Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-09-01
SpySuspects Reported
Freed Days Before
Disclosure Of Arrests
By the Assoeioted Press

FRANKFURT, Aug. 81. -
highly placed American office
said tonight that IA Germans
suspected of being Soviet spies
were released by American au-
thorities days before" the Army
announced their arrest and al
legged espionage against tbs
United States.
The responsible oficers disclosur,
added to the two-day confusion
concerning the so-called spies anc
the activities of the"Free German
Committee" founded in Moscow ir
1913.
Maj. Gen. Floyd L. Parks of
the War Department Bureau of
Public Relations said yesterday
In Washington that the arrest
and subsequent release of the
suspects was a "theater matter"
and that the War Department
does not have enough informa-
ton to warrant a comment at
this time')
Corps Likened to Gestapo.
Frau Maria Kazmarek, wife OF
the fifteenth arrested German who
was an alleged spy ringleader, told
reporters in Stuttgart that the
Army's Counter Intelligence Corps
was like the Gestapo." She as
serted her husband-only member
Of the Stuttgart group still de-
tained-had been held "incommuni-
cado" for six months.
Kazmarek, the officer also said,
was detained in Stuttgart under
heavy guard after he allegedly
confessed to having supplied Rus
sian representatives with United
States Army troop secrets.
According to the same officer,
Kazmarek's IA followers were re-
leased days ago"-before the Army
officially announced their arrest
but no responsible officer would say
why officially.
Army legal officers explained. how
ever, that the Army was apparently
unable to prosecute them for espio-
mage under present laws and that
the drafting of such charges had
been consequently dropped.
Espionage Charge Dropped.
Col. Juan Sedillo, legal chief of
the Stuttgart military government,
said the Army's Counter Intelligence
Corps had ordered the suspension of
espionage charges against the de-
PENDANTS. The Judge advocate in
Frankfurt previously had submitted
a ruling on legal questions involved
in possible prosecution of the Is men
Kazmarek's wife asserted that she
and her husband had been arrested
last March 3. She said she had been
released two days later, but that
the GIG had refused her permission
ever since to see him.
Even under Hitler it was custom
airy to hold speedy trials" she as
serted
On the other hand, high intelli-
gence officers pointed out that Kaz-
marek himself had confessed to
what amounts to espionage" and
that he was being held because
other charges-if not espionage
can be preferred"
Frau Kazmarek asserted her de-
tanned husband was mot a Commu-
mist and he fought all his life
against Fascism"
Kazrnarek and the others were al
legged by the Army to have been
members of the Free Germany
Committee, which the army off,
cially described as having 1000 900
members.
Activity in Zones Reported.
The alderman membership was
said to have been converted to
Communism and high intelligence
officers said members of the COM
mittee were engaging in activities
in the American, British and French
zones in Germany.
Just how many members of the
group we're operating at present in
Western Germany was undisclosed,
but one officer said there are two
divisions about $1,000 men EACH
believed to be still in Russia"
Military government officers
pointed out that the Free Germany
Committee was Illegal" in the
American and British zones, because
1t was not licensed by military au-
thorities as an authorized political
party.
Yesterday, army intelligence au-
thorities accused the Stuttgart
branch Of the organization of sub
versive political activity"