£1,000,000 AT STAKE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10562, 16 April 1928, Page 5

£1,000,000 AT STAKE

ALLEGED RUSSIAN GOLD -ON STEAMER FRENCH CLAIM THE MONEY SUPPOSED TRANSHIPMENT AT SEA AT MIDNIGHT United. Press Assn, by El. Tel. Copyright (Australian Press Association.) (Received April 15, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 14. The story of the transhipment of a. million pounds, of gold in midChannel at midnight reads like an old-time incident of smuggling and piracy. The Soviet' Government, shipped ingots valued at £1,040,000. to America- A " French ; bank M claimed the money on the , ground that , it;, is the same gold it deposited in the Russian State,; Bank in to <l-917. The French Government obtained an injunction in the American courts preventing the money being landed there. The gold ... was , re-shipped to Bremen by the Nord Deutclier steamer Dresden which was due to call at Cherbourg, where it was expected the French authorities would seize tlie gold. The Russians chartered a steamer, and awaited the Dresden six miles off Falmouth outside territorial waters. They wirelessed, their plan of. campaign to the Dresden, and went alongside shortly after midnight. The money was transhipped without a hitch, and with the utmost speed. The Russian steamer then steamed off to an unknown destination. TRANSHIPMENT STORY DENIED STEAMER BOUND FOR BREMEN CAPTAIN WILL NOT ALLOW FRENCH TO TOUCH MONEY United Press Assn, by El. Tel. Copyright (Australian .Press Association.) (Received April 15. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 14. The Sunday Express’ Paris correspondent says that the Dresden cabled Cherbourg that the ship is now going to Bremen with the gold intact. The captain laughed uproariously at the story of tlie alleged transhipment of the Soviet gold in mid-Channel. He said-. “The. gold is part of my cargo, and I would not alloAV tlie French-authorities or anyone else to remove it. I shall only relinquish the responsibility therefor when it is handed over to the consignee at Bremen.”