SPYING CHARGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27273, 27 December 1949, Page 5

SPYING CHARGES

ARRESTS IN HUNGARY AMERICAN AND ENGLISHMAN INVOLVED CURT NOTE TO BRITAIN NZPA—Copyright Rec. 9.29 p.m. BUDAPEST, Dec. 24. The Hungarian Government has announced that 14 persons have been arrested and charged with spying in connection with the arrest six weeks ago of an American and an Englishman on charges of espionage and sabotage. A Government communique said the American, Mr Robert Vogeler, and the Englishman, Mr Edgar Sanders, were guiity of “ criminal activities, espionage, and economic sabotage.” The communique said that all concerned had confessed to sabotage and espionage. “ Robert Vogeler, who has been professional agent for several American spying organisations for many years, became leader of the Vienna offices of the International Standard Electric Corporation only to disguise his activities as a spy,” says the communique. ‘‘As for Sanders, who is a secret member of the English spying organisation, he was an intelligence officer in Hungary after the war. He returned to Hungary in 1947 as the representative of American shareholders of the Standard Corporation to continue his spying activities.”

The Hungarian Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing Britain of attempting “ to exercise pressure on the Hungarian Government to enforce immunity for the British citizen involved in espionage.” The statement was in reply to the British announcement that Anglo-Hungarian trade and financial negotiations would be suspended until Hungary allowed Britain to have consular contact with Mr Sanders. Hungary also accused the United 'States of rudely insulting the sovereignty of Hungary by banning all travel by private American citizens to Hungary and demanding the release of Mr .Vogeler. The travel ban was applied by the American State Department recently as a result of Mr Vogeler’s arrest. Reuter’s correspondent in Budapest says that Mr I. G. Jacobsen, an American citizen and director of the American Joint Distribution Organisation, is under arrest on suspicion of espionage, according to an official announcement.