Evening star., 1954-10-09
Security Aide
Seized in Theft
.0fSecretD Data
Intention to Use
Documents to Injure
U. 5. Is Charged

The FBI today arrested Joseph
Sydney Petersen, jr., 40. of Ar
lington, former employe of the
National Security Agency. on
charges Of improperly obtaining
secret documents connected with
the national defense.
The complaint charges that
Petersen, an employe of the
agency until October / this year.
obtained the information with
intent or reason to believe that
the information was to be used
to the injury of the United
States or to the advantage Of
a foreign nation"
Seized at Arlington Home.
The Justice Department said
he was arrested at his home
at 4316 N. Fourth street in Ar
lington and taken to the Fed
eral Building in Alexandria. Va.
for arraignment later today be-
fore United States Commissioner
Earl c. Fletcher.
FBI officials declined to iden-
tify the foreign nation referred
to in the complaint, which
charged that from. on or about
March /. 1948. to on or about
December 81. 1852" Petersen had
improperly obtained the classi-
fed documents.
The National Security Agency
operates within the defense
! establishment under executive
order of the President. Petersen
had been employed by it and its
predecessors since 1941.
| The charge, on conviction,
carries a penalty of up to 10
years in prison and fine of up
to $4,000.
| Petersen was seized by FBI
agents shortly before noon.
Native of New Orleans.
! A native of New Orleans.
where he was born September
80, 1914, Petersen is a graduate
of Loyola University in New Or
leans and received a master Of
science degree at st. Louis Uni
versity in 1888.
/ Prior to entering Government
service he taught physics at
Loyola University and Ursuline
College in New Orleans. He has
been engaged as a research
analyst at the National Security
Agency.
The FBI said he was dismissed
from that post October l as a
result of the investigation. It
said he has been under surveil-
lance for some time, but declined
to give further details imme-
diately.
The agency. the most silent of
the intelligence services, moni-
tors millions of words sent in
code or clear by friend or foe
around the world each year.
Originally it was called the
Army Security Agency and then
later the Armed Services Security
Agency. Its present title devel-
oped out of the Unif1cation Act
of 1947 which integrated the
military radio monitoring serv-
ices. 1t. Gen. Ralph j. Canine
OF the Army currently heads it.
Headquarters in Arlington.
The agency now has head
quarters at Arlington Hall on
Arlington boulevard. 1t has sup
porting radio facilities in WASH
ington and other parts of the
country.
In June, 1858, it was an
nounced that the agency would
be moved to Fort Meade, Md,
and a $50 million building pro-
gram was launched.
Unconfirmed reports have
placed the number of agency en-
ployes at from 5000 to 1000 in
the United States. Many others
are working in overseas monitor
ing stations.
Little more than the. name Of
the organization is mentioned
officially. The Defense Depart
ment answers no questions about
it beyond saying it is a facility
concerned with specialized re-
search and training activities. I"
The agency also is closely tied
in with the Nations top INTEL
ligence organization-the Central
Intelligency Agency.
Pnnnnos in IfnIv