ARRESTED ON LINER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 194, 30 May 1938, Page 5

ARRESTED ON LINER.

AN ALLEGED NAZI OFFICER.

AMERICAN ESPIONAGE CHARGES.

(United Pres 9 Association —Copyright.) NEW YORK, May 28.

The Federal spy investigation took a sensational turn when the United States Attorney, Mr Lamar Hardy, ordered the arrest of the Nazi political officer, the second racjio officer, a cook, and a steward of the German linei Bremen, as material witesses. Mr Hardy declared that he wished to find out whether there had been obstruction of justice in the flight to Germany on the Bremen of Dr. Agnatz Griebl, former Nazi leader in America, who disappeared only a few days before the grand jury hearing of the espionage charges, in which he was one of the chief witnesses. It is also desired to discover whether there was'an unlawful activity under the Espionage Statute. A warrant is out for the arrest of Dr. Griebl on a charge of violating the drastic Espionage Statute, and another warrant on the same charge for the arrest of Werner Gudonherg, 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 United States Army and Navy aeroplanes. The “New York Times” says: “Both men are trusted witnesses in aiding the Government in its efforts to smash the spy ring; but both fled, apparently under duress from hidden Nazi superiors giving orders from the Homeland. In the meantime Federal agents are assigned to keep continual watch over the 26 other witnesses.”

Captain Adolf Ahrens, master of the Bremen, has been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury. He said that he had treated Dr. Griebl as an ordinary stowaway. The United States Government’s concern about international espionage activities was revealed in February, when three persons—a German woman, aged 26, and two United States soldiers, were arrested for complicity in a plot to sell United States military secrets to a European country. The Federal authorities stated that the arrests were considered to be of the greatest importance. The alleged spy ring had tried to obtain 50 passport applications, apparently to enable spies to enter Russia.