Evening star., 1944-09-06

nedy, former
Ambassador to
Great Britain,
disclosed yester-
day. II
| Mr.. Kennedy
said that after ~ '
the arrest in October. 1910, Of Tyler
Kent, who was sentenced to seven
years Imprisonment after q trial
on charges of violating the British
On1cial War Secrets Act, 1t was
suspected that Germany had re-
ceived not only copies Of original
documents, but also coded copies.
It was assumed then. Mr.. Ken
nedy said. that Germany had pene-
trated the code, and thus could
have access to any diplomatic mes
sages transmitted via cable or radio
anywhere in the world.
Blackout for 2 to Weeks.
The blackout lasted for to 8
weeks, he said, until couriers
reached embassies with new codes.
Mr.. Kennedy indicated that Italy
may have been ordered to stay out
of the war for the first IA months
of the conflict because she was
more useful to Germany as a trans
mission belt for information on
Britains activities.
Mr.. Kennedy stated that Kent
had copied 1,5OO documents covering
vital British war plans, but it wasn't
until after his arrest that a con-
nection was found between Kent
and the Italian Embassy In London.
ITALY, you remember" Mr.. Ken
nedy said in a telephone interview,
did not go to war until after Kents
arrest"
Mr.. Kennedy denied Kent was an
emissary between President Roose-
velt and Winston Churchill. then
First Lord of the Admiralty, as was
charged in the British Parliament
by John McGovern, British Laborite.
Charged Secret War Deal.
Mr.. McGovern asserted that Kent
had been imprisoned to prevent dis
closure of a reported prewar agree
ment between Mr. Roosevelt and Mr..
Churchill, which was described as
pledge for the United States to help
England If she entered the war.
In Washington, Kents mother,
Mrs. Ann M. P. Kent, said the State
Departments statement issued Sat-
urday, left entirely unanswered the
point on which the American peo-
pie demand an investigation, i.e.,
the existence or nonexistence OF Sc
cret prewar agreements made by the
President of the United States with
out the advice and consent OF the
Senate.
Mrs. Kent's statement was In q
letter to Secretary Of State Hull
which she made public.
She said her son had been called
upon to code and decode secret
agreements between Roosevelt and
Churchill" and she quoted her son
as having said after his sentencing
in England:
"At times I was almost nauseated
at the part I had to play"
| MOtncT DcnlcU IaSOPOEts
Mrs. Kent said she had been re-
fused a passport to visit her son
in England, and said she planned
to petition Congress "for redress OF
grievance"
The department doubtless heard
Of my intention and accordingly
issued its release at this time" she
said.
Mr.. Kennedy said his first knowl-
edge of the Kent affair came when
a Scotland Yard man called at the
Embassy and laid the facts before
him.
Later. Mr.. Kennedt said that I'VE
went to Kent's rooms and found
copies of 1,500 documents locked in
strong box"
Mr.. Kennedy said that Kent had
been followed to photography shop
where the documents were copied on
microfilm, but that while Kent was
suspected of delivering the material
to the Axis, the beans were spilled"
when the Italian Embassy called
Kent's rooms while Scotland Yard
men and American Embassy officials
we're there.
Copied All Secret Data.
Mr.. Kennedy said that Mr..
Churchill had agreed to supply Tex
act and complete" information on
British war plans and preparations
to President Roosevelt, when the
war began.
The documents which Kent had
copied. Mr.. Kennedy said, covered
"all the messages between Churchill
and Roosevelt"
Churchill had given me a very
frank and complete picture of Eng
lands unpreparedness," Mr.. Ken
nedy said, "of her military and naval
power and military placements, the
status of her industries and week.
by-week developments for forward
ing to President Roosevelt"
Mr.. Kennedy said that If this
country had been at war he would
have recommended that Kent be
sent back here to be shot. AS it was,
he waived diplomatic immunity
with the approval of the State De-
partment, and turned him over to
the British authorities for trial.
Can't Understand Kent's Action. .
The State Department in WASH
ington has said that American
action in the Kent case awaited
completion Of his sentence, when
he would again come under juris-
diction of American courts.
MIR. Kennedy said that he could
not understand Kent's action, but
somewhere along the line he had
developed an anti-semitic complex. :"
When he was arrested I asked