Reds Go

COMMONWEALTH (British Commonwealth of Nations)

At Victoria Station, within eight minutes' brisk walk of Buckingham Palace, there gathered last week several hundred British Laborites, led by the Right Honorable Arthur Henderson, to cheer and wave good-by to the Soviet Russian Charge d'Affaires, A. P. Rosengolz, now banished with his staff from Britain by decree of the Baldwin Cabinet (TIME, June 6) backed by a Conservative majority in the House of Commons.

Young nurses chanced to be patrolling Victoria Station selling red Red Cross poppies, and these the Laborites bought, hilarious at the coincidence.

"Hullo old fellow!" boomed Laborite Henderson, M. P., as M. Rosengolz strode in.

"Here, take a snapshot of a young Bolshie," cried Charge d'Affaires Rosengolz amiably, and pushed his infant son before a photographer's camera.

"Damn the Bolsheviks, they put my eyes out! " screamed a blind man, trying to break through the crowd. Strong bobbies collared him.

The throng burst into "The International," as Laborite George Lansbury, M. P., beat time jovially with his large bowler hat. With him stood the sole British Communist M. P., Shapurji Saklatvala, carrying a large bouquet of red roses for Mme. Rosengolz.

As train time drew near Charge d'Affaires Rosengolz kissed Mr. Lansbury, Mr. Saklatvala and many another in the usual continental fashion--on both cheeks. Then he launched into a farewell speech, mentioning Secretary of State for India the Earl of Birkenhead, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill by name, and calling them the statesmen chiefly responsible for "this unwarranted, insane step" by the Cabinet.

M. Rosengolz continued: "The British Government is preparing an attack on Sovieta from three directions. One, by encouraging and assisting the armies of Rumania, Poland and other nations hostile to my country. Two, by endeavoring to form a continental bloc of nations against Sovieta. Three, by endeavoring to unite the Great Powers in the Far East against Sovieta."

At 11 a. m. the train puffed out. M. Rosengolz and staff proceeded to Berlin where they were to confer with Soviet Foreign Minister Georg Tchitcherin, now sojourning "for his health" in the western political cockpit.