Soviet Spying Charges Denied

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30155, 12 June 1963, Page 15

Soviet Spying Charges Denied

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright)

CANBERRA, June 11. Soviet charges against an Australian Embassy official in Moscow, Mr William Morrison, were “completely untrue,” the External Affairs Minister (Sir Garfield Barwick) said in a statement tonight.

Sir Garfield Barwick said he w’as sure the Australian people and people everywhere would not be deceived by the Russian accusations. It was standard Soviet practice that where a Soviet diplomat was detected as a spy and expelled by a govern-

ment, a diplomat of that government, preferably of the same rank as the expelled Soviet officer, should be expelled from Moscow. Such a course was to be expected after the removal of the Soviet spy, Ivan Skripov, from Australia last February.

The Soviet Union has accused Mr Morrison of intelligence activities and speculation in the sale of imported clothing.

Mr Morrison, who is first secretary of the Australian Embassy in Moscow-, has been declared “persona non grata” because of alleged espionage activities, Reuter said.

A Soviet Foreign Ministry announcement said last night that Mr Morrison had been collecting intelligence information “for a long time,” Tass reported.

The statement, handed to the Australian Embassy yesterday. also accused Mr Morrison of selling foreign clothing "for purposes of speculation." It claimed Mr Morrison had been engaging in “activities incompatible with the status of an official of a diplomatic mission.”

Las® night am Australian Embassy official in Moscow said the charges against Mr Morrison were completely unfounded. He said Mr Morrison would be leaving Moscow shortly but no exact plans had been made. The charges against Mr Morrison came a mon:h after the Soviet Foreign Ministry declared five British and hve .American diplomats persona non grata, the Associated Press reported Hiey were alleged to have

been connected with Oleg Penkovsky. a Soviet official executed for spying tor the West. But there was no hint in yesterday's statement that Mr Morrison wee connected with the Penkovsky affair. In London last night an Australian External Affairs Department official said Mr Morrson'i wife wag at present on holiday outside Russia.

Mrs Morrison, who is an American, ia behaved to be on holiday in Rhodes with their two children, a daughter aged two and a half and a son aged one year.

Mr Morrieon. who speaks fluent Russ.an. worked in the Australian Embassy in Moscow in 1954, until it was closed when diplomatic relations were severed attar th* Petrov affair.