HUNT FOR SPIES IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25136, 18 March 1947, Page 7

HUNT FOR SPIES IN AUSTRALIA

OPPOSITION MEMBERS AND PRESS

QUESTIONS ABOUT SOVIET

LEGATION SYDNEY, March 17.

Revelations made recently in the House of Representatives by the Minister of External Affairs (Dr. H. V. Evatt) concerning the precautions which are being taken to safeguard the secret of the tests of rocket propelled missiles have started a witch hunt for possible spies throughout the Commonwealth. The chief quarry for the hunting packs, which range from variously informed sections of the public to the newspapers and the Parliamentary Opposition, are Russian nationals. Communist sympathisers in Government positions, Leftist elements >in industry, and even, in some cases, newly-arrived migrants. The Soviet Legation came in for early mention in the House of Representatives when Mr A. Cameron (Lioeral) claimed that it comprised 84 people, and easily outnumbered all other legations put together. Replying to a written request during the Parliamentary recess, JDr. Evatt gave the figure as 64. Soviet Legation officials remained undisturbed until last week, when the

first secretary (Mr Pashchenko) announced that the staff consisted of 19 persons, of whom seven were diplomatic. He assured newspapermen that all the details concerning the staff were well knowfr~to the authorities. “It would be/ appropriate now for Dr. Evatt to ask the Soviet Minister (Mr Lifanov) to furnish a statement of the original number of persons at the Soviet Legation with details of subsequent arrivals and departures,” commented Mr Cameron, still plainly unimpressed. r > Five,Australian scientists with Com-, munist leanings, who were named by Mr C. L. Abßott (Country Party) as possible sources of leakage of information to foreign Powers, have all replied indignantly that thpy are loyal Australians. The latest move of Mr Abbott is to inquire about a Russianborn scientist. Professor S. F. Paramonov, who has just arrived in Australia to carry out research on flies for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Mr Abbott has asked the Government whether the appointment had Ministerial approval, and whether additional Russian professors would be appointed to the council. The wisdom of many of these questions is debatable, particularly as no member of the Opposition would* go as far as to say that any member of the Government would willingly aid* the sale of atomic or jet propulsion secrets to a foreign nation. Over the last few weeks there has been a noticeable sharpening of the public attitude to Communists in industry. Astute Opposition speakers have coupled the Stevedoring Industry Commission Bill with the Communists, and have demanded unsuccessfully that known Communists should be ineligible for appointment to the new commission. TheJPrime Minister (Mr Chifley) has said that there is little likelihood of the Australian Communist Party being declared an illegal organisation. and this view is known to be shared by tne Leader of the Opposition (Mr R. G. Menzies). It can be said, however, that Australia is alert to the possibility of a recurrence of what happened in Canady over the atomic bomb secrets.