WARNING ISSUED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 714, 18 March 1933, Page 1

WARNING ISSUED.

TRADE WITH SOVIET MAY CEASE. British Attitude Defined. DETAILS OF CHARGES STILL WITHHELD. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received March 18, 11 a.m.) LONDON. March 17. The “ Evening Standard ” states that Britain has informed the Soviet that trade relations will be severed if Russia persists in charges against the ten Vickers’ employees who are under arrest. The Soviet has informd the British Ambassador, Sir Esmond Ovey, that the Britons will be charged under Article 58 of the Criminal Code dealing with sabotage. Sir Esmond is still without definite information regarding the charges. It is unlikely that further visits by him to the prisoners will be allowed.

THREATS SCOFFED AT.

“Soviet Will Not Relax the Law.” (Received March 18, 4 p.m.) MOSCOW, March 17. “No pressure or threats can cause the Soviet to relax the law in favour of Britons,” says M. Litvinoff. in a statement published by the Tass Agency, which adds: “M. Litvinoff told Sir Esmond Ovey that the British claims were tantamount to a proposal for granting Britons immunity from any crime delinquency and stopping proceedings against them. Despite the available data and proofs, the British Government immediately expressed conviction that the men were innocent, which was obviously unacceptable to the Government of an independent country and which could not be discussed. Arrests of foreigners occurred in other countries besides Russia, Moreover, hundreds of thousands of Germans, Americans and other foreigners living in Russia were not persecuted. Hundreds of Englishmen lived there without arrest. Finally, the Metropolitan Vickers representatives themselves had lived in Russia for ten \ ears and hitherto nothing had happened to them. The present measures had been adopted only in face of serious causes and in the interests and safety of the State’s property.”

TO DIVERT NOTICE.

Mr Thomas Suggests Reason for Arrests. (Received March 18, 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 17. The Secretary for the Dominions, Mr J. H. Thomas, when speaking at Swansea and referring to the “ difficulties and dangers ahead,” said that many foolish and dangerous actions were occurring, among which none had stirred the British public more than the Russian arrests of respectable, harmless fellow subjects engaged in normal commercial avocations. It was absurd to suggest that they would lend themselves to measures calculated to destroy theif livelihood. The motive behind the arbitrary procedure was not understood, he added, but British people would agree that the arrested men must not be made the subject of shortcomings in official projects. The Russians had been known before to take arbitrary action in order to divert attention from home affairs and had got embroiled in foreign difficulties.

OTHER MEN SAFE. (Received March 18, 4 p.m.) LONDON, March 17. Vickers, Ltd., have been advised that fifteen other engineers are safe and continuing work.