Premier's Story in Statement Replying to Labour Motion for Re-opening of Inquiry: City Man's Public-Spirited Action London, Mar. 19, In the House of Commons this evening a motion moved by the Rt. Hon, Ramsay Macdonald, leader of the Labour Party, calling for a new Anglry into the, clromatances der which the Zinovielf Letter was. published in the press on the eve: of the General Election in 1924 was defeated by 826 votes to 132, TIn.a speech opposing Mr. Ramsay Macdonald's motion, the Premier created a sensation in the House.
He rend a statement made by the Government original informant, who was City man having no connection with the Foreign Office, polities or the conspiracy but who knew of the letter 48 hours before it renched the Government.
Mr. Baldwin said that he had met this man, for the first, time, that day. The latter had authorized him to make @ statement which he, Premier, had verified and checked in the last 24 hours. The statement signed "Conrad Donald im Thurn.
It describes how Mr. Conrad im Thurn on October 8, 1924, met a business friend—who was in no way connected with the Government ser-This friend mentioned that letter familiarly known as the inovielf Letter had been sent to the headquarters of the British Communist Party. On hearing the contents of the letter, Mtr. im Thurn ked his friend if he could get him a copy, which he received the following morning.
Extremely indignant at the proposal to lend money to Russia at the moment they were fomenting trouble in Great Britain, Mr. im Thun decided to inform the Government department concerned, which he did, and fo publish the information as soon as his informant had been able to settle up affairs in England and get to place of safety, as his life would be endangered by publication of the letter, And the "Daily Mail Mr. im Thur handed his copy of the Zinovieff letter to a City friend who was in touch with the "Daily In his statement he adds that he was personally responsible for obtaining the text of the letter and securing its publication, He received no assistance from any Government official and he received no money or reward. His action was solely dictated by patriotic motives.
Continuing, the Premier said that, according to information received by the British Government, Comrade Chicherin, the Russian Commissar for Foreign Affairs, when questioned by the Soviet Government, admitted that the Zinovielf letter had been sent but did not know how the British had secured a copy. He famumed the leakage was due to treachery. Chicherin stated a month later that a communist agent in Britain had destroyed the original.
Mr, Baldwin understood that Russian was arrested in Moscow and shot shortly after the publication fof the letter who was suspected have given the copy.
"The Attorney General, Sir Douglass Hogg, paying a tribute to Mr. Conrad im Thurn, said that his uncle, Six Everard im Thurn, was 2 Governor of some of our most Important colonies; his brother holds a very responsible the Navy while he himself is a gentleman of unblemished reputation holding & very responsible: position in the City and well-known to the great bulk of City men.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.