ESPIONAGE CHARGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 April 1946, Page 6

ESPIONAGE CHARGES

- RUSSIAN DOCUMENTSPRODUCED

ANOTHER CANADIAN CASE OTTAWA, April 18. • Professor Israel Halpin appeared in the Lower Court to-day on espionage charges. Igor Gozenko identified documents he had taken from the Soviet Embassy’s secret file. 'One was; headed “Scheme of Research Group.” It included an organisation chart in which .the name of Isadore Halperin appeared. The documents outhneo. information sought from the National Research Council. Another document was a report from Liman, which said: “I have received an excellent report on Bacon (Halperins code name); and approached him more directly than the others. He t-ecmed anxious to be of help.” The report added that Halperin undertook to obtain information about lhe Valcartier explosives plant., The next case was that of Souaciron Leader 'F. W. Polland, former Royal- Canadian Air Force intelligence officer, charged under the Official Secrets Act with obtaining communicating information for Rus- 1 sia. , „ Gozenko identified a sneec of papei. containing Russian writing as among the documents he took from tne Embassy. The document included Rolland’s name. / Gozenko said the .sheet was torn from the notebook of Colonel Zaootin, a former member of the embassy staff. The contents were not immediately disclosed. The magistrate announced mat Holland would be committed for trial on April 23. Judgment was reserved in cases against Halperin and a former Munitions Department official, J. S. BennlThe magistrate announced that he would commit for trial Squadron Leader M. S. Nightingale, a foimei Canadian Air Force communications expert, on two charges under the Official Secrets Act, but declined, io commit him on a conspiracy charge in connection with the Soviet spy ring. The Crown withdrew one charge under the Official Secrets Act. The magistrate committed H. S. Gerson, former Munitions Department official, on five charges under the Official Secrets Act, but declined to commit him on the conspiracy charge. Two charges under the Official Secrets- Act were withdrawn.