Evening star., 1947-12-13
Moscow Protests
New French Arrests
OF Russian Citizens
By the Associofed Press

By the Associated Press
PARIS, Dec. ia Foreign
Ministry spokesman said today
the Soviet Embassy had pro-
tested new French arrests of
Russian citizens at Paris and
Marseille.
He said the note had been deliv-
cred this morning and was being
translated. He said he was unable
to give any details as to its contents
or comment on it.
The semi-official French Press
Agency quoted the Soviet Embassy
as saying Alexandra Abramov, the
charge d affaires, had handed a note
TO Jean Chauvel, secretary general
at the French Foreign Ministry, ask
ing the immediate liberation of
those arrested.
France Defends Action.
Earlier this week the French gov
ernment refused to accept a Soviet
note protesting the expulsion of 10
SOVIET citizens from France last
month and last night 1t informed
MOSCOW that it considered that ac-
tion had been entirely legal and
proper.
One OF Mr.. Abramov's aides said
there had been seven new arrests
1our IN Paris and three in Marseille.
ne SAID the three persons taken at
Marsellle had come from the Soviet
Union by way of Paris, while those
taken here were simply Soviet citi-
zens.' He had no further informa-
ton on the names of those arrested
nor the motives for their detention,
he said.
Ihose previously expelled were
White Russians" who have taken
Soviet citizenship since the war, A
spokesman for the French Interior
Ministry said today that a total of
"A Soviet citizens had been expelled
from French territory in this group
last month. He explained there
were originally 26, but two had re-
fused to enter the Russian zone of
Germany and had been permitted
to remain.
The French official said there had
been no new arrests, but that some
members of the Soviet Reparation
Commission who had not vet left
france were escorted to the frontier.
Colony of $4,000.
France has a colony of $4,000
White Russians" most of whom
came here 80 years ago as refugees
from the Communist revolution,
About 1000 have taken Soviet cit
izenship since the war and l 500 have
returned to the Soviet Union.
The news agency quoted Karp
Starlkov, first secretary of the So
Wet Embassy, as saying &:
i. A member of the Embassv.
Alexander Ossipovitch Sorokin, was
arrested at Marseille where he was
to escort group of Soviet citizens
aboard the Russian ship Pobieda,
which arrived this morning from
Odessa to repatriate a group of Ar
menians to the Soviet Union. He
was expelled to Germany without
notification to the Soviet Embassy.
2. Three members of the Soviet
repatriation mission were arrested
at Marseille-one of them for the
third time-and taken by the police
IN an automobile to an undisclosed
destination. One carried a diplo-
matte passport and another was a
captain in the Red Army.
g. -Four Soviet citizens were ar
rested in Paris, including the for
mer commandant of the Soviet re-
patriation camp at Beauregard, near
the capital, and two chauffeurs of
the repatriation mission.
International Law Cited,
A Foreign Office note, handed to
the Soviet Embassy last night, said
the 19. whose expulsion was carried
out at the height Of the recent Com
munist-bossed strikes in France.
were expelled in accordance with in
ternational law and usage and with
out mlstreatment. The French ac-
cused them of interference" in the
affairs of France.
The note was made public onlv a
short time after the National As
semoly gave Premier Schuman's
cabinet a new vote of approval in
a debate on criticism of the French
government by 1t Col. RAYMOND
Marquie, Communist chief of the
expelled French repatriation mis-
sion to Moscow. The vote was All
for Premier Schuman and 1873 Com
munists against.
The expulsion of the 10 Russians
from France was followed last Tues
day by the mutual custer of each
others repatriation missions and
severance OF trade negotiations.
Col. Marquie, head Of the French
mission. held press conference in
Moscow Wednesday and accused
his government of heino o+ fo,,l+