SOVIET ESPIONAGE IN CANADA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21962, 5 March 1946, Page 3

SOVIET ESPIONAGE IN CANADA

AGENTS DIRECTED BY MOSCOW INTERIM FINDINGS OF ROYAL COMMISSION OFFICIALS OF EMBASSY HELD TO BE INVOLVED WIDE SCOPE OF INFORMATION SOUGHT BY OPERATIVES (By Telegraph-Press Assn.-Copyright.) (10.30 a.m.) . OTIAWA. March 4. THE inferim report issued by the Rova! Commission discloses that Russian espion- * age was carried on in Canada on the direct instructions of Moscow. This announcement was made by the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. W. L. Mackenzie King. The report states that there is evidence that the operations were conducted by certain members of the Soviet Embassy in Oitav/a.

These agents were requested by Moscow to obtain information on the transfer of United States troops from Europe to the Pacific, the location of United btates armies and divisions, the material from which the atomic bomb is made, and details, including drawings, of atomic shells in use by the United States Navy. The Soviet agents were also instructed to secure the location of the Brazilian divisions which fought in Italy. In addition, they were instructed to obtain information from, telegrams passing between the Canadian External Affairs Department and the High Commissioner's Office in the United Kingdom. The report states that there is evidence that information of this nature was passed to the Soviet agents by Canadian officials. From one radar expert they obtained full reports upon radar development. A woman pleaded guilty to two charges in the Ottawa Police Court to-day to conspiring to give information to a foreign Power. Another person, who faced two similar charges, asked for a remand for one week. ■ A London message states that a lecturer in physics at King s College was arrested to-day. The arrest is stated to have been made in connection with the Canadian inquiry. The accused was taken into custody after he had completed a lecture.