Torture Alleged by Soviet Official in Harbi Japanese, Manchus Held Responsible Moscow, Dec. 14.
It is reported from Harbin that, on [December 8, the acting Soviet Consul-General at Harbin, M. Rayvid, handed to the Diplomatic Commissar of Manchoukuo, Mr. Shih Liu-peng, a note of protest.
On December 5, according to this, 'a messenger of the Soviet Consulate: General, Theodor Rovenko, was kidnapped by unknown Russians in Pristan, near his house.
According tothe statement given to M. Rayvid by Rovenko, two unknown [persons approached him, one of whom thit him in the neck with a revolver: He was then dragged into a car and, with bound eyes, carried to an un-Known place, where he wag thrown into a cellar. Several Russians weal ing masks and calling themselves re-Presentatives of the "Fraternity of Russian Truth" subjected him to a brutal beating in order to force him give them Information concerning the work of the Consulate-General and the activities of individual em-Ployees of the Consulate.
They also demanded that Rovenko should supply them in future with information about the work of the Consulate-General and about persons visiting it, says the protest, Roveno's examiners questioned him as to who of the employees of the Congulate-General was representative of the O.GPU,, and whether—secret eaves and hidden transmitting radio-Stations for communication with Moscow existed in the Consulate.
Threatened with Death The protest continues:—During the examination, Rovenko saw in the hands of his torturers lists of all duties, their family status, ete, which could only be in the possession of ficial authorities.
General has brought this to the notice of the diplomatic organ and_ police authorities, demanding a medical examination of Rovenko. which was effected. Now Rovenko is undergoing treatment. in a hospital, Provocation Alleged "Informing you of the above, (says 'M, Rayvid) T cannot but regard the attack on Rovenko as connected with the fact of open watching of the Consulate-General and its employees, and particularly of the employee Ranayev, by Russian White Guard police, against which I have repeated-protested before, demanding that the watching be stopped. In my letter of December 4. I drew your attention to the provocative nature of this watching, and to the particularly Provocative nature of the fact that Janti-Soviet White Guard police have deen charged with this duty. I had also placed the responsibility for possible consequences on the respective Japan-Manchurian authorities.
"The above facts concerning the nature of Rovenko's examination reveal the provocative alms of persons Who examined him, and give me every reason to state that there exists jan obvious connection between that roup of persons and provocative or-Ganizations, to the existence in Manchuria of which Thad the honour to draw your attention.
Therefore, in protesting most vigorously against the conduct of the Jspan-Manchurian authorities with respect to the Consulate-General, and iso against the attack-on Rovenko, declare that the responsibility for this occurrence rests fully with the respective Japan-Manchurian authorities and i demand a most careful investigation into all circumstances and due punishment of its actual inspirers and of their associates."—Tass.
Rovenko noticed that one of the persons examining him resembled a police detective who had been recently watching the Consulate-Gen-feral and its employees regularly.
Atter being warned that, if he reported to the Consulate-General, he and his family would be killed, Rovenko was taken away in a car and thrown Into the street.
On the following morning, Rovenko, in a very grave state, was brought by his relatives to the Consulale-General and made a report on what had happened to him. The Consulate:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.