MOSCOW TRIALS

Grey River Argus, 20 June 1945, Page 6

MOSCOW TRIALS

UNDERGROUND POLES Admit Diversional Activity LONDON, June .18. All except one of 16 Poles accused of diversionist activity in the rear of the Red Army pleaded wholly or partly guilty when their trial opened at Moscow to-day. Moscow radio stated; The hearings are in open session under the Presidency of Colonel General Vassili Ulrich, a member of the Plenum of the Supreme Soviet Court. The Poles, in addition to being charged with organising diversionist activity in the rear of the Red Army, are charged with organising raids by underground armed detachments, conducting propaganda hostile to the Red Army, and also with failing to hand over radio transmitters, printing equipment, arms and ammunition and using them for criminal purposes. One of the accused, General Okulicki, also is accused of conducting intelligence and spying activity. The prosecution stated: General Okulicki’s illegal terrorist organisation, between June 28, 1944, and May 31. 1945, killed 591 and wounded 249 Rod Army soldiers, and organised a special school from which 200 trained saboteurs graduated. The prosecution claimed that between August, 1944, and May, 1945, Russians in Poland, Western Ukraine, White Russia and Lithuania discovered 25 secret radio stations. They arrested the operators and technicians, who revealed the text of coded instructions from and messages to the Polish Government in London. Moscow radio said: Jansen, one of the accused, who formerly commanded the Lwow district, told the Court: “I received special instructions in Warsaw to the effect that terrorist acts against the Red Army, and Russian representatives should be carried out, and precautions taken to shift the guilt on to Ukrainian nationalists”. Okulicki, when asked whether he was acquainted with the instructions to which Jansen referred, admitted they were known to him. Another accused, Jankowski (VicePresident of the London Polish Government, and its delegate to Warsaw), said: “Okulicki informed me and Ministers of the Polish Government that the underground Krejewa Army was formally disbanded, but members had to keep arms, equipment and radio transmitters in working order. This was done w'ith a view to creating in the rear of the Red Army a new and carefully camouflaged military and political organisation.” Moscow radio quoted Jankowski as adding: “Okulicki informed a conference at Cracow, which I and my deputy, Wieckowicz, attended, that he had’ received instructions, either from the Supreme Commander of the Polish Army or from the London Polish Government, to the effect that it was proposed to form a new, well camouflaged army, based on the underground Krejewa army”. Jankowski explained that the new organisation was to fight, for Poland’s independence, “which, in our opinion, was threatened by Russia.” Moscow radio said: The prosecution indictment cited an order by Okulicki addressed to a Colonel Slabora, on March 22, in which Okulicki said: “A Soviet victory over Germany will threaten not only Britain’s interests throughout Europe, but all Europe as well Considei-ing the British are interested in Europe. Britain will mobilise all Europe’s forces against the Soviet bloc.” The British United Press Moscow correspondent says all the accused were well dressed, shaven and appeared calm. All appeared to have command of the Russian language. There were only 15 defendants in the dock, the other man, named Jajdak, being too sick to attend. The Diplomatic Corps sent observers to the trial. The British Minister, Mr Roberts, and a former lecturer of at Manchester University (Doctor Bolzovmer) represent, the British. A Russian Tass Agency’s correspondent at Warsaw reports: Polish Army troops killed 166 members of a band of marauders who were reported to have massacred 194 persons in the Polish village of Verkhovina. Polish troops captured the fort, where the band had its headquarters, and considerable military equipment. CZECHS AND SOVIET. PRAGUE, June 18. The Czech Prime Minister, Mr Fierlinger, issued a statement declaring that Czechoslovakia’s geographical separation from Britain and America made it impossible for her to have the same sort of pact with them as with Russia. The Czechs did not desire to link up with Russia as one of the Socialist Soviet Republics, because the people wanted to preserve their independence. He added: “Should the Left Wing gain control at the elections, probably being held before the end of the year, we plan to introduce State control of heavy industry, bank credit and the liquidation of big landed properties, most of which are owned by Germans, Hungarians, and their supporters. The property will be distributed among the peasants.”