SOVIET CHARGES

Southland Times, Issue 20202, 13 June 1927, Page 7

SOVIET CHARGES

BRITISH DENIAL ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT FOUNDATION MR HODGSON ON ACCUSATIONS (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, June 12. “Fantastic and utterly without foundation” is how Mr Hodgson described the Soviet’s accusations that the British Mission employed the victims just executed by the Soviet Government’s orders. Equally fantastic are the other allegations of illicit practices emanating from Moscow, which Mr Hodgson declares cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. He refers to M. Rykoff’s recent quotation from a letter that Mr Preston wrote to Mr Jerram, a British missioner in Moscow, regarding the trade in chemicals, in which the writer said he feared that the Russians were making inquiries which would expose them to the risk of being hanged, drawn and quartered for spying. Mr Hodgson asks, “Were Mr Preston’s apprehensions justified?” and adds—“M. Rykoff’s statements show that they were, because he mentioned the cases of MM. Peshkoff and Filin who were shot for supplying military information to the British missioner Mr Charnock.” Mr Hodgson states that M. Peshkoff was never an officer in Kolchak’s army as M. Rykoff declared, but was a naval officer when Mr Hodgson arrived in Moscow in 1921. M. Peshkoff, who was an old acquaintance, was placed in communication with him by a woman named Dahl, a secret agent of the police, after which M. Peshkoff was employed by the Canadian-Pacific Railway at Moscow. Afterwards he was arrested with his wife and others on a charge of organising a counter revolution in Siberia. Under Mr Hodgson’s instructions, he applied to Kara Khan, whose investigations showed the charge to be a mare's nest. M. Peshkoff and others were liberated and he was re-employed by the Canadian-Pacific, but was arrested again in 1925 on the old charge with friends for whom he had found employment. Mr Hodgson comments: “It stands to reason that after the Dahl incident Peshkoff was not likely to act as a spy. It was also most unlikely that I should apply to him for information.”—A. and N.Z. and Sun. BRITAIN SCOUTS ALARMIST REPORTS. London, June 10. Downing Street shrugs its shoulders at the wild stories in yesterday’s Soviet communique alleging British plotting, terrorism in Russia and the sequel—ruthless executions. The fact is that members of the British Mission were so careful to avoid the most slender suspicion that they virtually lived recluse fives in marked contrast to the London freedom of Rosengoltz and Khinchuk. It is disclosed that one of the charges of British espionage arose from a British missioner’s letter to a branch officer in Leningrad inquiring what was the market prospects for British chemicals. The reply said: “Will endeavour to obtain the necessary information.” The Soviet intercepted the reply and alleged it was an attempt to obtain illicit information and published it on the front page of Isvestia as a sample of British treachery.”—A. and N.Z. VICTIMS OF POLITICAL POLICE. EXECUTIONS ACT OF REVENGE. (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, June 10. The Soviet executions are universally regarded as an act of revenge. Many newspapers use the word “massacre.” The Daily Telegraph’s Riga correspondent affirms that most of those executed had no connection with political activity. They were merely victims of the Soviet political police, and were sentenced to death and shot without trial or inquiry. The Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says: “The unfortunate victims of Bolshevik blood-lust were arrested long ago and detained with many other suspects as hostages in accordance with Soviet practice, which does not hesitate to seize as hostages even women and children of exiled opponents. Prince Dolgorukoff was sixty-five and wellknown in London. He formerly was rich, but was ruined by the revolution. M. Yevreinoff married an Englishwoman and lived in England after the revolution, but eventually secured permission to return and work for the State Bank.—A. and N.Z. “PERISHING IN VIOLENCE.” (Rec. 11 p.m.) London, June 12. The Sunday Express’ Warsaw correspondent states that martial law has been proclaimed at Minsk owing to the assassination of the local chief of political police. A wave of terror is sweeping Russia. Mass arrests are reported, and new executions are expected. Shooting was heard on the frontier where the Red Army is demonstrating against Poland. The Sunday Express in an editorial says that for some time instructed opinion has forecasted a decline of the Red oligarchy. Russia is gradually adjusting herself to the, outside world. The murder of Voikoff has plunged the terrorists into panic. The butchery of the twenty political prisoners was an act of despair and a proclamation of bankruptcy. The Red regime, like other revolutions, is perishing in violence.—A. and N.Z. VOIKOFF LYING IN STATE. FIFTY THOUSAND PAY HOMAGE. (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Warsaw, June 10. Fifty thousand, chiefly Jews, viewed Voikoff lying in state. —A. and N.Z. VOIKOFF’S FUNERAL. COFFIN CARRIED BY MINISTERS. (Rec. 11 p.m.) Moscow, June 12. Voikoff’s coffin was accorded a reception by Ministers, who lifted it out and placed it on a gun-carriage, then walked in procession to Red Square, where it was interred.—A. and N.Z. POLAND WILL REFUSE EXTRADITION. Paris, June 10. Zaleski, en route to Geneva, said he had not the slightest intention of agreeing to the extradition of Kowerda in connection with which the Polish law would take the ordinary course. —A. and N.Z. OFFICIAL TRIBUTE FROM POLAND. Warsaw, June 10. Voikoff’s body, en route to the special train which will take it to Moscow, was escorted by a Polish guard of honour. At the station representatives of the President, Cabinet Ministers, military and municipal chiefs stood with bowed heads while the casket was placed in the train.—A. and N.Z. CROWD ATTACKS POLISH LEGATION. (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Warsaw, June 11. A correspondent says that it is reported from Moscow that a big crowd attacked the Polish Legation. Troops dispersed the crowd and are now guarding the Legation. —Sun Cable. SOVIET DEMAND ON POLAND. SUPPRESSION OF ORGANISATIONS. (Rec. 11.0 p.m.) Berlin, June 12. It is understood that the Soviet instead of the extradition of Kowerda, intends to demand that Poland shall suppress all Russian counter-revolutionary arganisations and deport specified leaders.—A. and N.Z.