Evening star., 1946-04-15
Seven Axis Nationals
Running Spy Network
In China Arrested
BY the tssoeiotsd Press

BY the Associated Press
SHANGHAI, April 15.-Sever
Axis nationals whom american
investigators said were The rem
nants of a once-powerful Nazi
spy network which continued tc
operate in the Orient four
months after Germany's sur
render were arrested today.
This elimination of months ol
intensive work by American officers
was one OF the most important
roundups of international figures YET
conducted in the Far East. They
included four Germans, two italians
and one Japanese.
All are charged with war crimes
activities hostile to the United
States. They presumably will be
tried in China, although it was pre-
dicted earlier that they would bs
returned to Germany on the ship
leaving June Is with German re-
patriates. Investigators, however
said there were sufficient witnesses
in China to testify against them
Leader Identified.
1t. Col. Ludwig Ehrhardt (alias
Eisentraeger and Count Schwerin)
so, was identified as leader of the
group. Marine Capt. Frank Far
rell of New York, who was on his
trail since early September, said
Ehrhardt was a personal friend OF
Hitler and chief Of the Nazi fifth
column sent into the Balkans in
the late 30s
American authorities said that so
far not single German agent has
been able to escape, and added that
arrests of other smaller fry might be
expected later.
The men were called this morning
before 1t. Col. jeremiah O'Connor
1913 Thirty fifth street NV, Wash
ington, of The China theater Judge
advocate Office, for routine ques-
tioning." When they were captured,
military police called the roll and
hustled them off to Jail. While the
Chinese have some interest in the
case because their alleged crimes
were against the interests of China
also, the United States was expected
to be given a free hand in dealing
with the group.
Others Listed.
Capt. Farrell and Marvin M. Gray
of New York have handled the in
vestigation since the Japanese sur
render.
Besides Ehrhardt, others arrested
include:
Bobo Havenich, 40, expert cryp-
tographer whom investigators said
broke one American code and en-
abled German submarine wolf
packs to conduct successful raids
against American submarines.
DR.. Taija Takashima, %, aide to
Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita on a
mission to Germany to solidify Axis
relationship prior to signing OF the
tripartite pact and allegedly key
figure in japanese intelligence. IN
vestigators said he handled all
liaison between his country and
Germany during the war and pres
emily is president of the Central
China Development Co., japanese
firm with strong control of Chinese
resources.
Johannes Rathje, 43, personal
pilot for Hermann Goering, who al
legedly dispatched agents into free
China to gather information on
American aircraft, bombsights and
statistics.
Wolfgang Schenke, 20, China cor
respondent of the Deutsche Beo-
bachter, who allegedly was sent to
China as trained agent and posed
as an anti-Nazi in Chungking while
gathering information.
Adolphe Rossi and Remote Monte
vani, radio operators from the scut-
tied Italian liner Conte Verde,
allegedly employed in Ehrhardt's S
intelligence network to monitor
American radio lanes and break
codes.
Already in custody were Ingward
Budloff, German naval lieutenant
who allegedly came to China in 1912
with Ehrhardt as an intelligence
agent, and Hans Dethlefs, s....-
expert.
Today's roundup followed the an
nouncement by military authorities
that all Nazi Germans in China
would be sent to Germany June Is.
Col. Richard c. Whitman, Lincoln,
Nebr., repatriation chief in the
China theater, said those repatri-
ated probably would be tried in war
crimes courts in Germany.