AN AGENT OF ITALY

Southland Times, Issue 22898, 25 May 1936, Page 7

AN AGENT OF ITALY

Lopez Confesses \ DUM-DUM BULLET EPISODE Life Of Adventure

United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) London, May 23. . “I am three personalities, but only one man,” said Henry Lawrence, flinging wide his arms to accentuate his words, in making a full confession to The News Chronicle about his activities in the dum-dum bullet allegations in the early hours of this morning.

Lawrence stood in the half-open door-way clad only in a white nightshirt. He glanced frequently along the deserted street as if afraid of what lurked there; his forehead was covered with perspiration, despite the chill of the night. A woman’s voice from the darkness screamed: “Tell them that the authorities have sworn you to secrecy!” A hectic cross-examination, however, broke down Lawrence’s reserve, and his confession poured out tumultuously, as though he was relieving himself of a burden. Patriotic Motives.

“I was Mezler and Lopez,” he said. “What I did in connection with dumdum bullets was done from purely patriotic motives and not from personal gain nor greed. The authorities know everything. Time will reveal that I am the most patriotic man in the country. My idea in obtaining dum-dum bullets was to compare them with others in order to reveal that those found in Abyssinia were not British. The authorities at the War Office are satisfied with my explanations.”

The News Chronicle suggested that Lawrence might be charged with treason. He laughed nervously, and declared that the authorities would not have returned his passport if they had contemplated arresting him. This seemed to give him confidence; he went on hotly to repudiate that he was ever connected with the Zinoviev letter, adding: “I have not seen Mr Ramsay MacDonald except in pictures.” Wife Tells Story. Lawrence’s wife, a young, blonde, grey-eyed woman, full of charm but utterly weary, took up the story. She said that the strain was frightful; she had not slept for four nights. “My husband has always been a patriot,” she went on. “He went to South Africa at an early age. He is always ready for any adventure. He was imprisoned as the result of participation in the Jamieson Raid, but when the Boer War broke out he immediately joined the Colours. He was awarded two medals after the Boer War. He twice visited South America as the representative of a big mining firm. He learnt Spanish, which is the only foreign language he speaks. “My husband has had a most adventurous career, but we have not financially benefitted,” continued Mrs Lawrence. “We have been married 20 years, and have never had any money. We opened a shop in Bournemouth in 1933, but lost our money. My husband learnt a great deal about weapons while he was employed by a big firm of British armament manufacturers.

In Pay of Italy. “All through the episode of the dumdum bullets he worked in closest conjunction with the Italian Embassy, which employed him,” said Mrs Lawrence. “Before taking the job he wrote to the British Government, saying that if he found that the Italians were working against Britain he would let it know.” Mrs Lawrence added that the Italian Embassy assured him that the work would have no bad effects on Britain, but the Italians had let him down in every way, and had not paid him a penny, except his expenses. “The trouble with us is that he is too trusting,” said Mrs Lawrence.

The News Chronicle learns that Lawrence’s interview with George Bate and Company, at which he purchased the dum-dum bullets, was not his first visit to the firm. Mr Rawlings, the managing director, stated: “Lawrence first came to see me towards the end of the Chaco War. He stated that he was concerned in the purchase of a number of rifles in connection with the dispute;” The News Chronicle also understands that Lawrence was first known in London in 1918. He joined revolutionary organizations and gained the confidence of Left politicians. He offered Mr W. F. Watson, president of the London' Workers’ Committee, £5O to have 250,000 seditious leaflets printed. Mr Watson refused.

Italian Propaganda. The Daily Herald understands that the Mezler episode is merly an incident in a vast Italian underground campaign of propaganda against Britain, covering every section of the Empire. Neither the Victorian Agency-Gen-eral nor Commonwealth officials have any record of Lawrence’s Australian career. Their aid was not sought in the inquiry leading up to Mr Eden’s exposure. It is understood that Lawrence, as a British subject, cannot be deported from England, but inquiries at the War Office and the Home Office indicate that the last of the case has not yet been heard.

One peculiarity of the case is that, despite the activities of Lopez, or Lawrence, being so well known to British foreign diplomacy, he was able to get away with the dum-dum trick. Lawrence offered his services impartially. Russian diplomats knew him at the time of the Zinoviev letter in 1924, when he was distrusted as an agentprovocateur. The Daily Mail says that Lawrence’s parents were Poles. He became a Secret Service agent in 1919 at Constantinople, when he was suspected of being in touch with the Communist Internationale. Orloff, head of General Denikin’s Secret Service, swore to kill him. Lawrence escaped in a fishing boat from Odessa. British authorities recognized him when he went to Mr Ramsay MacDonald offering, for a specified sum, to produce the author of the Zinoviev letter.

WARNING TO ITALIAN EMBASSY METHOD UNDER SCRUTINY. (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) London, May 23. The Daily Herald says that the Foreign Office has informed the Italian Embassy that its methods are under scrutiny and will be exposed in the event of further trouble. On February 19 last a man styling himself Colonel Pedro Lopez called on

the managing director of Bate and Company and said that he represented the Abyssinian Government. After producing a letter of introduction from the Bank of Egypt, itself a forgery, and, after mentioning the possibility of appointing Bate and Company as buying agents for the Abyssinian Government, this person stated that the Abyssinian Legation wished to secure samples of cartridges of British manufacture which should include dum-dum ammunition. On being told that ammunition in the latter category was not used for civilized warfare, the so-called Lopez replied that Abyssinia was swarming with leopards which it was no use shooting with solid bullets. After some further conversation the managing director agreed to supply him with certain ammunition, including a number of soft-nosed cartridges. On March 31, under another alias, Mezler, he called on the Abyssinian Minister in London and offered in return for concessions in that country to supply the Abyssinian Government with large quantities of arms and ammunition. He asked for a letter from the Minister authorizing Colonel Gustave Mezler to buy these goods, adding that he would be prepared to obtain the necessary permits, and induced the Abyssinian Minister to sign a paper containing a long list of the required ammunition.