§ 37. Mr. LEWISasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, if he has any further statement to make with regard to the employés of the Metropolitan-Vickers Company who have been arrested in Russia?
§ 43. Mr. D. GRENFELLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any further statement to make on the trial of the British subjects at Moscow?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir John Simon)Four of the six Metro-Vickers engineers who have recently been on trial at Moscow arrived in London on 23rd April. As the House is aware, one of them, Mr. Gregory, was acquitted and the other three, Mr. Monkhouse, Mr. Cushny and Mr. Nordwall were convicted and sentenced to banishment from Russia for five years. The other two men, Mr. Thornton and Mr. Macdonald, were convicted and sentenced to deprivation of liberty for three years and two years respectively. Both Mr. Thornton and Mr. Macdonald are, I understand, lodging appeals for commutation of sentence; Mr. 20 Thornton's appeal was in fact presented last Friday and I understand that both appeals will in due course come under the consideration of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union.
The four engineers who have already arrived in England have been interviewed at the Foreign Office and insist most strongly that their two comrades who are still detained are as completely innocent as they are themselves. Having seen the four men myself, I am completely convinced that the accusations against them were ill-founded and that the action of His Majesty's Government in relation to the whole matter is entirely justified.
§ Sir J. SIMONNo, Sir.
§ Mr. LANSBURYMay I ask the Leader of the House whether there will be any early opportunity of debating the action taken by His Majesty's Government?
§ The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Mr. Baldwin)I think it is a little premature to put that question.
§ Mr. LANSBURYI understand that the embargo which His Majesty's Government have imposed under the Act will come into operation to-morrow. In these circumstances, does the right hon. Gentleman think it early to ask for a day to debate so important a question?
§ Mr. BALDWINI cannot think that a debate would be of any help while our fellow-countrymen are in prison.
§ Mr. LANSBURYThat may be the opinion of the right hon. Gentleman—[HON. MEMBERS: "And the country"]—and of a majority of this House. [HON. MEMBERS: "And the country."] That remains to be seen. I wish to press the right hon. Gentleman. There is no danger to our countrymen in this House debating a matter of this kind, which is of great importance to a very large number of people in this country, and I again ask if the right hon. Gentleman will give us facilities to debate it?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe responsibility for a decision of that kind must rest with His Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. THORNECan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the four men in question came in at one and the same time to the Foreign Office, or whether Gregory was sent for afterwards?
§ Sir J. SIMONI really do not know the order in which they came. They were received all together.
§ Mr. THORNEThe point I put was whether the four men came together, or whether three of them came along and Gregory was sent for afterwards?
§ Sir J. SIMONI would answer the hon. Member immediately if I could give him an answer. I really do not know, but I do know that at one time or another all four gentlemen came to the Foreign Office, and at one time they were certainly seen together.