Evening star., 1947-01-29
Canadian Spy Trials
Continue; Boyer Case
Still Is 10 Be Heard
fSee "OttaDa's Spy Case,' Page A-S.)


North American Newspaper AlIienes
OTTAWA, Jan. 20.-Nearly one
year ago, on February 5, 1916, head
lines screamed the news, Red Spy
Network Uncovered in Canada; /;
May Have A-Bomb Secrets"
Almost nothing has been heard
OF these men since that first furry
Of dispatches. An occasional article
helped ease alarm by pointing out
that Canada had no major atomic
bomb secrets to be stolen.
But there was a very real SOY
ring, and one of It's aims was to
uncover all swe knew Of atomic
power for war. The men still are
being tried today, on the basis OF
an enormous mass Of evidence dug
UP with the aid of Igor Gouzenko
code clerE In the Soviet's Ottawa
Embassy.
There follows a report on the
disposition of the rs Canadian eiti-
zens who were investigated by a
royal commission. Some have been
convicted, some acquitted, and the
identity Of some is still cloaked In
mystery.
Appeal Rejected.
Fred Rose, a member of the Ca
madam Parliament. has begun serv-
ing a six-year sentence on one
charge and has yet to be tried
on another. An appeal was rejected
by the Quebec Court of Appeals
and he is not expected to press his
appeal to the Supreme Court.
1t is interesting to note that he
remains a member of Parliament
his seat Is not considered vacant
until the House of Commons expels
him, which it hasn't done. Techni-
cally, says constitutional author
ity, he is prevented from taking
his seat"
Four Of the accused have been
acquitted: William Pappin, of a
charge of conspiring to get a false
passport for a Russian agent; Aga
tina Chapman, of a charge of con-
spring to, communicate confiden-
tial information to Russia; F. W.
Poland and David Shugar, of SINH
lar charges.
Durnford Smith, however, was
convicted of this charge and SEN
fenced to five years.
The royal commission appointed
to inquire into the matter had re-
ported that Poland, Shugar and
Smith, among others, have COM
municated, directly or indirectly,
secret ana~ confidential information,
the disclosure of which might be
inimical to the safety and inter-
ests of Canada. to the agents of a
foreign power" The commission was
headed by Hon. Robert Taschereau
and Hon. r. L. Kellock, both judges
OF the Supreme Court of Canada.
False Passport Obtained.
Pappin, the commission had found
active with others in procuring
false Canadian passport for a Rus
sian agent who was operating in
the United States" Miss Chapman
was merely found actively engaged
in the organization of cells from
which agents were recruited
Some have been found guilty:
Harold S. Gerson was sentenced to
five years for conspiring to COM
municate confidential information;
David Gordon Lunan, five years on
the same charge; Edward Maerall,
four years on this charge; DR.. John
Soboloff, $500 and costs or three
months for making a false state
ment which resulted in a suspected
foreign spy obtaining a passport;
Kathleen Willsher, three years for
giving official information to an un-
authorized person; Emma Woiken,
two and half years on two charges
of violating the Official Secrets Act,
plus six months for contempt of
court; James S. Benning, five years
for communicating confidential in
formation.
OF these, Gerson, Lunan and Ben
ming are appealing. An appeal by
Mazerall was rejected.
Eric George Adams and Matthew
Nightingale were acquitted of con-
spring to communicate confidential
information and of communicating
confidential information, respective
ly. 1.-TWO other charges remain to be
heard against Adams: Communicat-
ing information and retaining gov
ernment documents. And one other
charge remains outstanding against
Nightingale: Conspiring to commun-
icate information. Tt is considered
unlikely that the crown will press
these charges.
Cases to Be Heard.
Cases which have yet to be heard
are those of DR.. Raymond Boyer,
noted scientist, who is charged with
revealing secret explosives formulae
to the Soviet Union through Rose;
Henry Harris, on two charges of
conspiracy regarding a false Cana
dian passport for Russian agent,
and Israel Halperin, charged with
conspiring to communicate conf
Dental information to Russia.
OF Norman Veall, Fred Chubh
and Jack Isidor Gottheil. named in
the evidence, the commission re-
ported tEey did not take
any active part in the subversive
activities"
individuals of whom three is no
further news include notably Dr.
Allan Num- May, seized in Britain.
The commission charged him with
communicating secret information.
Sam Carr is listed by the commits
sion as among those who were
members of the spy ring and took
an active part in recruiting agents,
acting as contacts and securing and
transmitting such secret and conf
dental information. Fred Linton
and S. S. Burman were merely men
toned as helping organize cells.
OF real interest still is the identity
Of five agents who remain unidenti-
fed. They went under the code
names Galya, Gini, Cola, Green
and Surensen.