FINANCING A LABOUR PAPER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160735, 23 August 1920, Page 3

FINANCING A LABOUR PAPER.

BOLSHEVIK HELP SOUGHT LONDON DAILY HERALD'S DOINGS. By Telegraph.—Press Aggn.—Copyright. LONDON, August 19. On -the authority of "a reams correspondent,” the newspapers publish a series of wireless messages between Tchitcherin, the Bolshevik Foreign Minister at Moscow, and Litvinoff, formerly Bolshevik representative in London until expelled. Litvinoff, when the messages passed, was Bolshevik representative at Stockholm. The majority of the messages passed when Mr Lansbury, editor of the Daily Herald (the National Labour. Party's organ), was travelling in Russia in January, February, and March, 1920. The messages were intercepted by stations in several European countries.

The first message from Tchitcherin to Litvinoff, on 11-2, says: Lansbury is particularly anxious to obtain help in his obliging paper. Lansbury speaks of (?) a sum which he will repay in time. His loses amount to a thousand weekly, and are increasing.''"' The second message from Tchitcherin to Litvinoff, on 23-2, states: Lansbury does not wish to depend upon ns financially, but wishes for commercial relations. He therefore to pay. a small commission for the credit we are opening for him for purchasing paper. Chinese bonds will be sent to Eeval. The third message from Tchitcherin to Litvinoff, 29-2, says: Lansbury will consult you regarding details of publication in England. Point out who will give him orders and regulate the number of copies. The message ends by asking how much money must be sent to pay for Lansbury’s orders. “We Will continue to pay for the paper until the whole 500 tons are paid for. He (Lansbury ?) will pay a small sum as commission.

The fourth message from Tchitcherin to Litvinoff, 29-2, asks; How much money do you consider we ought to 'give the Herald. Lansbury seems particularly anxious to obtain paper. Would it be cheaper to buy paper for him in Sweden instead of making him a present of money? The fifth message, Litvinoff to Tchitcherin, 3-3, relates to the proceedings of the Bolshevik delegation which sought to discuss the resumption of trade relations. Litvinoff says he inspired a message to the Daily Herald, adding: “A firm tone with the Allies is essential from the beginning.” The foregoing messages are those that passed during Lansbury’s stay in Russia. The following passed later. It is pointed out that Francis Meynell, a member of the Daily Herald staff, obtained a passport for Denmark and Scandinavia on 15-5, and visited Litvinofi at Copenhagen early on July 6th. A message from Litvinoff to Tehitcherin on 11-7, states; “If we do not support the Daily Herald, which is now passing through a fresh crisis, we will have to turn ‘right trade union’ in Russian questions, it acts as if it were our organ. After Lansbury’s journey it has gone considerably to the ‘left,’ and advocates direct action. It needs fifty thousand francs for sis months, and then hopes to be on firm ground. It consider the work of the Daily Herald especially important for us. I advise this help be afforded from the Foreign Affairs Fund, and be payable in several instalments. The journal has not obtained paper in Stockholm, but has (P recently had) six thousand francs from us. I beg an early and favourable answer;' especially because there is no hope of establishing a purely communis!? paper.” A seventh message, from Tchitcherin to Litvinoff, on 20-7, says: If you have not enough ready money for a subsidy to the Herald, tell him at any rate a subsidy will be paid by those who have authority to organise the financing of our institutions abroad. The subsidy for preservation of control must be paid by degrees. A concluding message, Litvinoff to Tchitcherin, 22-7, states: I have given instructions that tlm Chinese bonds which are there shall be handed over to the Herald. LONDON, August 20. The Daily Express says that a few weeks ago Litvinoff sent a parcel of 620 Chinese bonds, worth ,£12,000, to a Russian Bank in London, which passed them to another bank in London for sale, A purchaser was found, but the sale could not be completed because it was necessary to supply the Treasury with the purchaser’s name. EXPLANATION BY EDITOR. LONDON, August 20. The messages relating to the Daily Herald were circulated by the Admiralty, which states that they were intercepted in code form and successfully decoded. Mr Lansbury states it is untrue that the. Daily Herald received Chinese bonds directly or indirectly. The paper has been frequently threatened with complete stoppage owing to the shortage of paper, in circumstances suggesting a trade boycott. It was natural to discuss the subject in Russia, which possesses, tremendous supplies. He hoped to,, buy paper in Russia when the industry was re-organised, and left a memorandum in Moscow stating definitely that any transactions now or in future must be such as could be put on the Daily Herald’s books and be open to the light of day. LQNDON, August 20, The Daily Herald, in a detailed reply to the Admiralty’s compilation, declares that no money or newsprint was ever received from the Bolsheviks or any other Government. The Herald publishes a list of the newsprint contracts for the past nine months, also of its shareholders and debenture holders, “and suggests the decoding in places is either erroneous or perversive. The paper complains editorially that the Admiralty, while supplying other newspapers, did not supply the Daily Herald with a copy of the messages, thu's handicapping it, and suggests that the Government deliberately waited until Parliament rose before circulating the messages, its object being to prejudice Labour’s Council of Action and assist the pre-war party. Lansbnry says the Bolsheviks never offered him a money subsidy.