Evening star., 1947-02-01
No. S

d conspiracy olFecteo against their own
country"
As discussed in the preceding article
in this series, the Russians used a sort
OF psychological warfare in their care
fully plotted campaign to enlist the
services Of Canadians who they knew
were Communists or Communist SYM
pathizers.
Considerable light was thrown on this
technique by Miss Kathleen Mary Will
sher, veteran employe Of the Once of
the High Commissioner for the United
Kingdom. Miss Willsher, who was
known to the espionage group as Ellie"
pleaded guilty to violation of the Onicial
Secrets Act and is serving prison term
of three years.
According to the commission, Miss
Willsher had been an admirer OF COM
munism for long time. Eventually she
joined the Communist Party and be-
gan attendinA Aone of its study groups"
the stated purpose of which was to read
and discuss Marxist literature. The
commission asserts that these groups
actually served as recruiting centers for
the spy ring.
Loyalty to Communism.
1t was at one Of these meetings, she
confessed, that Fred Rose. q member OF
the Canadian Parliament (since con-
victed as a Soviet agent), first broached
the idea that she could be useful to
the party by giving him general in
formation" concerning work Of the High
Commission. tt
Miss Willsher," commission men,
Der asked, ''you recognized, suppose.
when Mr. Rose made that suggestion to
you, that he was suggesting an improper
thing for you to do?"
Well" she replied, IT did, but I felt
that I should contrive to contribute
something toward helping this policy
(of united fronto because I was very
interested in it. I found it very DIM
cult, and yet I felt that should try
to help"
Then you appreciated that from the
standpoint of your relationship to your
employer it was an improper suggestion.
That is right?"
Eyes. I also felt that had some
thing to contribute"
Would it be right to put it this way
that you felt that there was higher
law, owing to your, let us say, political
convictions?"
Eyes. 1t was struggle. 1t was al
ways struggle"
"You cannot serve two masters with
out a struggle" the interogator re-
marked.
Pressing for clearer understand
ing" Of her motives, the commission
asked Miss Willsher:
do you mean that by becoming
member of the Communist Party you
are expected to do what you are asked
to do regardless of any obligation you
may have in any other direction; is
that what you mean?"
THAT is the sort of thing, yes" Miss
Willsher replied.
And that being called upon to make
a decision as between your master and
the country you were working for, on the
one hand, and the Communist Party on
the other hand, you told us that you
decided in favor of the Communist
Party?"
yes"
Because you felt that you owed 10y
atty to the Communist Party first?"
eyes"
Lesson for United States.
Other officials and employees of the
Canadian government who were caught
'in the net" expressed similar views to
the commission. .r
Moreover, the commission found from
the evidence that similar psychological
techniques Of gaining recruits for es-
pionage work were being used in the
United States and elsewhere.
'The Russians would know from their
agents in Canada" the report says,
that information was being pooled. BY
getting some information here, some
in England and some in the United
States, and then assembling it, very
large body of data could be built up"
These are some o. the reasons which
impelled the Royal Commission to warn
Canada. and implicitly the United States
and other democracies, to strengthen
the bars against Communist infiltration
in governmental agencies.
Had there been better safeguards,
COL Nicolai zapotin, head of the So
Wet military espionage setup in Canada
could never have won the two awards
of the Order of the Red Banner for
good organization work." nor the tele-
graphed congratulations of the chief OF
general intelligence in Moscow, who
added: II wish you further success in
your honorable work"
Canada intends to make sure that
this fine sentiment does not develop
beyond the stage of wishful thinking
And the Royal Commission made it
plain that the United States cannot
afford to ignore the lessons which Can
ada has learned at painful cost.