SOVIET PANIC

Southland Times, Issue 20201, 11 June 1927, Page 7

SOVIET PANIC

Monarchist Victims TWENTY POLITICAL PRISONERS EXECUTED BRITAIN BLAMED FOR POLISH MURDER GENERAL OUTBURST THROUGHOUT RUSSIA (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) London, June 10. An extraordinary communique has been I issued at Moscow. It opens with the state- 'j ment: "In view of the open transition to a ternoristic and destructive struggle by the Monarchist White-Guardist elements, acting from abroad on instructions and with funos from foreign intelligence services, the col- ! legium of the State Political Department sentenced to death at a session held on June 9, twenty persons, and the sentences were carried out.” The list of the executed is as follows: , Ex-Prince Paul Bolgorukoff, for taking a leading part in Monarchist organisations abroad, and who illegally entered Soviet territory through Rumania; Ex-Prince i Mestchersky, ex-landowner and active worker for the Grand Duke Nikolai Niko- I laivitch; M. Lytcheff, who supplied spy information to Air Charnock, a member of , the British Mission; ex-Captain Koropenko, : - in General Kolchak's service, who supplied military information to Mr Hodgson, a Brit- 1 ish Minister; M. Mazurenko, ex-Kolchak officer, who supplied Mr Hodgson with spy information regarding transport, particularly of military transport; M. Elvengren, ex-cavalry officer, one of those who, with Captain Riley, of the British Intelligence Service, participated in the organisation and attempt on the Soviet Delegation at the Genoa Conference,headed by M. Tchitcherin, ; when the delegation passed through Berlin; ! and M. Malevitch Malescky, ex-Bodyguard officer of the Agent of the British Intelligence Service in Persia, who was sent for espionage purposes to Russia in 1927. M. Yevreinoff, ex-Tsarist Consul, serving on the staff of the Soviet State Bank, who supplied Mr Hodgson w’ith espionage information ; M. Skalsky, ex-noble, supplied ; the British spy, Banankoff, in Finland with ! information on aviation and war supplies in Russia; M. Popoff, ex-officer, returned from France to conduct counter-revolution-ary work under instructions by M. Mala- j koff, ex-Tsarist Ambassador; M. Steheglovikoff, the General's son, spying for foreign : general staffs; M. Susalin, ex-colonel in Wrangel’s army, who organised in 1926 the abortive attempt against Krassin; M. Murakoff, the merchant who financed Monarchist organisations in Russia; M. Nikulin, exCbamberlain in the T a/s Court, who kept lodgings, hiding t?iTonsts from abroad; M. Gcrevitch Sok mon who attempted the murre? of MM. Bukharin, Rykoff and Stalin, and also five others on similar charges.—A. and N.Z. CONCILIATORY POLISH REPLY. CRIME DEEPLY REGRETTED. NO RESPONSIBILITY' ACCEPTED. Warsaw. June 9. The Government’s reply to the Soviet is most ooncliatory. It disclaims responsibility for ihe murder and st tes that Voikoff repeate<Ty refused police protection on the grounds that he had nothing to fear as it was well known that he was a friend of Poland. The reply assents to the Russian demand for representation at the trial of Kowerda, tut only as a representative of the widow, whom Poland is prepared to compensate.— A. and N.Z. SOVIET PREPARING SECOND NOTE. (Rec. 7.0 p.m.) Warsaw, June 10. Reports from Moscow state that the Soviet is preparing a second Note sharper in tone than the first. Further arrests have been made at Crodno, Bnstiltovsk and elsewhere, including exofficers of Wrangel’s and Dekiken’s armies. —A. and N.Z. CONCERTED OUTBURST AGAINST BRITAIN. (Rec. 1120 p.m.) London, June 10. News of the Russian executions was too late for the bulk of the morning paper editors. It is sale to predict that it will create a sensation when it becomes known. The references to Mr Hodgson and other allegations affecting the British are certain to evoke indignant repudiation. An earlier message from Warsaw said that the demonstrations in Russia appeared to be against Britain rather than against Poland. It is apparent that the discovery of plotting in London, followed by the murder of Voikoff is being made a pretext for a savage outburst of which the helpless prisoners are the first and easiest victims.—A. and N.Z. DEMONSTRATIONS OF PROTEST. MEETINGS HELD THROUGHOUT RUSSIA. Moscow, June 9. Demonstrations of protest against the murder have been held in all large cities in Russia. Demonstrators, officially described as numbering several hundred thousands, marched past the Foreign Affairs Commissariat in Moscow from 3 p.m. till late at night. All the passed resolutions emphasising the alleged close connection of the murder with Britain’s anti-Soviet policy, also demanding the dissolution of White Guard organisations alleged to exist in Poland.—A. and N.Z. FORTNIGHT’S MOURNING PROCLAIMED. London, June 8. The Riga correspondent of The Times states that a fortnight's mourning for M. Voikoff has been officially proclaimed in Moscow, where the theatres and cinemas and houses of amusement are closed. Meetings throughout Russia are telegraphing their sympathy and proclaiming defiance of the Imperialistic forces, w*ho are allegedly responsible for M. Voikoff’s death.—A. and N.