ESPIONAGE TRIAL

Southland Times, Issue 22464, 29 October 1934, Page 5

ESPIONAGE TRIAL

SECRET HEARING FRENCH OFFICER ARRAIGNED ALLEGATIONS BY COUNSEL (United Press Assn—Telegraph Copyright.) Paris, October 26. For the first time since the Dreyfus case, troops are guarding the law courts at Belfort, owing to fears of disturbances at the trial of Captain Froge, a French officer with a distinguished record, who is accused of betraying secret army plans to a foreign Power. Captain Froge’s lawyer is demanding that the British secret service shall disclose documents revealing that the principal witness against Froge was a spy in the service of various Governments, and for this reason was unreliable. . Feeling in the army is very high, as Froge had had a blameless record, and is is felt that .this may be another Dreyfus case. “The secret hearing is a pretext to cover the machinations of the French intelligence service,” declared Captain Froge’s counsel. “There are obvious forgers on the French general staff, which fears an open debate because the dossier is riddled with improper proceedings and does not want to let daylight on them.” Froge’s accusers are Geissmann, a deserter from the Austrian Army who turned police informer, and Krauss, a Polish ex-officer who admits he has been a spy in the service of Germany. Froge, who has a brilliant war record, throughout protested his innocence. He accuses Geissmann of forgery. Krauss states he paid Froge £2OOO for a plan of the air defences at Belfort and other frontier defences. The Court is hearing the case in camera.