FORMER OFFICER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1943, Page 5

FORMER OFFICER

CASHIERED AND SENT TO GAOL SECRET INFORMATION GIVEN TO COMMUNIST (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 7. The War Office announced that War Substantive Lieutenant (temporary captain) O. F. Uren was last month court-martialled, in camera, on a charge of having between April 9 and September 24, for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State, communicated to D. F. Springhall, who until June was national organiser of the Communist Party in Britain, information of a highly secret character, which he acquired in the course of his official duties, and which was calculated to be or might be, directly or indirectly, useful to the enemy. Uren, who pleaded not guilty, : was found guilty, cashiered and ' sentenced also to seven years’ imprisonment. Uren, in a statement to the court, said he was attracted by the activities of the Communist Party and expressed to friends his regret that he was isolated from the opportunity of co-operating or doing anything practical to give concrete expression to his sympathy with the Communist Party's aims. A friend introduced Uren to Springhall, who obtained from Uren a written report on his life history. Springhall also questioned Uren about the work on which he was engaged and received from him a written description of the layout of the establishment in which Uren was working and also other highly secret information. Uren told the Court: “I disclosed the information to show that I had complete faith in Springhall and that he could have complete trust in fne as a sincere believer in Communism.”