ESPIONAGE PLOT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22545, 12 April 1935, Page 9

ESPIONAGE PLOT

DISCOVERY IN FRANCE CONFESSIONS FOLLOWING ARREST LONDON, April 10. The Paris correspondent of The Times says:— A widespread plot is believed to have been unmasked by the capture of an alleged German spy named Bernhuber, who allegedly confessed that he is an ex-Austrian officer and that he attempted to discover French political activities, including the secrets of the recent Schuschnigg conversations in London and Paris and the Paris activities of the Austrian monarchists. A truncheon, revolver, and a miniature tear gas pistol, disguised as a fountain pen, were found in Bernhuber’s rooms, where he lived with an Italian dancing girl, who declared that he spoke eight languages. The arrest follows the allegation of workmen who were building a strategically important bridge across the Seine at Rouen. He mined one of the pillars. It also follows the arrest at Brest of Lydia Oswald, who is accused of attempting to secure secrets from a naval officer. She claims that she refused to continue espionage because she fell in love with him. —Times Cable. ACTING FOR GERMANY FURTHER ARRESTS EXPECTED LONDON, April 11. (Received April 11, at 9.20 p.m.) The Daily Telegraph’s Paris correspondent says: “ The fact that the German, Edward Bernhuber, ■ was arrested on suspicion of spying three weeks ago is only now revealed, as is the fact that he confessed during the magistrate’s investigation that he was a member of Germany’s espionage system. An Italian dancer who was friendly with Bernhuber says that the man called himself an Austrian baron, and lived in luxury. He spoke four languages.” The Telegraph adds that more arrests are expected shortly.