Evening star., 1927-05-24
BRITAIN TO BREAK
RELATIONS WITH
SOVIET THURSDAY
Trade Agreement to Be End
ed and Mission 0uSted Un-
less Commons Objects.
BALDWIN DISCLOSES
REASONS BACK OF RAID
Activities of Secret Agents in Ef-
fort to Get Data on British
Arms Are Revealed.
Re- the Associated press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON. May 24.-Diplomatic re-
iations between Great Britain and
Soviet Russia will he broken subject
TO approval Of the House of Commons
on Thursday. Premier Baldwin an
nounced today The governments de-
cision is a sequence of the recent raid
on Soviet House in London.
Stating that the British government
proposed to terminate the present
trade agreement and require the With
drawal of the Russian trade deiega-
ton and the Soviet mission from Lon
don. he declared that the British diplo.
matte representatives in Moscow also
would be recalled.
The legitimate use of ARGOS, the
Russian commercial organization, Will
not he affected by the governments
decision. he continued adding that
Great britain was prepared. while
terminating privileges conferred by
certain articles of the trade agree
ment. to make all the arrangements
necessary for ordinary trade facilities
between the two countries.
Based on Investigations.
The governments decision. the pre-
Yner said, was based on Investigations
regarding the propaganda and sub
versive" activities of the Russian trade
delegation, which eliminated in the
recent raid of Soviet House and the
seizure of various documents and files.
Among those papers, the premier
said. was one snatched from the hands
&C
the seized paper containing list OF
secret addresses, including some in
the United States. This paper. he con-
tinued, showed means of communicate
ing with the Communist parties in the
United States, Mexico. South America,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa.
The premier charged that Soviet
House had been habihlally used as
clearing house for subversiye corre-
spondence, including a ''hands-off-
China campaign, as well as military
espionage and subversive activities
throughout the British Empire and
North and South America.
Responsibility for the tactics of the
trade delegation and for the abuse of
the facilities afforded the latter could
not be escaped by the Soviet govern
ment, the premier declared. It would
be difficult to believe, he continued,
that while one organ of the Soviet
government thus was breaking its sol
emn undertakings, the other Or
gan of that government in Great Brit
ain, namely, the Soviet Mission, and
the Soviet government itself were not
parties to these proceedings"
Baldwin Answers Query.
Premier Baldwin, answering ques.
tion by J. r. Clynes, Laborite, whether
he could now make full statement
regarding the raid on Soviet House
and the result of the search, replied
'Yes, sir" to the accompaniment of
loud Conservative cheers.
The premier said that for many
months the police, in collaboration
with the military authorities. have been
investigating the activities of a group
of secret agents engaged in an at
tempt to obtain highly confidential
documents relating to the armed
forces of Great Britain.
The premier said that from informa-
ton received and evidence obtained as
result of these Investigations, it be-
came increasingly difficult to resist the
conclusion that the agents were work
ing in behalf of the Soviet government
and had obtained their instructions
from members of the Russian trade
delegation who were working at Soviet
House and who arranged for the con-
veyance to Moscow of photographs or
copies of the documents obtained
Suspicious Held Confirmed.
Premier Baldwin continued that
these suspicious were confirmed when
early this year British subject. en-
III cd h. ftNx liz
ed of stealing two such documents
These documents were recovered and
the individual was now undergoing
imprisonment. The identity of the Sc
cret organization on behalf of which
this man had obtained the documents
and its connection with similar Rus
sion organization had been es-
tablished
The premier said further that a
document Of official and highly conf
dental character, and so marked re.
Gently had been found TO be missing,
and from information and docu-
mentarv evidence it became clear it
had been conveyed to Soviet House
and there reproduced by n photostatic
process.
Previous 10 the raid. the premier
said, an application for a search war
rant was made as a result of the in
The premier declared that both mil
'tary espionage and subversive activ-
tiles throughout the empire, as we'll as
North and South America. were direct
ed and carried out from Soviet House
No differentiation between the trade
delegation and ARGOS, housed in the
same building. had been observed and
both organizations had been involved
in anti-British espionage propa ganda.
Breaches Are Charged.
'HHis ma ajesty's government" Mr..
Baldwin continued, ION several occa.
sions has found ii necessary to draw
the attention of the Soviet authori-
ties to the breaches of their engage
lneuts hy the Soviet missions in
China. These have always been de-
MED"
lie went on by detailing the in
stance of an alleged breach in the
Borodin episode. The Soviet denials
OF responsibility. he said, We're made
only i'm the hope of deceiving TIE
British government and public.
C'The Borodin episode apparently
refers 10 the presence a s an adviser
at 1iankow OF Michael BorOdin, a
Russian The Soviet government said
ne was acting in an individual capac
ity. and stated that he did not have
. the backing of the Moscow govern
ment in his activities among the Chi
nese Nationalists)
q