861.00/11740: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union ( Henderson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 20—11:55 a.m.]
332. The Soviet press announces today the sentencing by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court and the execution of seven prominent Party or State officials including Enukidze, formerly member of the Central Committee of the Party, and Secretary of the Central [Page 401] Executive Committee; Karakhan, formerly Ambassador to China and Turkey as well as Assistant Commissar for Foreign Affairs; Tsukerman, until recently Chief of Division of the Foreign Office handling Near Eastern Affairs; and Boris Steiger, for many years non-Foreign Office contact man between the Soviet Government and the Diplomatic Corps.
All have been accused of “betraying their country, terrorist activities and systematic espionage on behalf of a certain foreign power” and to have pleaded guilty.
According to the press some of them have been charged with crimes of a more specific nature. Karakhan, for instance, of having sold “to Fascist intelligence circles secrets of exceptional State importance”; Steiger and Tsukerman of having “sold information to intelligence circles of a certain foreign power”; Steiger of having “carried on active espionage work since 1918”; and Enukidze of having been connected with “the general staff of a certain Fascist country.” With respect to Steiger please see my despatch number 249 of April 28, 1937.51
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