Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-08-10
House Red Probers
To Hear WiIIoughbY
On Serge Case Today
By |. Edgar Primo

By L. Edgar Primo
House investigators today began
a final scrutiny of hundreds of
secret documents in the Serge
spy ring case in preparation for
the questioning of the star wit
ness in the inquiry-Maj. Gen.
Charles A. Willoughby.
The general, who was Gen.
MacArthur's intelligence chief,
will testify August 81 and %, and
the Un-American Activities Com
mittee is hoping for new details
on the Soviet espionage network
that fllched state secrets in China
and Japan during 1931-1941.
Gen. Willoughby went before the
Senate Internal Security subcom-
mittee yesterday, but for the most
part the questioning revolved
around certain members of the
Serge apparatus he linked to the
Institute of Pacific Relations.
Institute Is Target.
The institute, an international
group founded in the 1920s for the
purpose of studying Pacific prob
lens, has been the main target OF
the Senators investigation of al
legged subversive influences or
Americas Far Eastern policy.
Senator Ferguson, Republican
of Michigan said last night thai
the McCarran group would leave
the Serge case to the House COM
mittee. that it called Gen. Will
loughby primarily for testimony
in connection with the IPR.
MitSusada YoShikawa, Japan's
top investigating officer, who PEI
sonally prosecuted Serge after the
spy ring was smashed in late 194l
yesterday gave his account of the
rings activities and the maste.
'spy's confession.
Testified in Japanese.
Testifying in Japanese, with al
interpreter at his side,- M
Yoshikawa:
l. Told how Soviet agent
helped promote japanese aggres
sion against Britain and thu
United States in order to forestal
a move by the Jap Kwantuni
army against Russia.
| Leaders in this campaign Wer
Serge, who was a confidante 0
the German Ambassador in Tokyo
and Hozumi OZaki, a close politi
cal adviser to Japan's Premie
Konoye.
| 2. Confirmed Gen. Willoughby'
1949 report that Russia wa
tipped off by Serge two month
before Pearl Harbor. that Japal
would attack America" an
British Pacific possessions if tn
japanese American peace talk
broke down.
3. Asserted that an American
Consulate official in Shangha
mot further identified) aided
Red spy group in China in 1878
and that another ring called tn
Hardin (Manchuria) group, work
ing with Serge, sometimes use
radio facilities in the Unite
States Consulate in Hardin t
send messages to Moscow.
| 4. Testified that Serge, whel
he passed through the Unite
States on his way from MoscoN
to Tokyo, was directed by his Re,
bosses to contact an American
Inewspaperman, an employe of tn
Washington Post, at the Chicag'
Worlds Fair. Mr.. Yoshikawa sail
Serge would not further identif.
the man.
In testifying about the comics
sions obtained from members o
the Serge group, both Mr.. Yoshi
kawa, who is in this countr,
studying legislative procedures
and Gen. WilloSghby said no CO.
.ercion or force was used.
Gen. Willoughby again linked
the late Agnes Smedley. an Amer
lean writer who specialized or
China matters, and Guenthel
Stein, born British
Journalist, to the Serge ring ane
to the IPR.
The War Department Withdrew
the generals report on Miss Smed
ley in 1949 when she called it ;
"despicable lie and threatened t.
sue.
The general ridiculed this &C
ton, declaring:
"Smedley has been pictured a
an upright American woman with
no Communist tieups. Yet we flint
her willing her ashes to Chu Tel
(Chinese Communist army chief
and her ashes enshrined in Peip
ing"
In New York, William L. Hol
land, the IRP's secretary general
said Miss Smedley was never &C
tive in the institute. He said tn,
McCarran subcommittee lis OBJ
Iviously trying to create the falls,
impression the IPR has been en-
gagged in espionage activities"