THE SOVIET WARNED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18057, 6 April 1933, Page 8

THE SOVIET WARNED

TREATMENT OF PRISONERS “RED” METHODS REVEALED SLR .). SIMON SPEAKS OUT (British Official WiroJoss.) Ree. 2 p.m. RUGBY, April 5. Extra tune has been allotted for Urn debate in the House of Commons on the Dill giving the Government power to prohibit the importation of Soviet goods, but the bill will be disposed of to-morrow night. Sir John Simon, in moving the second reading, said the Government desired to negotiate a new trading agreement, and the negotiations were proeeo( ling when a very disturbing ♦vent occurred. Russia, had bought power plant from Metropolitan t ickers extensively in the last .10 years. Under technical assistance arrangements, of which the current one had live years to run, tile company supplied some of their best and most skilful ! men for the jiurpo.se of installing, starting, and running the plant. j Sir John Simon then referred to the arrest of the British engineers, adding! that at the risk of incurring the accusation of prejudging an issue on I which the legal remedy had not been exhausted, the Ambassador had told the Soviet Minister that if his Government wished to continue friendly relations it must refrain from being drawn by the police into trumped-up and fantastic accusations against a friend,y and reputable British company. THIRD DEGREE! The Soviet answer stated that investigations made by the internal authorities regarding a series of unexpected breakdowns in the electrical station at Aloscow had established that the breakdowns were, the result of the wrecking activities of terminal elements, whose object was to destroy the electrical station, and put out of operation factories dependent upon them. It added that the investigations showed active participation by certain employees of Metropolitan Welters. Air Alan Monkhouse, with no charge made against him, was submitted to a first examination of 33 hours bv three teams of examiners.

Alter referring to a second examination lasting for 17 hours, Sir John Simon said he had studied many systems of law. and no one could dispute that any testimony obtained by these means was rubbish. The Government had not the slightest desire to sever friendly relations with Russia, but there was no proper basis for really friendly relations if the story presented in the White Paper- represented the way in which men who went to that country were treated He knew of no way he could secure for these men a fair trial, but cue thing they could do was to convince the authorities of the anxiety felt here. At any moment, the Soviet had the power to stop goods coining from this country to them without a, breach of the most favored nation clause. In the interests ol these men. and in order to bring, home to the Soviet State the real gravity of the situation, tho Government asked in the bill for power which the Soviet Government already had Tin* Government had not the slightest intention of making any statement as to the use of that power, which could not possibly he used before April 18. If there was nothing else the House could do to help British subjects who were in peril, it, at least, could give tho Government of the country to which these men belonged the authority sought for in the* bill. LABOR SUPPORTS RUSSIA

On behalf of the Labor Party, Sir Stafford Cripps, following Sir John Simon, moved the rejection of the bill on (In* ground that the White Paper disclosed no adequate grounds for demanding the liberation of the British prisoners without (rial, or granting the Government exceptional powers for the purpose of reprisals against the Soviet Government.

Ho said that before such extraordinary powers were sought, citizens should have exercised all the .available means of legal redress. The denials of tho tribunal’s justh o must have been clearly established. Tho Foreign (lilice, on March 36, really demanded the liberation of the Britishers without trial, while Sir Robert Vansittart informed the Russian Ambassador that tin* allegations against the engineers wore regarded in London as "grotesque and hysterical, and staged as part of a bunt for scapegoats owing to tho di-success of certain industrial undertakings in Russia.” This was about as offensive a statement as could lie made to any foreign ambassador. It would be in the interests of the arrested men themselves to treat the matter on a friendly; ha,sis. instead of working both nations up to a state of excitement and hysteria.