Evening star., 1947-01-27
No. /

L OfEtcf
other countries. He has not only told
us the names ana cover names Of the
organizers, the names Of many Of the
Canadians who were caught in the net
Ito employ the phrase used by the
documentS) and who acted here as
agents, but he also has exposed much
Of the setup of the organization as
well as its aims and methods here
and abroad.
There can be no doubt In our minds
that these attempts. very often sue
cessful, to obtain here secret and con-
fidential information cannot be qualified
as casual or isolated. They are not
merely the acts Of overSealous Soviet
employees anxious to inform their own
government.
"The setup Of this organization in
Canada is the result of long prepara-
ton by trained and experienced men,
who have come here for the express
purpose Of carrying on spying activities,
and who have employed all the re-
sources at their disposal with or without
corruption, to fulfill the tasks assigned
to them.
"Some Of these men have un-
doubtedly been we'll schooled in es-
pionage and fifth column organizational
methods, and In political and psycholog-
ical development techniques"
Gouzenko's revelations had to do
chiefly with the military intelligence
organization which was headed by Col.
Zapotin, who was Russian military at
tache. Zapotin brought Gouzenko, a
ovHt ~, Al A,pyrNry IN lo
with him when he arrived in June, 1943,
to take over and enlarge an already
well-established military espionage sys-
tenn. The commission traced this Or
ganization back as far as 1924.
A Rival met" at Work.
In addition to the military setup
there was q rival met" Of Russian
agents in Canada directed by the NKvD,
or secret police. The latter was referred
to by COL zapotin's agents as "the
Neighbor." The documents show that
there were frequent clashes between the
two groups of agents, principally over
efforts to recruit the same Canadian
Communist or fellow traveller for their
respective outfits. These disputes usu-
ally were settled by Moscow. There was
no apparent interchange of information
between the two organizations, nor be-
tween them and the Russian ambassa-
dor. Both communicated their intelh-
gence direct to Moscow and received
their orders from there independently.
There was also evidence Of develop
ing naval intelligence organization and
of political intelligence group consist
ing of Communists controlled by the
professedly defunct but apparently still
active Comintern or international Com
munist headquarters In Moscow.
All of these undercover agencies had
their Offices in secret wing Of the Rus
sian embassy, the windows OF which
were shuttered and barred and the en-
frances to which were carefully guarded
against intruders- other en-
ployes Of the embassy.
Gouzenko told the commission: 'They
(the Soviet government) were trying to
establish fifth column in Canada.
What transpired is only modest or
small part of all that Is really here.
You may have discovered Is men.
but it still leaves in Canada this dangers
GUS situation, because these are other
societies and other people working under
every embassy, under every consul IN
each place where there Is a consulate.
1t is Just like number of small circles.
There are parallel, systems Of spies or
potential agents"
The extreme secrecy with which these
agents operated is indicated IN their
use of codes and cover names, such a.
"Lesovia" for Canada, Metro" for the
Soviet embassy, "shoes" for passports,
"the Corporation" for the Communist
Party, "roof" for legal front" for
illegal activities, and "Gisel" for the
military intelligence organization itself.
But Some Were Not Burned.
Most of the written orders given to
agents concluded with the curt admoni-
ton, after reading, burn
Unfortunately for COL zapotin and his
colleagues, however. the destruction ad-
vice was not always carried out.
Largely because of this oversight, plus
the decision Of Gouzenko to cut loose
from the whole sordid business, Canada
was able to smash the then-exiSting
Russian military intelligence ring with
in her borders, force the recall to Mos
COW Of the embarrassed Col. zapotin
(who, according to one unconflrmed re-
port, died of "heart failure" four days
after arriving In Russia, wiring an
official admission from the Soviet gov
ernment of "inadmissible" activities by
zapotin, and, finally, launch . series OF
trials that have resulted in convictions
or guilty pleas from nearly a dozen
Canadian citizens-including member
of Parliament, distinguished scientists,
members or former members OF the
armed forces and veteran civil servants.
How this so-called fifth column" was
developed and what some Of its sinister
assignments consisted Of will be dis
closed In subsequent articles In this
series. s.
Tomorrow: How a man whose con-
science troubled him decided to tell what
was going on and the difficulty he had IN
making anybody believe him.