in Eussia. The accusers retorted that this amounted to espionage. The accusers also produced a list of twenty-five Vickers turbines which had given trouble. Mr. Monkhouse pointed out that mistakes had been made and that the fault partly lay with Russians. He said that it was natural that there should be occasional mishaps, and in any case the company had done its best to repair them rapidly. The Ambassador added that it was inconceivable the Soviet Government could produce credible evidence of criminal malpractice on tho part of the Metropolitan-Vickers Company. On March 12 tho. Ogpu secret police issued a communique stating that thirty-five officials accused of agricultural, sabotage the day before had been condemned to death, and were shot. Sir Eobert Vansittart on March 14 telegraphed to' Sir Esmond Ovey: "You doubtless emphasised to M. Litvinoff the impossible position of Anglo-Soviet relations if British subjects are used for spectacular treason trials staged for reasons of internal politics." Sir Esmond Ovey on March 14 telegraphed: "I have seen the prisoners. All were obviously terrified, and confined themselves to the minimum replies. Their obsequiousness created an uncanny impression upon me. The.interviews were in tho presence of four officials." SOVIET ILLUSIONS. On the following day the Ambassador telegraphed to Sir John Simon: "The principal danger of the situation is that these people are completely unable to see themselves in any other light than as an aggrieved: power struggling with noble ideals against a world of political, financial, and commercial conspirators. I understand that Russia owes the Metropolitan-Vickers firm £1,500,000, in addition to five years' technical aid contracts, each, of £30,000. I strongly deprecate any panicky flight by Vickers from Russia, which would enable Russia to contend that the firm failed to carry out its contracts, and to withhold moneys indefinitely." Sir Esmond Ovey added that before leaving he expressed his personal bitter disappointment at "this deliberate sabotage of Anglb-Bussiaa relations." M. Litvinoff, tho Foreign Commissar, accused Sir Esmond of exaggeration, ami said: "The Ogpu are not fools, and know what thoy are doing." Sir Esmond Ovey replied that if M. Litvinoff thought he was speaking with greater frankness than would be used in London he was entirely mistaken.' The situation was fraught with the utmost danger. On March 17, Sir Robert VansittaTt telegraphed to Sir Esmond Ovey entirely approving his action, and saying that Cabinet would consider further action.