Concealing Plan Failure

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7107, 16 March 1933, Page 7

Concealing Plan Failure

Is Soviet Erecting a Smokescreen ?

APOLOGY FOR MOSCOW ARRESTS EXPECTED

United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright Received Wednesday, 8 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 15.

The Morning Post’s political correspondent says that Mr. Stanley Baldwin is making an important statement in the House of Commons to-day on the subject of the Moscow arrests. It is expected that an apology will shortly be forthcoming in tho form of a statement that tho arrests occurred without tho knowledge of M. Litvinoff (Commissary of Foreign Affairs), who is taking steps to meet the representations of tho British Government.

Tho Daily Mail says the obvious moaning of these arbitrary arrests is that the Five Year Plan has collapsed and a smokescreen is being erected to conceal tho truth from tho miserable, oppressed population of Russia, who are being made to beiievo that British treachery caused their hardships and not tho incapacity and dishonesty of tho Bolsheviks.

Questioned Solely Concerning Machinery

MONKiiOUSE SAYS TROUBLES INEVITABLE IN EIG JOBS.

Received Wednesday, 8 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 15,

It is understood Sir Esmond Ovey (British Amibassador to Moscow) made strong representations to Moscow about the secretiveness of the proceedings against Vickers’ employees, tho Government taking a serious view of the case. The Soviet Foreign Office then said that members of the Embassy would bo allowed to visit the prisoners subject to representatives of tho Soviet being present and no reference being made to the motives underlying the arrest. Sir Esmond Ovey visited Lubianka gaol, conversed with the four prisoners and found them comfortable and in normal health.

Mr. Alan Moukhouse, one of the men arrested and subsequently released, states that ho was questioned during the greater part of his 48 hours’ detention, but no refereneo was made to espionage. The questions chiefly related to alleged defects in machinery, supposed faulty installation. Mr. Monkhouso says that naturally during tho ten years ho has been installing equipment in large power stations thero have been troubles, such as are unavoidable in any big job, but tho charges of sabotage are ridiculous.

Company Unable to Account for

Arre3t3

POLITICS ESCHEWED BY EMPLOYEES

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Mar. 14,

In a statement issued, the Metropolitan Vickers Company is entirely unable to account for tho arrests. Representations wero made by the company to the Foreign Office and to the Russian Ambassador in London yosterday. The statement adds that during the past ten years the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company had had continuous business dealings with the Russian Government, and had supplied large quantities of electrical machinery and other apparatus, and the dealings between tho Soviet and the company have been satisfactory in every way. Throughout the long period of its business dealings it had been the rigid rule of the company that every employee must concern himself solely with matters of trade and have nothing whatever to do with political and allied matters.

Pending further developments tho company is confident a mistake has been made and that there are no grounds whatever for the action of the authorities in Moscow.

Monkhouse Ridicules Sabotage Charges

MOSCOW, March 14. Mr Alan Monkhouse, who was detained at Lubianka prison controlled by O.G.P.U. (Russian secret police) said lie was allowed to keep his plotlies with the exception of his tie and braces and was confined to a large coll in which there were a table and bed. O.G.P.U. agents told him after interrogation that “We think you are an honest fellow,” and they returned his papers and conducted him to a car, shaking hands. His colleagues are still imprisoned. Mr Monkhouse, interviewed, described the sabotage charge as

ridiculous. He said the O.G.P.U. treated him with extraordinary politeness, but ho was questioned for several hours. The arrested Russians include Chief Engineer Gatenstein, of tho All Soviet Electric Union, and Engineer Krashenikoff, manager of the Zhilken Moscow electrical station.

Two Russians employed by tho Metropolitan Vickers Electric Co., in Ukraine, who left for Moscow on February 24th, have not been heard of since. Ten of the British field engineers in the interior hitherto failed to reply to telegraphic enquiries from Moscow regarding their welfare.

Mr Alan Monkhouse is well-known at Stratford, where he spent his youth. His late fo,ther was farming at Rowan. After service in France, Alan went to Russia, and was living at Moscow at the time of tho revolution. With companions he made his way on foot across Siberia, arriving at Vladivostok in rags, eventually escaping to Japan. Hp joined the Vickers Company and returned to Russia, where fee HSiM £or 2SM&