RUSSIAN AFTERMATH

Evening Star, Issue 21391, 20 April 1933, Page 11

RUSSIAN AFTERMATH

FINDINGS AND SENTENCES BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE SUMMARY (British Official Wireless.) Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, April 19. (Received April 20, at 1.30 p.m.) The following is a Foreign Office summary of the findings and sentences of the Moscow trial:— The findings were divided into four sections—namely, wrecking at Zlatoust, at Zuevka, at fvanovo, and at the electrical stations at Mosenergo. Under the first heading Guesev and Sokolov were convicted, both of wrecking and collecting secret information under Macdonald’s instruction and receiving bribes from him. Macdonald was also convicted under the same heading, and was stated to have been dieting under Thornton’s instructions. Under the second heading Kotlyarevsky was convicted of machine wrecking and receiving bribes from Macdonald. Under the third heading Lobanov, Leberev, and Nordwall were convicted of machine wrecking and giving or receiving bribes. Zivert was also convicted of receiving bribes from Thornton for machine wrecking under the same heading. Under the fourth heading Sukharoutchkin, Zorin, and Karaschenninikov were convicted of wrecking under Thornton’s instructions and receiving bribes from him. Thornton was convicted of organising machine wrecking through these men and elsewhere through Macdonald, Nordwall, and Cushny, and carrying on espionage through Macdonald, Cushny, and others,

Monkhouse was convicted on the grounds of complicity with Thornton’s acts, and of the bribery of Soviet citizens’ for concealing defects in the Vickers machinery.

. Cushny’s and Oleinik’s convictions of wrecking and providing Thornton with secret information were dealt with under the same heading. Madame Kutusova was convicted of complicity in Thornton’s activities and of transmitting bribes from him for criminal purposes. The verdict stated that the sentences would be based on the provisions of a decree on March 14, stating: “Soviet State employees convicted of wrecking are subject to more severe penalties than employees of private enterprises.” Guesev, Sukharoutehkin, and Lobanov were sentenced to ten years’ deprivation of liberty, with the loss of civil rights for five years and the confiscation of property. They wore not condemned to be shot because their “ criminal wrecking activities did not cause serious damage to Soviet industry,” Sokorov, Zorin, and Kotlyarevsky were sentenced on the same basis to eight years’ deprivation of liberty witli similar additional provisions.

Karaschenninikov was sentenced on the same basis to five years’ deprivation of liberty with the loss of civil rights for five, years without confiscation of property because he was only a tool in the hands of Lobanov. Lebedev was sentenced to two years’ deprivation of liberty without loss of civil rights and without confiscation of property. The list of employees of Vickers follows ;—Thornton was sentenced to three years’ deprivation of liberty.- In Macdonald's case it was declared that since he was acting “on instructions of his immediate chief, Thornton, and in consideration of his honest confession ” the measure of repression demanded by the law would ho limited to two years’ deprivation of liberty. In Monkhouse’s and Nordwall’s cases, since “ they did not take a direct share in the machine wrecking at the electrical stations,” and in Cuchny’s case, “ since his crime was committed as long ago as 1928,” the sentence was declared to he limited to expulsion for five years. Oleinik and Madame Kulusova, “ in consideration of their dependence on Thornton and the fact that they were employees of a private firm,” were sentenced to three years’ and one and alialf year’s deprivation of liberty respectively, in eacb case without loss of civil rights and without confiscation of property. In the ease of Zivert, in consideration of the fact that since 1931 ho “ had shown that he had broken with the wreckers,” it was stated that “no measure of repression would be applied,” and he would be liberated.

Gregory was declared acquitted ground of “ insufficiency of proofs. ’ Nordwall, on returning to Britain, will be accompanied by Iris wife, whose application for release from Soviet citizenship was granted to-day. ANGLC-RUSSIAH TRADE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 19. (Received, April 20, at 1.30 p.m.) Russian imports into Britain last year totalled, just under £20,000,000 over 30 per cent, of Russia’s total exports to all countries. Britain’s exports to Russia were about £10,500,000. Last year’s imports, the chief commodities on which the embargo is placed, were: Petroleum, £2,200,000; raw cotton, £390,000; butter, £1,233,000; grain, £1,005,000; timber, £5,853,000. PAYMENT TO VICKERS Vickers confirm the statement that (Jio sums due to date from the Soviet Government have been paid to them.