DELAY IN TRIAL OF NAZI SPIES

Southland Times, Issue 23652, 29 October 1938, Page 7

DELAY IN TRIAL OF NAZI SPIES

Important Evidence Mislaid / ESPIONAGE CENTRE AT WASHINGTON? MACHINE-GUN MOUNTED IN COURT ROOM (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright). (Received October 28, 10.40 pun.) NEW YORK, October 27. A flurry was caused in the court room during, the trial of the alleged German spies when the Federal Attorney announced that he was unable to find important evidence which the British authorities had lent the United States for the prosecution—a letter intercepted at Mrs Jessie Jordan’s socalled “spy post office.” Mrs Jordan is now serving a term of imprisonment in England. The evidence had to be returned to Britain.

The Federal Attorney- began an immediate investigation into its disappearance. ;

The missing documents were later found in a cupboard, and the trial settled into its- normal pace. Mrs Busch, a friend of Griebl, testified that two high German Government officials had suggested to her that she should rent a villa in Washington to serve as a social centre at which Nazism could be' explained to men of standing such as members of Congress, military men and journalists.

These officials were Lieutenant-Com-mander von Bonin and LieutenantCommander Menzel, from the Reich War Ministry. (Both are under indictment in the United States). They declared that money was no object. Mrs Busch said she accompanied Griebl to Berlin, where LieutenantCoinmander von Boniri and Lieutenant-Commander Menzel, at a luncheon party which they gave her, complimented her on her chic appearance and emphasized that she would have no difficulty in attracting the best society at Washington. They expressed great admiration of Mr Roosevelt, saying that he was a “great navy man.” A. inachine-gun was mounted in the court room today, experts explaining the similarity of design of certain parts of the most modem type with details of Lonkowski’s stolen plans. It was also disclosed that Lenkowski had the plans of modem American bombers months before the manufacturing company could turn out the. first exemplar for the American military authorities.

The indictment charges revealed that It was part of the conspiracy that Mrs Jessie Jordan—sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on espionage charges by the High Court in Edinburgh on May 16—should maintain an address at Dundee for receiving documents from the conspirators in the United States and forwarding them to Lieutenant Eric Pfeiffer, chief of the German Naval Intelligence at Bremen (Germafiy).