SILENCE NECESSARY

Chronicle (Levin), 18 February 1949, Page 5

SILENCE NECESSARY

(N.Z,PA^

Reuter*

Trials of Alleged Spies To Be Secret Proceedings

, Goj^'right)

Received Friday, 11.10 a.m. BFRLIN, Feb. 17. The trial of FrontiSek Klecka, a 21-year-old waitdf oh the Ofient express, who was sentenced to 20 years ' hard . labour af ter the trial, was held in strict secrecy by a United 'States military cdurt in Mumch today. He is the first of about 20 people to be tried oii chafges of spying on the United States forces in Europe, for Czechoslovakia. The court refused to reveal his nationality. The names and nationaiity of other defendaiiL have not been announced.,. Foilowihg the announcemdnt this week by Brigadier-General Jdhn McKee, chairman of the military commission which is condilcting , the trials, that the caseS were so secret that the court would not make public the evidence or names of defendants or jdhe verdicts, in case United States security was violated, General Clay ordered an m'vestigation 4nto the necessity for this. ' . General Clay was anxious to lif. the secrecy 'ban because it woulc provide countries, hosti.e to the United States, with an excellen propaganda medium, but afcer investigation, it was decided that the publieation of the proceedings Would result in '.'information detrimental to the security of the Alliec forces" being made public. However the . commi'ssioti has beer ordered to reveal tne names of de fendants and to announce the verdicts when the triai is finished. # The evidence, however, will continue to be heard in secrecy. UNBER MILITARY ORDlNANCE. The trial officially announced that Klecka was charged under military government ordinance with "acts prejudicial to the occupation forces"— which it was smd "could embrace espionage. The Specific offences he was alleged t have eommitted were not reiterat0cL • , The second of the cases against the alleged members of the spy ring, opens on Monday w^th two Poles and a German as defendants. The third trial will be agamst the only woman in the case, FTnede Zierlik. Charges have not yet been preferred agamst 15 other defendants.