Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-06-07
CopIon
Continued From First Page.)

proceeding for more than six weeks
In scandalous fashion, I must say
almost disgraceful. I hate to say
that about a law suit before me
but it Is true. Now let's get on
with the case and try to keep the
scandal and disgrace out of it"
Efforts to Block "Decoy."
Mr.. Palmer tried to block intro
duction of the "decoy" memoran-
dunn which contained fictitious in
formation about activities Of
Amtorg, the Russian trading
agency in this country. by con-
tending it was a weapon Of entrap-
ment. Judge Reeves ruled 1t could
be admitted at this time.
Special Agent Robert j. Lam
phere testified that the memoran-
dunn, which was submitted to the
assistant to the Attorney General
under the initials Of Director j.
Edgar Hoover Of the FBI, con-
tanned some true information as
well as fictitious.
A sentence which said that
earlier information had been OBJ
tanned about efforts of Amtorg to
obtain information on atomic re-
search and development was true,
the agent said. 1t was likewise
true. he testified. that the FBI
was continuing to investigate re-
ported efforts Of An1torg to send
atomic equipment as well as in
formation to Russia. Untrue. he
said, was the portion of the men,
orandum which said that Isadore
Needleman, attorney for Amtorg,
and another highly placed official
of the trading agency were UNDER
cover espionage agents for the
United States.
In a written opinion, on ad-
hitting the documents. the white
haired 75-year-old Judge Reeves
from Kansas City declared that
the documents that he examined
are somewhat cryptic and prac-
tically unrelated"
Threat to Lives Cited.
"They do not suggest danger to
our national security or our ma
tional defense. The most that
could be said of their harmful
effect, If any, if they be exposed.
is that they would produce irrita-
ton and perhaps render nugatory
efforts of our intelligence service
on particular inquiries and maybe
endanger individual lives"
To withhold the documents from
the jury, Judge Reeves ruled,
would be prejudicial to the de-
PENDANT, "as the very act of ex-
clusion itself would carry with it
the imputation or suggestion that
such data slips we're so important
that there was danger to the
country in exposure. This would
lay heavy weight or burden upon
the defendant. It could indicate
that her offense was so serious
that part of her acts could not be
exposed, as being too dangerous
to the country. This is a burden
she should not have to bear" =
In companion decision, Judge
Reeves elaborated on earlier ver-
bal denials of defense motions to
suppress the Governments evil
dence on the grounds that Miss
Coplon was arrested in New York
on March 4 without probable
cause.
No Entrapment Found.
Judge Reeves ruled that Miss
Coplorl's activities in obtaining
secret documents relating to Rus
sian activities in this country.
coupled with her association with
Valentine A. Gubitchev, 32-year-
old United Nations employe. with
whom she was arrested, justified
the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
ton in arresting her without q
warrant.
Judge Reeves ruled further that
no entrapment was involved in the
preparation of a report marked
'secret" and containing false in
formation which was placed on
Miss Coplon's desk In the Justice
Department Building here 10
hours before she was arrested in
New York. The specific charge
on which Miss Coplon is now on
trial is removing highly classified
documents from Government files,
Armed, as she was" the de-
cision of the veteran jurist de-
clared, with important and con-
fidential information concerning
her own country's welfare, and
particularly with information OF
moment and of interest to Rus
sia, IL was deemed important to
place In her hands a. decoy In
telligence report so that it might
be determined whether she was
disposed TO use the information
acquired by her TO the injury oil