ULTIMATUM TO SOVIET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18396, 11 May 1923, Page 7

ULTIMATUM TO SOVIET.

TEN DAYS TO COMPLY.

BRITAIN'S STERN TONE.

MISSION READY TO LEAVE.

RECITAL OF OUTRAGES. By Telegraph Press Association— Copyright. (Received .4-5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. May M. Simultaneously with the. despatch of the British Note of protest to the Russian Soviet Government the Marquis Curzon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, instructed Mr. Hodgson, British agent at Moscow, to return to England with the entire British mission if the Soviet Government does not reply by next Thursday. If a reply is received within that period and is clearly unsatisfactory the mission must leave Russia immediately. The Morning Post states that, in wellinformed quarters in London there is an impression that the Noto. may provoke a conflict between the extremists, of whom M. Tchitcherin is the leader, and the moderates in the Soviet.

The Daily Telegraph states that the Russian Soviet delegation in London does not expect compliance with the British Note, and there are signs that they are making preparations for departure. Although the Russians know that they have been watched they are surprised at the accuracy of the Government's information. It is clear that Lord Curzon has not given a tithe of the precise information available regarding Russian Soviet activities in Britain. The text has been issued of the British Note, which was sent to Russia by an aeroplane. The Note gives the Soviet Government 10 days in which to comply with its requests, otherwise Britain will recognise that the Soviet Government does not wish existing relations to be maintained. Tho Note demands an apology for and the cessation of anti-British propaganda! and hostile action, particularly in tho East, and the recall of officials responsible for this. It also demands the Soviet Government's admission of liability for and an undertaking to pay compensation in cases where British subjects have been maltreated in Russia and British ships have been seized. . It also demands the unequivocal withdrawal of the offensive reply to British representations regarding the sentences of death pass-d on Mgr. Zepliak,J&oman Catholic Archbishop of Petrograo, and Mgr. Budkevitch. i The Note further states that though Britian has scrupulously o"bserve3 the article in the trade agreement promising to reirain from any hostile act, the Soviet Government has flagrantly violated the same. The Note, in citing outrages against Britishers, mentions the murder of Mr. Davison in January, 1920, and the arrest and imprisonment on a false charge of Mrs. i Stan Harding, a journalist. Compensation* is demanded for loss of the trawler Magneta and the seizures of the St. Hubert and James Johnson; also an "assurance that British trawlers will not further be interferred with outside the three-mile limit. Referring to Russia's reply to the British representations on behalf of the condemned clerics, the Note says . that it seems difficult to arrive at any other conclusion than that. the Soviet Government is either convinced that Britain will accept any insult sooner than break 1 relations, or that the Soviet Government desires to terminate the relations- created by the trade agreementThe Note was received by the Soviet Government on Monday evening.

MOSCOW STREET AFFRAY.

BRITISH OFFTCIAL WOUNDED. A. and N.Z. MOSCOW. May 9. The Russian Telegraph Agency states that while militia were following a gang of burglars in Moscow one of the criminals jumped on a motor-car belonging to the British Trade Commissioner, forced the chauffeur to drive on, the- criminal meanwhile firing on his pursuers. In the exchange of shots, Mr. Sloggett, a member of the. British Commission, was wounded and was taken to hospital. The criminal was mortally wounded. The Russian Department of Foreign Affairs has expressed to the British Mission its extreme regret.