LEFT ON AIRPORT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20618, 20 November 1941, Page 6

LEFT ON AIRPORT

SOVIET DIPLOMAT NO SEATS IN PLANE BRITISH APOLOGIES (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 20, 2 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 19. The British Overseas Airways Corporation refused the Soviet Ambassador to the United States, M. Litvinov, and'his wife seats on a plane leaving Teheran this morning for Cairo, arid allowed the plane to take off leaving M. and Mme. Litvinovstanding on the airport. The Teheran correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that M. and Mme. Litvinov arrived on the aerodrome a quarter of an hotir before the plane was due io take oft', accompanied by the Soviet Ambassador at Teheran, M. Smirnov. It -is stated that M. and Mme. Litvinov were promised a passage, but at the piaffe steps they were informed that all seats were taken. The plane carried the British Legation counsellor, a former British Legation attache, and six other British passengers. After the plane left, the British Ambassador, Sir William Bullard, apologised profusely to M. Litvinov, and also called at the Soviet Embassy arid expressed 'his regrets. He promised that permission would be given for a Soviet plane to fly M. and Mme. Litvinov to Egypt. Ai British Overseas Airways ofticiain London stated that the corporation had nothing, to do with the allocation of seats in its planes.