CHAPLAIN’S STORY OF RUSSIA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 14 August 1920, Page 7

CHAPLAIN’S STORY OF RUSSIA

A LAND OF RUIN .LondON,, may 37. borne 3UO .briusn ana rrencu retugees uom Russia were nmdeu at tins week. me party, wUicir was in charge of tne aev. e. vv. Norm, Cnurcn of Lngianu chapuun at tne Jtmtisn mrurch, Moscow, was met on board the Uongoia by tire ivtayor oi Southampton in tuii dress, and oy the sne-nif. implying to the Mayor's welcome, jjir Norm stated mat tue r>mish colony at .Moscow dated oac-K to me time of mizabetn, unit weaieny British business men in Russia nad lor years provided imgiaiid with excellent cnanneis lor me carrying on ol foreign trade, and mat he trusted tnac England would not desert her benefactors of happier" days now that these same Anglo-Russians found, themselves, * in so many cases, completely ruined, and compelled to rely on the charity of the land of their forbears. The Rev. E. W, North lived under the old regime in Russia for over 10 years; he has also lived through four years of the most terrible period which Russia has ever undergone. Elis work necessitated his coming constantly into contact with the Soviet authorities. He deliberately sought out these authorities where other men made every effort to escape their notice. He has seen the hollow mockery of all that they pretend to represent. Commissars have on many occasions thrown off the mask in his presence knowing him to be a man whom it would be impossible to gull by the cunning methods Jhey employ towards casual visitors. Mr North proved himself a force and a personality to be reckoned with. Even when the members of the Extraordinary Commission were plotting his destruction, they were compelled to treat him, Avith a shoAv of courtesy. They feared and hated him in the manner in Avlnch all criminals fear and hare outspoken truth and rugged honesty. A fortnight before his departure from Moscoav he avhs tak eu before a secret tribunal at the Extraordinary Commission, at which five charges were preferred against him—namely: (1) of having had dealings with the White Guards: (2) of having been in communication Avith the British Government; (3) of having had dealings with Mr Paul Dukes; 14) of having had a secret code in his possession; (5) of having subsidised anti-Bolshevist agents to the extent of 200,000 roubles. He at as taken into a private room. Before him sat three judges or investigators. A brilliant light Avas turned full on him, while bis judges sat in shadoAV. They fixed him Avith their eyes, hoping to disconcert him. He returned their scrutiny steadily. The interrogation lasted five hours, during AA'hich time every means was employed* to make Mr North OAyn to crimes he had never committed.

Mr North was then told that he would be permitted to leave for England, and would not be troubled fuither in any way. Later he ascertained that the Extra.. (vbuary Commission had by no Jin an? finished with him, and that they had made up their minds not* to allow him out of the cmint-p----alive. When his departure was assured he was told that, his release nas secured only because it was represented very forcibly Wat unless Die -was libe.’an .l H.e entire naehinery at w > F. for promoting trade relations between the two countries would come to grief. For this reason alone did the Extraordinary Commission reIr.c.antly consent to be ovo -ii.ldeu. • ‘ You know what the n -tubers j of the Extraordinary Commissionare,” said Litvinoff. “You lia 1 o j exactly the «ame sort of Wing in ! Scotland Yard. Tf it is your intention to ’xr-u-u to Mo-mow, I strongly advise you not to. They will entrap v-.u. and you will never escape , a second time.” Asked whether Bolshevism would ever be crushed from the inside, Mr North said Hie people; a«e too weary and apathetic to do | anything. They are simply waiting for it to evolve into something less extreme. The change” will begin to take place when there will remain nothing more to steal in order to provide food for the Red Army. 'Nobody but.the Bolshevists is responsible >for the present deplorable condition of the country. By trading with the Soviet w# should be only prolonging Russia’s agony. There is no trans- , port to speak of in Russia, and the factories,._\vith the exception of four or five, are completely at a standstill. It is now too late to hope for a recovery, even in the event of trade relations being established. Bolshevism destroys, annihilates, without creating. The Bolshevists have made no effort to create. This in itself proves them to be charlatans, and in most cases men who are living for the moment, who know' that the day must dawn when there will

be nobody or no single thing left in Russia to exploit. Many people put forward the argument that the blockade is responsible for this state of a Hairs. Certainly the blockade is responsible. But tUc Soviet authorities are responsible for the blockade, because they have proved time and time again that they have no sense of honour that they are unreliable and treacherous, and that they cannot keep a promise. They do not know the meaning of truth. They pretend to trade.* and instead carry on propaganda. Mr North lias no faith whatsoever in the negotiations afloat to initiate trade with the Soviet Government. Many of the refugees were quite upset that there should be trade delegates now in London, while there are yet no fewer than lb Britishers suffering in Moscow and serving indefinite sentences on the most childish charges. Even Litvinoff told the authorities at the Extraordinary Commission that “a- man cannol be sentenced on mere suspicion.’" This was at the lime of his negotiations for the- release of Mr North. And yet there are still 13 British subjects in prison in Moscow on the most absurd charges, while the wives of notorious Bolshevists live in comfort here in England. Tin.' charges against these people vary in degrees of absurdity, and arc purely iihagina five. The fact that a British mission was last year brought from the South of Russia on a charge of plotting the murder of Lenin at Moscow goes to show the absurdity of Bolshevist acccusations.