FINAL STAGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21469, 18 April 1933, Page 9

FINAL STAGES

MOSCOW TRIAL WEARING THE VERDICT PKOSECUTOK'S ADDBESS (PLUCK OF MONKHOUSE [QUESTIONS FOE COUET py Telegraph Press Association—Copyright (deceived April 17. 7.5 p.m.) MOSCOW. April 17 The city of Moscow was cloaked in *-hite after an overnight snowstorm phen tho trial of the Metropolitan Vickers Company's employees was returned yesterday. Counsel for the New Zealander, Mr. [Allan Monkhouse. M. Nicholas Komodoff, asked for a rnling of the Court as to the admissibility of 10 technical questions submitted bv his client. The president, M. Ulricli. disallowed two questions referring to the Vickers Company's machinery, declaring emphatically that tho company was not on trial, but only individuals. / "Those answers do not satisfy me," cried Monkhouse, springing to his feet after a black-bearded Slav had read tho Court's replies to his technical questions. The answers included an assertion that the turbine at Ivanovo failed to fulfil the guarantee and that the Vickers employees neglected to correct tho defective blades. "I would like to argue some points," continued Monkhouse. "You should have notified Arcos (the Soviet trade agency in London) if we did not fulfil pur guarantees." Prosecutor on Soviet's Enemies Tho prosecutor, M. Vishinsky, entered the Court with a bulky brief case. He yawned, glanced at his watch, drank a glass of Russian tea brought to him by a guard and began a per- / fervid speech. "Wo are approaching the end of the trial," said tho prosecutor, "and shall eoon have accurate results. Our enemies tried to press us too hard and we lost patience. I hope the result will be a blow to them. They forgot they were with the Soviet, which will not allow anyone to interfere in its internal affairs." M. Vishinsky, his face growing more and more hectic, punctuated his sentences with downward chops of his left hand, as he contradicted the views expressed by Mr. Walter Runcinian, President of the British Board of Trade, on Russian justice. The prosecutor alleged that Britain _ had practised the third degree in India and also in the Baillie-Stewart case. •He added: "We have the only true justice in the world." Two Britons Attacked Proceeding, M. Vishinsky accused Monkhouse and Thornton of attempting to insult the Court in accordance with instructions from London. He ridiculed the allegations that they had been subjected to the third degree or to a "frame-up." "Oleinik and Madame Kutosova are the most detestable of Russia's enemies," said tho prosecutor. "The Russians accused are ■ natural saboteurs, hut cannot be pardoned. The Soviet does not fear them. "Tho crimes of Monkhouse and Thornton are too disgusting for words. '-They are worse than the Russian prisoners." The Court then indulged in a 20 minutes' recess. When the trial was resumed last evening the prosecutor, grim and redvisaged, wearing the Order of the Red Banner, urged the importance of the trial in the eyes of the world. He piled • up adjectives in a denunciation of the Soviet's ' enemies. Referring; to British attacks, he said: "We have never concealed the class nature of our justice. Our Courts defend tho proletariat'as theirs defend the capitalist class. Death Demanded lor Russians "Monkhouse must remember that ho is here not as a representative of tho j Vickers Company, but as an indiTidual," continued M. Vishinsky. "He j is accused of espionage, sabotage and | bribery." Toward the close of tho session tho j accused listened apathetically to the weakening rhetoric of Vishinsky, who fell back /upon technicalities and dis- j cussed the meaning of espionage. Ho , declared that-the Soviet's interpretation corresponded with that of English legal dictionaries. M. Vishinsky claimed that the ac- . ciised Russians had proved traitors, ; therefore he demanded the death pen- j alty for them. He emphasised that the crimes of the Russians wore more I heinous than those of the Englishmen. | This is taken to.-mean that ho will not demand the death penalty for the Englishmen. It was decided to conclude the summing up to-morrow. After that the last pleas of the accused will follow tho defence counsel's speeches. The verdict is expected to bo delivered I'ate to-morrow or early on Wednesday. PROSECUTOR WORRIED f NEW ZEALANDER'S STAND EVIDENCE CHALLENGED (Received April 17, 7.5 p.m.) limes Cable LONDON, April 17 The Riga correspondent of the Times Bays Mr. Monkhouse\s courage and selfdefence in challenging the e\ idonce of the Russian informers noticeably woiried the prosecutor, M. Vishinsky, and completely put him out of his stride. The Moscow correspondent of the News Chronicle states that M. V ishmtsky spoke for four hours and nc\cr was at a loss for word or phrase. He addressed the Bench as " comrades. FARCICAL PROCEEDINGS OPINION IN GERMANY BERLIN, April 1G The German press uniformly sympathises with tho Vickers' employees and regards the Moscow trial as a farce to divert Russians' attention from their internal problems.