ALLEGED SPIES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19175, 5 December 1927, Page 9

ALLEGED SPIES.

AGENTS OF RUSSIA? REVELATIONS AT BOW STREET. SEEKING INFORMATION ON BRITISH FORCES. (BT CABLE—PRIS3 ASSOCIATIOK—COfIKIGnT.) (austbaliah and n.z cabli association.) (Received December sth, 1 a.m.) LONDON, December 4. The prosecution of Hansen and McCartney, on charges of espionage, was commenced at Bow street. Sir Travcrs Humphreys, for the prosecution, revealed that the foreign Powor concerned was Russia. He said that McCartney, a British Communist, in March approached George Monkland, an underwriter, of Lloyds, asking for information regarding the shipping of arms to Esthonia and Lithuania. Monkland supplied inaccurate information, and received £25. McCartney later said he was a Russian agent, and supplied thirteen questions regarding British forces. Monkland realised that he was being asked to betray his country, and went to Admiral Sir Reginald Hall, who would be called as a witness. Admiral Hall placed Monkland in touch with the authorities. A Government official, known for the purposes of the case as Peter Hamilton, directed Monkland's actions, and received the documents which McCartney handed over. These included a letter signed H. K. Johnson, which said: "Tell Mr G. Monkland I have great hopes that he may become one of our most important men. If he delivers the real goods he can have n large lump sum." McCartney explained to Monkland that the agents employed in the matter were known as "Johnson the first," "Johnson the second," and so on. Hamilton provided a book relating to the training of the Air Force, which is valueless, owing to forthcoming revision. Sir Travers Humphreys pointed out that McCartney was obviously well informed, as he returned the book saying that it was useless. McCartney, after a visit to Berlin, obtained a passport in the name of Hudson, and handed over a second questionnaire which asked if the shipment of Vickers guns via other countries was possible, whether the allotment of aeroplanes was beyond Parliament's authorisation, if aeroplanes' performances were obtainable, and also information regarding snpormarines' flight to the Baltic, wha was backing the Polish loan? Hansen, in a letter to Monkland, said he was carrying, according to instructions, a red-covered book, Ashmead Bartlett's "Tragedy of Central Europe." He kept the appointment, after which Hansen was followed and arrested. Monkland gave evidence that McCartney had ordered him, if he had most valuable information, to go to the Russian Embassy, see the attache, and say he was a member of the firm. Monkland added that when Arcos was raided McCartney telephoned him to destroy valuable documents. Later ho said, "I was able to warn Arcos that the raid was coming off," and showed a letter, signed "Barton," written on Carlton Hotel notepaper, saying that the raid had been ordered. McCartney also said that a sergeant of the Tank Corps, an employee at the aeroplane works at Southampton, was supplying information. Major-General Carter, Director of Staff Duties at the War Office, gave evidence that it would be prejudicial to public safety to publish the questionnaires. The statement in McCartney s writing, regarding the mechanised force manoeuvres, was found on McCartney's typist. Audrey Lawrence Law gave evidence that McCartney, using the name Jonnson, ordered copies of a document regarding aeroplanes, and told her not to use a backing sheet. Later "on Government instructions, she Kept copies of McCartney's memos. The hearing was adjourned.