WITNESSES WANTED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1938, Page 7

WITNESSES WANTED

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT ORDERS ARRESTS ESPIONAGE INVESTIGATION SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS NEW YORK, May 28. The spy investigation took a sensational turn when the United States attorney, Mr Lamar Hardy, ordered the arrest of a Nazi political officer, the second radio officer', a cook and a steward of the liner Breman as material witnesses. Mr Hardy declared that he wished to find out whether there had been obstruction of justice in Dr Greibl’s flight, also whether there had been unlawful activity under the Espionage Statute. - ■ ‘ ‘ A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Dr Greibl on a charge of violating the drastic Espionage Statute. A warrant has also been issued on the same charge for the arrest of Werner Gudenberg, who escaped surveillance and sailed by the liner Hamburg on Thursday. The warrant for Gudenberg will be served when the ship arrives at Cherbourg. He was formerly employed at a plant manufacturing secret army and navy planes. The “New York Times” says that both men were trusted witnesses in aiding Government efforts to smash the spy ring, but both fled, apparently, tinned duress from hidden Nazi supporters, giving orders from the homeland. Meantime Federal agents have been assigned to keep a 24-hour daily watch over 26 other witnesses. Dr Ignatz Greibl, former leader of the American Nazis, who was to have been the United States Government’s chief witness in their greatest peacetime spy hunt, escaped to Germany on the Breman a few days before the opening of the grand jury hearing. He landed at Bremerhaven on May 23 and has been permitted to remain in Germany, this apparently ending any hope of deportation. United States Federal agents requested the French police at Cherbourg to ask Greibl to return to America when the Bremen called at that port. The captain of the Bremen would not allow them to make contact with Greibl, however, and he was able to continue his journey to Bremerhaven. Weiber Gudenberg was one of several other important witnesses who managed to escape. Two other witnesses. Voss, who is accused of selling military secrets to Germany, and Hermann, are under detention in the Federal House to prevent their disappearing.