SPYING CHARGE IN U.S.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31111, 14 July 1966, Page 15

SPYING CHARGE IN U.S.

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, July 13. A retired United States Army lieutenant-colonel arrested in Washington on spying charges is alleged to have handed over military secrets to Soviet contacts in a busy suburban shopping centre.

The Indictment against William Henry Whalen, aged 51, claims that he met Russian agents on eight occasions amongst the shoppers at Alexandria, Virginia, on the outskirts of Washington. Whalen faces a possible death penalty if convicted. One of the Russians, known as “Mike,” was a former Soviet Embassy official, Mikhail Shumaev. Whalen is accused of conspiring with Shumaev and Colonel Sergei Edemski, another former Soviet Embassy official, to obtain United States defence information for the Embassy. The indictment charges that Whalen received pay-

ments of 1000 dollars on five occasions and 500 dollars on another for information on atomic weaponry, missiles, military defence plans for Europe, information on troop movements and other military secrets. Russians Gone The two Russians have both returned home—Edemski in 1960 and Shumaev in 1963 and have not been charged. The F. 8.1. director, Mr J. Edgar Hoover, said the charges against Whalen arose from his activity while assigned to the office of the joint chiefs of staff. The deliveries of information took place between early 1959 and early 1963. According to the indictment Whalen made notes from documents in the files of the joint chiefs of staff and also got information from talking to fellow officers. As part of the conspiracy he was to seek employment at the Defence Department on his retirement. He is alleged to have sought work there in October or November, 1962. Within hours of his arrest and indictment Whalen was released on a 15,000 dollars bond. * “Kind Man” Whalen was arrested by the F. 8.1. at his Alexandria home and brought before a United States commissioner, Mr Alex Akierman. The commissioner said that several persons had contributed to the bail, but declined to identify them. Whalen, described by one neighbour as “one of the kindest men in the neighbour-

hood,” lived in a modest split-level home on a quiet, wooded street on the outskirts of Alexandria. Neighbours said that Whalen and his wife were friendly, but few people knew them well. They have one child, a daughter, Kathy, aged 11. Asked about the case, the Defence Department issued a statement saying that it had learned of what it called a “security problem” a number of months ago.

It declined to discuss details of actions taken to counter security vicflations, but said: “After prompt and full investigation, the facts in this case were given special attention in our continuing efforts to effect improvements in security, particularly as regards security, trusworthiness of personnel in sensitive positions and the adequacy of controls over the handling of classified documents.” Americans convicted In the last 18 months on spying charges include: Robert Glenn Thompson, aged 29, a former member of the United States Air Force, imprisoned for 30 years in June, 1965; John William Butenko, aged 39, an electronics engineer, sentenced to 30 years in December, 1964; Robert Lee Johnson, aged 43, an Army sergeant working as a Pentagon courier, and James Mintkenbaugh, a salesman, each sentenced to 25 years last July.