CLOSING SCENE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18068, 20 April 1933, Page 7

CLOSING SCENE

THE MOSCOW TRIAL REMARKABLE EXCITEMENT SENTENCED MEN APPEAL iI OP FIS FOR COMMUTATION (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received April 20, noon.) MOSCOW,. April Iff.

There was remarkable excitement during the hours awaiting the judge’s ieeision outside the courtroom. Hundreds of spectators paced tiji and down, ile sandwiches, or played dice and cards. The English accused spent their time with the English solicitor in a

• i.'ni behind the court. The staff of ■he British Embassy, with serious faces, paced the . corridors, their anxiety being apparent to everyone onneetod with the cast. The crowd included many beautiful women and -very class of Russian. Messengers were continually darting to the telegraph office, carrying despatches to every part of the globe. When the judges reassembled, M. Ulrich contended' that Thornton was the chief instigator and Monkhousc was concerned with him. A deathlike silence marked his closing passages, and the prisoners stood in the dock with bated breath.

Monkhousc was the only English defendant to make, full use of the

right of the last word. lie said: “The only serious evidence that I engaged in espionage is the document Thornton signed. I have known Thornton for 22 years, and I am certain that he did not sign voluntarily.” Referring to the charges of sabotage, Monkhousc said: “The Soviet owes Metropolitan-Vickers £1,500,000, and the firm hoped to got more orders, so the destruction of machinery would be cutting its own throat.” DEPORTEES RETICENT M. Ulrich announced that the deported accused would not be allowed to return to Russia for five years. Monkhousc, Nordwall. Cushny, and probably Gregory, will leave Russia promptly. The Metropolitan-V ( ickers Company are still represented by nine men, who, pending instructions, will continue business as usual. It is now announced that an appeal is being lodged against the sentences m Thornton and MacDonald. It is believed that the sentences may be commuted. As similar sentences have previously been occasionally commuted, there is a ray of hope that Thornton’s and MacDonald’s appeal will be successful. It was stated later that an appeal is impossible, as M. Ulrich declared the sentences to be final. The only path open to MacDonald and Thornton is to petition the Central Executive Committee for a reprieve, and this they have done.

The departure of the engineers to bo deported has been postponed until tomorrow. 'They cannot leave till then passports are vised. The deportees consider it inadvisable •it present to comment on the 'trial, but are deeply affected by their comrades’ sentences.’ _ _ Madame Litvinoff to-night, is giving a dance to which diplomatic and press representatives have been invited. This is construed as an indication of the authorities’ anxiety to resume friendly relations with foreigners after the strained situation occasioned by the trial, when many Russians refused to shake hands with foreign frifcnds for fear of becoming involved with “British spies.”

WOMAN’S BRAVERY A SPIRITED DEFENCE LONDON, April 19 The Daily Telegraph correspondent says the Russian women are better m a crisis than the men, “Little Mdle. Ivutusova was splendid,” he said. “She spoke longer than any of the others, and in a ringing voice full of challenging anger, scornfully rejected the suggestion against her moral character. She declared that she had worked for 20 years for the Slate and had done more for the five-year piau than citizens who were coutinuaH> boasting of what they had done.” THE DEBT TO VICKERS £20,000 PAID LAST WEEK LONDON, April 19. The Soviet paid MetropolitanVickcrs £20,000 on April 15, according to a message from Moscow. An official statement by the Metro-politan-Vickers company reaffirms >ts complete confidence in the victims oi “this travesty of justice. The directors have no faith in the validity of the alleged confessions.”

Should commercial relations between Britain and Jtu: .iia be «. opted the Soviets are certa * to be i .j biggest losers, states the Vancouver Province. The Soviets arc far more interested in acquiring British credits and developing markets in Great Brit ain than the reverse.

Should trade relations cease, then Arcos Limited, which is the Russian trading company in Great Britain, would be compelled to shut its doors, as it did after a British raid eight years ago.

MONKIIOUSE ’ S EXPERIENCE “Allan Monkhouse has always loved Russia,” said Mrs Stevens, iiis sister-in-law, at Vancouver, “and is keenly sympathetic with the Soviet movement. He has travelled ext nsivcly over Russia, speaks the language fluently and has written many articles on the growth and development, of the country. With the assistance of his wife lie has been engaged recently on an illustrated book dealing with'Russian flora. Mr Monkhouse has published also an Anglo-Russian dictionary.” He has a young soli of 12 in England and a daughter of 18 now at school in Switzerland.