AN OFFICIAL REVIEW

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18068, 20 April 1933, Page 11

AN OFFICIAL REVIEW

THE MOSCOW TRIAL SENTENCES EXPLAINED REASONS FOR LENIENCY (British Official Wireless.) Roe. 2 p.m. RUGBY, April 19. Tiio following is a Foreign Office summary of the findings and sentences at the Moscow trial: — Tho findings were divided into four sections, namely, wrecking at Zlatoust, at Zuevka, at Ivanovo, and at electrical stations at Mosenergo. Under the first heading, Guisev and Sokolov were convicted both of wrecking and collecting secret information under MacDonald's instructions, and receiving bribes from him. MacDonald was convicted under the same heading, and was stated to have been acting under Thornton’s, instructions.

Under the second heading, Kotlyarevslcy was convicted of machine wrecking and receiving bribes from MacDonald. Under the third heading, Lobanov, Lebedev, and Nordwall were convicted of machine wrecking and giving or receiving bribes. Ziverfc also was convicted of receiving bribes from Thornton for machine wrecking. Under the same heading, Sukharoutchkin, Zorin, and Karaschenninikov were convicted of wrecking under Thornton’s instructions and receiving bribes from him. Thornton was convicted of organising machine wrecking through these men, and elsowhere, through MacDonald, Nordwall, and Cuslmy, and of carrying on espionage through MacDonald, Cuslmy, and others. Monkhouse was convicted on the grounds of complicity with Thornton’s acts and of bribery of (Soviet citizens for concealing defects in Vickers’ machinery. Cuslmy’s and Oleinik’s convicions of wrecking and providing Thornton with secret information were dealt with under the same heading. Mddlc. Kutusova. was convicted of complicity in Thornton’s activities and transmitting bribes from ,hiin for criminal. purposes The verdict stated that the sentences would bo based on the provisions of the decreo of March 14 stating: Soviet State employees convicted of wrecking are subject to more severe penalties than employees of private enterprise.’ Guisev, Sukharoutchkin, and Lobanov were, sentenced to 10 years deprivation of liberty, with the loss of civil rights for five years and confiscation of their property. They were not condemned to be shot because their “criminal wrecking activity did not cause serious damage to Soviet industry.” Sokolov, Lorin, and Kotlyarevsky were sentenced on the same basis to eight years’ deprivation of liberty with similar additional provisions. Karaschenninikov was sentenced on tho same basis to five years’ deprivation of liberty with tho loss of civil rights for five years, without confiscation of his property “because he was only a tool in the hands of Lobanov.” Lebedev was sentenced to two year’s deprivation of liberty, without loss of civil rights and without confiscation of property. The list of employees of Vickers was as follows:

William H. Thornton, vice-manager at Moscow, was sentenced to three years’ deprivation of liberty. In William L. MacDonald’s case, it was declared that since he was acting “on the instructions of his immediate chief, Thornton, and in consideration of his honest confession,” the measure of repression demanded by the law was limited to two years’ deprivation of liberty. In Alan Moukhouso’s and Charles Nordwall’s cases, since “they did not take a direct share in the machine wrecking at the electrical stations,” and in John Cushny’s case, “since his crime was committed as long ago ns 1928,” sentence was declared to be limited to "expulsion for five years. Oleinik and Mdlle. Kutusova, “in consideration of their dependence on Thornton, and the fact that they were employees of a private firm,” were sentenced to three years’ and U years’ deprivation of liberty respectively, in each case without loss of civil rights, and without confiscation of property. In tho case of Zivert, in consideration of the fact that since 1931 he had shown that he had “broken with the wreckers,” it was stated that “no measure of repression would bo applied” and lie would bo liberated.

Gregory was declared acquitted on the ground of “insufficiency of proofs.” Nordwall, on returning to Britain, will bo accompanied by his wife, wlioso application for rele,aso from Soviet citizenship was granted to-day. ANGLO-SOVIET TRADE ADVANTAGE TO RUSSIA (British Official Wireless.) Rec. 3 p.m. RUGBY, April 19. Russian imports into Britain last year totalled just under £20,000,000, over 30 per cent, of Russia’s total exports to all countries. Britain’s exports t.o Russia were about £10,500,000. Of last year’s imports, the chief commodities on which the embargo has been placed were: Petroleum, £2,200,000; cotton, £590,000; butter, £1,235,000; grain, £1.605,000; and timber, £5,853,000.

Metropolitari-Vickcrs confirm the statement that the sums due to date from the Soviet Government have been paid.