Evening star., 1946-04-10
Red Officer Indicted
On 5 Spying Counts;
MoseowPIeaR Rejected
BY the Associated Press

SEATTLE, April lO-America' S
first postwar spy" case reached a
new climax last night when a Fed
eral grand jury indicted Soviet 1t.
Nicolal Gregorovich Redin on five
counts a few hours after the State
Department disclosed in Washing
ton it had rejected Russian request
that the case be dropped.
The Soviet Embassy made the re-
quest April 6 on the ground that 1t.
Redin was innocent. The State De-
partment replied the decision would
be left with the Justice Department.
Attorney General Clark announced
the charges would be pressed.
The grand jury indictment de-
clared 1t. Redin had obtained in
formation concerning national de-
tense, induced another to obtain
plans pertaining to national defense
and conspired to obtain and trans
init to a foreign government plans
dealing with national defense.
Charge Outlined.
1t charged the young Russian
naval lieutenant had sought the in
formation with intent and reason
to believe that the information y
was to be used to the injury of the
United States and to the advantage
of a foreign nation, to wit, Union
OF Soviet Socialist Republics"
Justice Department officials said
in Washington the case apparently
was the first in United States his
tory in which the Government had
prosecuted an officer of a foreign
power in peacetime.
1t. Redin, 20, was in Portland,
Ore, awaiting hearing at 10 am.
today before the United States COM
missioner He was arrested March
26 by Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation officers who said he was
about to board a Soviet ship.
The identity of the person 1t.
Redin was accused of inducing to
obtain plans never has been re-
vealed
Irwin L. Goodman, Portland attor-
ney, was engaged to represent 1t.
Redin at the preliminary hearing
there but it was not known if he
would handle the case here. He
recently defended - successfully -
Walter Baer when the Portland civil
engineer fought deportation pro-
ceedings based on offenses commit
ted Is years ago.
He participated also in the Tom
Mooney Moo case in San Francisco in
1t. Fedin is at liberty under s10,-
600 bond and the court here held
that the bond could be renewed to
guarantee his appearance at the ar
raig nent next week. He has re-
mai4d in Portland since his arrest.
Possible Penalty Stated.
Under the statute on which the
Redin indictment is based, the max
imum penalty in the event of a
conviction on all five counts could
be go years imprisonment and a
$4,000 fine.
A State Department spokesman
released an official statement in
telling about the Russian request
that the case be dropped. The state
ment said:
"The Soviet Embassy on April 6
inquired of the Department of State
regarding the arrest of 1t. Nicolai G.
Redin at Portland, Greg, on March
2e, 1946. The Soviet Embassy indi-
Gated that according to its informa-
ton there is no foundation for the
charges brought against 1t. Redin.
TT therefore asked that the case
be dropped since 1t. Redin was inno-
cent OF the charges brought against
him.
The Soviet Embassy was informed
by tha Department of State today
that under United States judicial
procedure, the decision as to
whether any prosecution should be
brought rests with the Department
OF Justice and the appropriate grand
jury and not with the Department of
State.
THE Embassy was also assured
that 1t. Redin would be afforded full
protection under American law and
that any trial would be just and
fair"