3 U.S. Diplomats Accused As Spies

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30007, 17 December 1962, Page 13

3 U.S. Diplomats Accused As Spies

(NZPA.-Reuter—Copyright)

MOSCOW, December 15.

Russia today accused three more American diplomats of complicity in a spy ring allegedly aimed at getting Russian scientific secrets to the West ,

The Communist Partynewspaper. ’’Pravda.” and the weekly magazine, “Nedelya.” named the men as Captain Alexis Davison, aged 31. a United States Air Force officer. who is the Embassy's doctor. Mr Robert German, aged 35, and Mr Hugh Montgomery. aged 39 Denial in U.S.

The United State; State Department today denied the Soviet charges that several officials of the United States Embassy in Moscow were involved in espionage. The State Department press officer. Mr Joseph Reap, said •’the allegations are completely unfounded." United Press international reported Asked whether the United States would recall the officials. Mr Reap said: ’That question will have to be thoroughly considered when we have received a full report from the Embassy." He pointed out that as yet the Russian Government has not declared the United States officials “persona non grata"—a diplomatic move which would require their recall.

••Nedelya” described Mr Montgomery as a ’’major in the American secret service" and claimed Mr German,

named as a second secretary at the Embassy, had been trained at a ’’spy school” in West Germany. “Pravda” said the three men received information from a Russian scientific worker now under arrest who was said to have had “direct links” with Mr Greville Maynard Wynne, the British businessman held in Moscow on spy charges. Mrs Wynne arrived in Moscow today to visit her husband

The newspaper said the Russian. Oleg Penkovsky. marked a Moscow lampost v ith a piece of coal to indicate that information was ready for collection —and said a dark stain on the door of a fish shop meant it had been picked up. Penkovsky’s arrest was announced last Tuesday. He is said to have collected secret scientific information for Britain and the United States.

“Caaght Red-Handed" Todays allegations were accompanied in a “Pravda" article headed ‘“caught redhanded" by a picture purporting to be Captain Davison standing by a lamppost which. ’Pravda’’ said, carried the secret coal mark.