CHARGE AGAINST M.P.

Chronicle (Levin), 27 March 1946, Page 8

CHARGE AGAINST M.P.

Press Assn.-

CANADIAN SPY HEARING GONNECTION WITH SOVIET

Bv Telegravh

-Copyright

MONTKEAIj, marou ^.u. At the third day oi the preliminary hearing of thd charges under the OttLciai secrets Act against Mr. Fred Rose, •M.P., the prosecutor (Mr. Philipfjc Brais) drew the attention of the Cour„ to a pamphlet carrying the printed signature of the provincial committee oi the Lahour Progressive Party, circulated in Montreal, in which it was said: "Mr. Rose is the victim of a poiiticaj frame-up. ' ' Judge Theherge warned that all thos. Who should comment on the guilt or tiu innocence of the person before thOourt would be treated according to law. Ivor Gozenko, a former employee oi ( the Russian Embassy, who was in thwitness hox for the third day, produced a telegram to Intelligonce iieadquarcero in Moscow which Gozenko explam-u was a reply to a previous telegram to Colonel Zabotin, the former Miiitar^ Attache in the Ottawa Embassy, whicn was dated August 14, 1945, from tlie Moscow Intelligence Headquarters asx ing for information on the method oi technological prdduction of munitiona and explosives. Zabotin's reply scate.. that the tasks "would be dctailsd tc Gray, Bacon, and the Professor, through Dehouz." The telegram continued "The Professor is still in commana Dehouz will rneet him at the end of thc month." Gozenko identified the persons nanie.i in the code as Gerson. halperon, Dr. Joyer, and Rose. Gozenko produced a telegram, dated August 22, 1945, from the director in Moscow of the Intelligence Deaartinen. to Zahotin, stating: "Take measures to organise the obtaining of documentary j materials of the atomic bomb techno- [ ogical process, with drawings and cal I :ulations." Anotner telegram, dated August li, • sought information on the technological processes which were used in the depth '.bombs. A telegram dated August 11 hsked the location in Europe of the First Brazil Infantry, also of the United States formations of the Sixteenth .Army Armoured Corps. The location of the Sixth and Eighteentli Armoured J-roups in Germany was also sought. TRANSFER OF ^ROOPS The prosecutor introduced'a directive ! :'rom the director at Moscow to Zabotin '.n which it was said: ' 'It is very important for us to receive information •onfir-ming the official facts about the ransfer of American troops from Euripe to America and the Pacific." Namhg the Ninth. Army and other corps, jhe directive asked the agents to hnd out und establish the dates of their moves. Evidence as to Rose's alleged activity as a recruiting agent was introduced with a telegram to the Moscow intelligence Departrnent from Zabotin, which lelegated Rose (under cover of the | name of Debouz) to detail to Gray, Bacon, and the Professor the task oi getting information about munitions and explosives. Evidence was also given that a person named Berman, described as a Russian agent, was to hold a rendezvous with a Russian representative in front of the Canadian High Oommissioner's Oihce in London. This evidence also indicated that Rose was to contact Bergei (previously identified as Arthur Steinberg, an agent in Washington) and, depending on the circumstances, propose that he work for "the corporation" (meaning the Communist Party). RUSSIANS IN FLAT Three Ottawa policemen testiiied that on the night of September 6, 1945, they were notified by uniformed men that there was trouble in Gozenko 's apart ment. They found there four Soviet Emhassy officials. A spokesman for the Soviet group said that they had business with th.e occupant of the apart- . ment, who was oue of their men. T^ere fore, they were entitled to enter (tije door had heen, forced open, apparently by a bar). One of the Russians was Liqut.-Colonel Rogov. Another describ ed himself as the Russian Embassy 's Second secretary/ The Russians claimed diplomatic immunity, so were not arrested. Later Gozenko told Police Inspector McDoneii that he felt his life was in danger, and that he had in his possession imp.ortant documents which * h?.d been, removed' from the Russian Embassy. Two constables guarded Gozenko all night. Miss Kathleen Willsher, a stepographen at the British High Commissioner's Ofiicc in, Ottawa, gave evidence that she gave information obtained in the course of her work to Rose early in 1939, also to Eric Adam in 1942 smd 1943. (Adam was with the Inventions Board of the Munitions Departipent. He is also chatged under the Official Secrets Act). , Miss Willsher said that she first met Ifcose in 1935 in a study group on eco. nonpics, Socialism and Gommunism. In 1939, Rose asked her to' give him any information helpful to the policies of the Gommunist Party in Canada. Mis3 Willsher said that she was asked because Rose- knew she was sympathetic tO: Gommunist policies, Gordon Linan, formerly a captain in the Canadian.. armed forces, who. is chatged under the Official Secrets Act, when called. to the witness box- steadily

refused to answer the prosecutQr'b questions; Ljpan was declared in cpntempt of Court, and ordered' to be imprisoned until Monday.