The Watcher Watched

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30264, 17 October 1963, Page 6

The Watcher Watched

(N.Z. Press Assn.— Copvright) WASHINGTON, Oct. 15. The security officer who evaluates the loyalty of workers in the United States State Department claimed today that his own telephone had been tapped and his desk and safe searched. The officer, Mr Otto Otepka, claimed that other officials were trying to get him dismissed from his job as chief of the evaiiuations division of the State Department’s security office. Mr Otepka made the claims in a long written reply to reported department charges that he improperly gave classified Information on loyalty matters to the Senaite Internal Security Sub-committee.

“I have reason to believe,” Mr Otepka said in a letter released by his lawyer, “that in recent months employees of the Department of State have secretly employed listening devices to eavesdrop on conversations in my office.

“I have reason to believe that my office telephone has been tapped and that my desk and safe have been opened and searched . . .

with the knowledge and approval of my superiors, if not by their express direction.”

The State Department has never published its charges against Mr Otepka. They were made public by one of his lawyers. He wias accused of giving the oub-committee

documents concerning loyalty matters in violation of an executive order that such files must be kept secret.

He also was charged with de-classifying documents by cutting off classified labels before giving them to the committee, and with furnishing the committee a list of questions for use in interrogating his superior, the State Department security chief, Mr John Reilly.

Mr Otepka said: “The changes against me are without foundation and should be dismissed.”

Speech Festival. — The two critics who will be present alt a festival of spoken poetry organised by the Canterbury branch of the New Zeeland Association of Teachers of Speech and Drama in Christchurch on Saturday, wilt be Miss Frona King (Nelson) and Mr Stephen Lamont (Christchurch). In yesterday’s issue of “The Press” the name of the second critic was wrongly given as Mr Stephen King.