AMERICAN SPY TRIAL

Evening Star, Issue 23100, 28 October 1938, Page 9

AMERICAN SPY TRIAL

GERMAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE ACTIVITY REAL SERIOUSNESS REVEALED PRETTY GIRL'S INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MONTREAL, October 26. After weeks without any particularly interesting or especially important testimony at the German spy trial, the real seriousness of the Reich’s espionage activity in the United States is revealed to-day. Turning from the clumsy, amateurish efforts of Rumrich, the prosecutor began to lay bare the skilled accomplishments of professional operatives in the German intelligence service.

Miss Senta Dewanger, who has been in protective custody since last summer, was called to stand. She appeared attractive, despite paleness and obvious nervousness, giving verisimilitude to the Government’s contention that her prettiness made the liquor store which she operated in the vicinity of Long Island airports the centre of army officers’ gatherings, at which German operatives obtained important aviation secrets.

She testified that she was a native of Germany, but a naturalised American citizen for three years, and that Lonkowski had rooms in her house, at which was maintained a chemical and photographic laboratory. He received among his visitors Voss, Griebl, and Schlueter.

A highly dramatic touch was given her testimony when she said that once, when Mrs Lonkowski “ had ‘overmuch drink,” the latter boasted that the German Government paid for various luxuries they had. The couple always seemed well supplied with money. Witness concluded by saying that she often brought parcels from Lonkowski for Griebl and Schlueter. She said Voss (who is accused of stealing aeroplane plans while working in an American factory) frequently brought small packages to Lonkowski.

It tyas revealed later that Lonkoweki was allowed to escape because the Customs officials did not realise the importance of their discoveries at the time.

Rumrich, who returned to the stand, admitted that his brother, Hans, was arrested in Czechoslovakia as a German spy after British and American sources had warned the Czech authorities.

A United States Customs guard related the seizure of a violin case containing photographs of an experimental United States army bombing plane from Lonkowski, the fugitive defendant, and Schlueter. The photographs were accompanied by documents and letters covering vital construction details known only to the army engineers for retractable landing gear, Seversky floats, wing tank sections, and streamlining. The letters were all signed “ Sex,” allegedly Lonkowski’s alias. The Customs guard’s testimony showed that the letters contained such confidential matter that the U ni ted States even to-day would forbid them being read in open court. One epistle linked an army captain stationed at a New Jersey post with the German spy circle which was apparently working directly with ” von Papen.” The guard said he asked Lonkowski to identify “von Papen,” and received the reply: “ He is a German official in Austria now, but I do not know him.”