MANY REVELATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 20, 25 January 1937, Page 9

MANY REVELATIONS

( United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. _ MOSCOW, January 23. Whien the mass Stale trial of 17 prisoners opened today there was a tense atmosphere. All defendants pleaded guilty. Karl Radek, former chief leader-writer of the "Izvestia," organ of the Central Executive Committee of the U.S.S.R.; Piatakov, former Assistant Commissar for Heavy Industries; Sercbiakov, former chief of the Chinese Eastern Railway; and Grigori Shkolnikov, formerly a member of the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, all Waived their right to counsel. The others were represented by leading attorneys. The indictment alleges that the prisoners were implicated in a "vast plot engineered by M. Leon Trotsky to destroy the Soviet regime and help Germany, Poland, and Japan." It also alleges that M. Trotsky carried on negotiations with Herr Hitler's deputy, Herr Hess, in Berlin, while Radek, Sokolnikov, and Piafakov acted as agents for Moscow.

It is alleged that M. Trotsky ant i Herj Hess reached an agreemen j whereby Germany was to obtain im I portant" concessions to enable her t< exploit Soviet natural resources, anc ; that in the event of war Radek': 1 group was to engage in military sabotage and espionage under instruc tions from the German General Staff Radek is charged with organising a "reserve centre" to act if the Trotskj "centre" failed. It was the Trotsky centre in which Kamenev, Zinoviev, and others were involved. ; The indictment alleges thai Radek and others carried on negotiations with foreign diplomats in Moscow, while the reserve centre is alsc alleged .to have plotted to allow Japan to use Soviet and Saghalien oil in the event of war against America, and to facilitate the Japanese conquest oi China. Two agents provocateurs "Mister K," of Germany, and "Mister X," of the Japanese Intelligence Service, are frequently mentioned in the indictment. The prisoners are also charged with espionage and terrorism and with attempting to reintroduce capitalism. The indictment, in addition, states that one of the Government's most important pieces of evidence is a letter from M. Trotsky to Radek, dated December, 1935, which Radek hid in a hole in the wall of his summer residence and handed over to the Government after his arrest. It is alleged that the letter called for the immediate assassination of M. i Joseph Stalin, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. The letter also stated: "It is necessary to yield the maritime and Amur provinces to Japan, and the Ukraine to Germany for the exploitation of manganese ore, gold, and phosphates, and to supply Germany with foodstuffs and fats below world prices, and also not to oppose Germany in the seizure of the Danube and countries in the Balkans." AN OMINOUS PROPOSAL. The indictment declares that Knyazev admitted he accepted a proposal by the Japanese Intelligence Service that in the event of war he should employ bacteriological means to infect troop trains, food supply depots, and sanitary stations with bacilli causing highly contagious diseases. Knyazev is charged with furnishing German and Japanese intelligence officers with Russia's secret mobilisation plans for her war industries. Another prisoner, Arnold, allegedly confessed that he attempted unsuccessfully to arrange a fatal accident to a car carrying M. Viacheslav Molotov, President of the Council of People's Commissars. The indictment also instances the wrecking of trains, involving casualties, allegedly carried out by some of the prisoners at the instructions of the Japanese intelligence officer, "Mister X." Piatakov was the first to take the witness stand. He confessed to the charges and described meeting M. Trotsky at Oslo in December, 1935, wnen explicit plans to involve the Soviet in war were discussed. The indictment charges Ratainchek, Pushin, Grashe, and Shestov with giving the German Secret Service details of Russian military, chemical, and other plants through German firms, with which M. Trotsky is connected and which are supported by the Trotsky Party from a fund obtained by raising the prices of machinery supplied to Russia. "RESERVE CENTRE." The indictment names Piatakov, Radek, Sokolnikov, and Serebriakov as the members of the reserve centre organised in 1933 at M. Trotsky's orders, and whose activities include, it is alleged, the establishment of terrorist groups in many towns and the assassination of Soviet leaders. Piatakov described the deliberate wantage of stores and machinery valued at several millions of pounds in dozens of factories. This he was able to organise as Assistant Commissar of Heavy Industry. When he began to speak of sabotage in the war industries, the Prosecutor, M. Vishinsky, interrupted, saying that the activities of the accused in those industries would be examined in camera. Piatakov gave evidence that M. Shestov brought a letter from M. Trotsky giving instructions to kill M. Stalin and his closest comrades as soon as possible. Piatakov detailed instructions given to Serebriakov regarding activities in the Caucasus, Ukraine, Urals, and Siberia. He also declared that he established close contact with the former editor of the "Izvestia," M. Nikolai Bukharin, who, although exonerated at the Zinoviev trial, recently was removed from his editorship, but whose reported arrest has not been confirmed. Piatakov, in addition, implicated M. Bukhartzev, the "Izvestia's" correspondent in Berlin, and the "Izvestia's" Rome correspondent, for arranging the visits of M. Trotsky and his supporters and the transmisison of letters on Radek's instructions. NOT TO REVEAL NAMES. Judge Ulrich stopped Piatakov when, in connection with espionage, . ne mentioned a foreign Ambassador, ;aying he was not to reveal names. Radek, giving evidence, admitted participation in the plot to kill M. Kirov, M. Stalin's lieutenant, who was assassinated in 1934. Radek. like Piatakov. admitted vriting insincere articles attacking M. Camenev, a member of the Council >f War. J The Prosecutor asked whether ' ladek was aware that terrorism was \ )unishablo by death. * Radek replied, with a shadow of s i smile, "I have no knowledge of he criminal code." i M. Vishinsky declared grimly:

id "You'll know it when the trial is ended." n _ amid laughter, retorted: "Then I shan't know it for long." t0 Bukhartzev, in evidence, said he id knew the guilty purpose of Plata's kov's visits, which he arranged. Sokolnikov gave evidence admitting guilt. c " The Judge intimated that the names !• of high German officials who were alig legedly finally to approve M. Trotsky's y arrangement with Herr Hess would be reserved for a secret session. i