THE SOVIET EXECUTIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19865, 13 June 1927, Page 7

THE SOVIET EXECUTIONS

ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BRITISH MISSION VEHEMENTLY DENIED “FANTASTIC,” SAYS FORMER CHARGE D’AFFAIRES AT RUSSIAN CAPITAL ALLEGED ESPIONAGE Sir Robert MacLeod Hodgson, former British Charge d’Affaires at Moscow ridicules the statements that those recently executed by order of the Soviet were employed as spies by the British Mission to Russia. There is little further to report in connection with the murder of M. Voikoff, whose body has been taken to Russia. It is stated that Poland will not hand over Kowerda, his murderer, to Russia. The Polish legation at Moscow was attacked by a mob, and troops had to be ordered out to protect those within. [By Telegraph—Per Press Assn.—Copyright.]

ILLICIT PRACTICES MOSCOW’S ALLEGATIONS REFUTED. STATEMENT BY SIR ROBERT HODGSON. Receivetd June 12, 5.5 p.m. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, June 11. “Fantastic, and utterly without foundation,” is how Sir x*ober u Mac-1 Leod Hodgson, formerly British ! Charge d’ Affaires at Moscow, describes the Soviet’s accusations that the British Mission employed the victims just executed, by the ;"ovist Government. Equally fantastic are the other allegations of illicit practices emanating from Moscow, which Sir Robert Hodgson declares, cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. He refers to M. Bykoff’s recent quotation from a letter Mr T. H. Preston, Consul at Leningrad wrote Mr C. B. Jerram, British Missioner in Moscow, regarding trade in chemicals, in which the writer said ho feared that the Russians, making inquiries, exposed them to the risk of being hanged, drawn and quartered for spying. Sir Robert Hodgson asks; ‘ ‘Were Mr Preston’s apprehensions justified?” and adds “M. Bykoff’s statements snow they were, wecause he mentioned the cases of Peshkoff and Filin, who were shot for supplying military information to the British mission member, M. Charnock.’

Soviet's Mis-statements. Sir Robert Hodgson points out that Peshkoff was never an officer in General Kolchak’s army, as M. Bykoff declared, but was a naval officer. When Sir Bobert Hodgson arrived in Moscow in 1921, Peshkuff, who was an old acquaintance, was placed in communication with him by a woman named Daul, a secret agent of the police, after which Peshkoff was employed by the Canadian Pacific Railway at Moscow. Afterwards Ke was arrested, with his wife and others, on a charge of organising a counter-revolution in Siberia. Under Sir Bobert Hodgson’s instructions he applied to the Kara Ciiun, whose investigations showed the charge to be a mare’s nest. Peshkoff and the others were liberated, and he was reemployed by the Canadian Pacific Co., but was arrested again in 1925 on the old charge, with friends for whom he had found employment. Sir Bobert Hodgson comments: “It stands to reason that after the Dahl incident, Peshkoff was not likely <- as a spy. It is also most unlikely that I should apply to him for information.”

An Act of Revenge. The Soviet executions are universally regarded as an act of revenge, and many other subjects as hostages in acsacre.” The Riga correspondent of the Daily Telegraph affirms that most of those executed had no connection with political activity. They were merely the victims of the Soviet political police, and were sentenced to death and shot without trial or inquiry. The Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says: The unfortuiate victims of the Bolshevik blood lust were arrested long ago and were detained with many other suspjects as hostages in accordance with Soviet practice, which does not hesitate to seize as hostages even the women and children of exiled opponents. Prince Dolgoroukoff was 65 years of age and was well-known in London. He formerly was rich, but was ruined by the revolution. Yevreinoff married an Englishwoman and lived in England after the revolution, but eventually secured permission to return, and worked for the State Bank. “Wild Stories” Downing Street shrugs its shoulders at the wild stories in yesterday’s Soviet communique, alleging British plotting of terrorism in Russia and the sequel the 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 lives, in marked contrast to the London freedom for M. Bosengoltz and M. Khinchuk. If is disclosed that one of the charges of Brtiish espionage arose from a Bri-

tish missioner’s letter to a branch office in Leningrad inquiring what the market prospects were for British chemicals. The reply said: “Will endeavour to obtain the necessary information.” The Soviet intercepted the reply and alleged that it was an attempt to obtain illicit information, and. published it on the front page of Isvestia as a sample of British treachery.

A WAVE OF TERRORISM MASS ARRESTS IN RUSSIA “RED REGIME PERISHING IN VIOLENCE” Received June 13, 2 a.m. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, June 12. The Warsaw correspondent of the Sunday Express states that martiallaw 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 has been 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 forcasted the decline of the Red oligarchy. Russia is gradually adjusting herself to the outside world. The murder of M. Voikoff plunged the terrorists into a panic and the butchery of the 20 political prisoners was an act of dispair and a proclamation of bankruptcy. The Red regime, like other revolutions ,is perishing in violence.

POLAND AND THE SOVIET M. VOIKOFF’S BODY LEAVES WARSAW. KOWERDA WILL NOT BE HANDED OVER. Received June 12, 8 p.m. (Sun Cable). LONDON, June 11. • The Daily Mail’s Warsaw correspondent says it is reported from Aloscow that a big crowd attacked the Polish Legation. Troops dispersed the crowd and are now guarding the Legation. M. Voikoff’s body, when en route to a special train ‘which took it to Moscow, was escorted by a Polish guard of honour. At the station representatives of the President, Cabinet Ministers, and military and municipal chiefs stood with bowed heads while the casket was placed in the train. M. Zaleski (Polish Foreign Minister), who is en route to Geneva, said at Paris that he had not the slightest intention of agreeing to the extradition of Kowerda in connection with whom Polish law would take its ordinary course.

FRANCE AND COMMUNISTS M. POINCARE’S WARNING. “GOVERNMENT WILL NOT SHIRK ITS DUTY.” Received June 12, 7.30 p.m. (A. and N.Z.) PARIS, June IL The Chamber of Deputies by 370 votes-to 148, expressed confidence in

M. Poincare regarding the Government’s attitude toward the .Communists. I M. Blum, defining ‘the position of the Socialists, declared that the war against the Communists had been taken up at present as an electoral manoeuvre. M. Poincare denied that the Government was preparing for either a coup d’etat or the institution of a new law. It was

merely a matter of applying the existing laws. If the day should come when the prosecution of Communist Deputies arose, the Government would not shirk its responsibilities.