Evening star., 1959-12-18
Consul Linked
ToPoison Salt
5. Army
Radio Free Europe
Incident Is Laid
To Red Agent

HEIDELBERG, Germ any,
Dec. 18 (AP).-The United
States Army charged today
that the Czechoslovak vice con-
sui at Salzburg, Austria, pro-
vided a Communist agent with
the poison found in salt
shakers at the cafeteria of
Radio Free Europe in Munich.
"The army counter-intelli-
gence investigation shows that
JaroSlav Nemec, a vice consul
at the Czech Consulate in
Salzburg, Austria, on Novem-
Der Is gave a Communist agent
salt shakers containing afro
pine for placement in the RIFE
cafeteria in Munich" an off,
.eial army statement said.
THE agent was told that
the shakers contained a mild
laxative. ;" the Army said.
Clinical analysis, however,
proved that they contained
atropine in sufficient quantity
to cause serious illness, the
degree Of which would depend
upon the age and physical con-
dition Of the individual and the
amount of salt consumed.
Tipped About Poison
Disclosure of the plot against
the private, Americsn-f1nanced
station, which broadcasts anti
Communist propaganda, was
made Wednesday by its Euro
pean director, Erik Hazelhof
of Mount Kisco, N. Y.
He said he had notified
United States and West Ger
man authorities after being
tipped that the poison had been
put in salt shakers at the sta
tion'S cafeteria November 81.
United States Army and
West German officials at first
denied they knew anything
about the plot. But a spokes-
man yesterday said the Army
had been told about it.
Today'S Army statement
said the plot was discovered
by counter-intelligence agents
during normal security oper-
ations."
Mr.. Hazelhoff said in his an
nouncement that q foreign
Communist power" was behind
the alleged poisoning but re-
fused to identify the country.
He said only that it was
planned by a Communist dip
lomat stationed in Western
Europe.
Mr.. Hazelhoff said an RIFE
employe, an undercover agent
who had been working with
the Communists, informed him
Of the plot. The director said
none of the stations 1900 en-
ployes were poisoned but that
he ordered the cafeteria closed
after the discovery. The cafe
terra was reopened yesterday.
The Army statement said as
soon as it learned of the plot,
it passed on the information
to RIFE "as a matter of urgent
concern" and also informed
the West German Ministry of
Justice.
Army Silent on Action
The chief of the ministry's
press department said he could
not discuss the case until in
vestigation of it was finished.
The Army did not say what
action might be taken against
the Czech diplomat or if a pro-
test would be made to the gov
ernment in Austria, his host
country.
Atropine, the drug found in
the salt shakers, is derived from
the deadly nightshade plant.
It is given in minute doses for
certain forms of heart dis
turbances, asthma and in
teStinal collie. A dose of two
tenths of a gram causes death
within 6 to "a hours.
In Vienna, the Austrian pro-
tocol office said a Jaroslav
Nemec is employed by the
Czechoslovak consulate general
at Salzburg as a minor official,
without diplomatic status.
The Czechoslovak Legation
in Vienna termed the United
States Army statement gross
provocation" and denied Czech
officials in Austria were in
VolVed,