“TRADE” WITH RUSSIA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 December 1924, Page 7

“TRADE” WITH RUSSIA.

A GERMAN’S DISASTROUS EXPERIENCES.

(Prom a London Times Correspondent.) In the Times recently was published a letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Asshe_ ton Pownall drawing attention to the ease, of Herr Tomler,. who was imprisoned last January: by the Soviet for “economic espionage” and kept in prison, for , seven months. He is now in Germany, and at a meeting in Berlin: of the Russian section of the union of Germans residing abroad he gave an account of" his experiences under the Bolshevists. Herr Tomler, who had. lived 'in Rusin 1910, and was familiar with the language, was. the . first, German man of business to attempt' -to establish, trade betwee&r.'&vid#'' Russia: '.and his own country. He represented a large number of firms, arid his affairs went fairly smoothly till Lenin’s death. A policy of ruthless taxation was then introduced, which rendered industry and commerce impossible, and the Soviet Government adapted an attitude of open , hostility to all foreign concessionaries arid manufacturers. Tomler was among the first to suffer; his house was raided by armed soldiers, and. he was taken to prison, where he remained for several 'months, unable to even ascertain the reason for, his arrest." It was only after the reiterated demands of the German mission in Moscow, and the German. Consulate at Leningrad that he received a reply, and was told his offerice was “economic espionage,” and that he -was subject' to the death penalty.

Tomler gave a graphic description of the horrors of the Bolshevist prisons, in which sick and healthy prisoners were crowded : together in' siriall cells, filthy and swarming with vermin. The food . supplied them was atrocious. Tomler received permission to write to his wife, who was dangerously ill at the time, but* none of his letters m-ey reached her. He went on hunge" strike as a protest-against, such treaf»uent, hut .this had not the slightest effect on his gaolers.

Uinailv. owing to the pressure op the nr>rt, n f the German ‘authoririos- : .he was tolpiserV hpd o-dered to ouit Ru<=rin -4 4* not,me. Tomle". -n-i+h j,is <ttoV it-ifp. who had;to he'carried on r> jtrgtchpr. and his children, oolleeted from various places, returned to Germany a mined man totally disillusioned as to the prospects .of dealing with the Sonet. Government. ■;