Evening star., 1950-01-26
I Spied for StoIin-
Training for u. S. Work Started in Europe
(Fourth of a Series.)
BY Hede Mossino
. As Told TO Eugene lyons
LSanYrioht lQSfl hu Aada A.s.;n.

N~Ff'S''f ''SSF ~ tico9 Ns1SSH9j
NEW YORK, Jan. 26.-Recruit-
ment of agents for our work was
from the outset my continuing
duty, over and above specific as
signments. It was training in
patience and caution that in due
time would pay off in America.
If interested in prospect, Lud-
wig or Felix insisted on knowing
the minutest details of his bio
graphy, his family, his habits and
weaknesses. This called for dis
Greet investigation, long talks with
the victim and a series of verbal
or written reports. The pro-
posal of "co-operation" to such
people required skill of a high
order. One had to estimate
whether to appeal to idealism,
greed, vanity or a combination
of these motives.
The scope of these articles al
lows me only to touch on a few
typical jobs in my European per-
iod.
Once I was ordered to Vienna
under instructions to show up daily
at a specified hour in a restau-
rant and await developments I
welcomed the trip as a rare chance
to see my mother, while wonder
ing curiously what was to follow
The reality, as was to happen
repeatedly. fell short of the antic-
ipation. 1t was only Ludwig who
appeared, suave and gracious as
always. I had come to admire
him immensely and to trust his
judgements implicitly - in fact
that would play a part in my
eventual split with Stalinism.
Friend Provided Answer.
He had selected me for an
urgent piece of business, he ex-
planned, because I was at home in
Vienna. We must f1ne quickly an
isolated hideout in the suburbs,
the kind of place where a radio
antenna would not draw atten-
ton.
A friend of my youth provided
the answer to that one. He hap
pened to own just the country
house we needed. I had surveyed
the place before broaching him.
My friend was no hero. 1t took
a lot of persuasion before he
agreed, under the impression of
course that it was all for a noble
anti-fascist cause. After setting
up a rendezvous for him with
Ludwig. under AN improvised
name, my part was done and I
returned to the three children in
Berlin.
Another time I was borrowed"
by the Communist International
for a mission in London. Normal
ly GPU and International activi-
ties were kept strictly apart. But
the request came from Hugo
Eberlein, one of the founders of
the International, and could not
be turned down. Eberlein's pres
tige derived in large measure
from the fact that he was married
to Lenin's adopted daughter.
Helped Audit Books in Britain.
I went as interpreter and gen.
eral assistant to an accountant
named Callam. party cashier in
Essen, who was commissioned to |
audit the books of the British |
Communist Party and the London
Daily Worker Travelling on the
same trains and Channel boat,
Callam and I pretended to be
,otal strangers until we registered
and a few hours apart
1t a second-rate London hotel.
A German bookkeeper to his
Comrade Callam hunted
down every last shilling. The
party books had been deposited in
a private home outside London.
Callam and I. taking infinite pre-
cautions against being followed, |
went there daily. From time to
time 7 summoned party officials
to help explain items in the ac-
counts. AS far as I recall, every
thing balanced well enough.
In the light of that memory. +
am always amused when people