RUSSIAN MISSION

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 127, 1 June 1920, Page 5

RUSSIAN MISSION

C .'."REApy. TO PAY-IN GOLD

USING THE ALLIES' OWN ;■' ", , MONEY. -;• ! ■

■■-;■"■■• ■• . ; '-'( v -""""" ■ ■''": ' ' ; . CPEJSBS A&aOOIATION.J, ■n, i (T-iii^d Servic*;) ■: '^Received iMay 31; '5.5; p.m.) ■ . ■ h- .'/'.iJONDON; May 30. It is;.explained oA behalf of, the KrassiJill'ussiaa delegation thalb Rust, pia is ready to- pay gold for ;importe. The question- lias been raised : , : lq whom doe/s the* gold" belong? It is recalled that when Siveden recently rejected the Soviet's trading overtures the Leninites ;guaranteed. £5,----500,000 in gold. The French press ppinted put that the. gold belonged to the Allies. , :

TJie'Times.states th.at/it is informed* that the g<Bld' '.is' mostly ■ in' ingots tearing tlie stamp; of the old' Russian Empire, and , iisks: '* 'Can any civilised Government recognise ] Lenin's right to liberate the £old, ignoring' the , claims of Russia1 s ; English,; French, 'and other .creditors? '. Our; acceptance of . the:,money wpuld acknowledge the 'Soviet's , right to it, arid' inferentiaUy acknowledge the legitimacy of the Government itself. We have reason to believe,that the ntain pbject of the Krassin mission is to dbtain a genei-al license to. export such gold to England and sell it iv. the open market. 5' ; The Times describes as puerile and false the statement that Krassin represents the Russian co-operative bodies, since Moscow advices admit that the Soviet have absorbed them,. md declares that Lord Curzon and Mr Bonar Law will be responsible as members of the Cabinet if they permit Mr Lloyd George to shake hands with representatives of a bloodstained despot.

"CONDONATION OF ROBBERY."

PARIS, May 30. The Temps urses that the acceptance of such gold would •amount, to, condonation of robbery and fraud.