Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-12-18
By MIRIAM GUTENBERG

Irwin c. CDoc) Scarbeck, but
the Second Secretary wired the
Embassy and his wife that he
had had trouble getting all his
shopping done at the Frankfurt
post exchange and would need
another weeks leave.
In Frankfurt, Embassy Sc
curity Officer Kenneth Knauf's
worries we're piling up. The po-
lice sensed from Scarbeck's
driving, from the sudden u
turns and backtracking, that
he suspected he was being fol-
lowed.
On the morning of April 81,
Scarbeck with the girl in his
car, suddenly parked and got
out. Approaching the car
behind him, he accused the
driver Of following him.
I'm an American diplomat
from the Embassy in warsaw"
he began. This lady in the
car is a poor Polish orphan
with whom I have fallen in
love. Iwant to marry her"
Knauf told the police to
make their surveillance more
discreet so Scarbeek would fig
ure his explanation had salts
fled them. Apparently, how
ever, Scarbeck wanted to make
doubly sure he wasn't followed.
With a German police officer
named Fritz Cordes, he visited
the special branch headquar-
tiers of the police.
Cordes told his colleagues
that Scarbeck was a friend of
his who had complained of be-
ing followed. Scarback had
taken down the license number
of some following cars and
Cordes asked the special
branch to trace them. The
special branch officer suggested
that Scarbeck lodge his COM
plant with the American con-
sulate.
Former Chauffeur
When Knauf was advised of
this development, he wired
Washington that a new figure
had been'brought into the pic
ture. 1t didn't take long to
unravel that one: Cordes had
worked as chauffeur for the
Office Of the High Commission
er Of Germany while Scarbeck
was there as a staff officer.
Just before Scarbeck was to
return to Warsaw, the police
reported he was trying to get
a room for the girl in Frankfurt.
At the State Department,
William o. Boswell, chief of
the office Of Security, and Sc
curity Officer Charles w. Lyons
thought this was significant.
They had already established
through the German police that
the brother near death in
Frankfurt the girls alleged
reason for leaving Warsaw
was non-existent. The telegram
she had shown the visa office
was simply a ruse to get out
of Poland.
Her plan to remain in Frank
furt made 1t less likely that
she had accompanied Scarbeck
on an assignment for Polish
Intelligence. In that case, why
had the Poles given her a pass
port?
Returns to Warsaw
By now, Lyons had reviewed
all the dispatches that might
have appeared on the reading
file in the Warsaw Embassy
from January when Scarbeck
first showed an interest until
mid-April when he left for
Frankfurt. If Scarbeck had
turned over much of that ma
terial, Lyons realized, the dam
age was enormous. If the Poles
had gotten many Of the de-
coded messages from the read
ing file, they could match them
against the coded ones and
move a big step forward in
breaking the code.
On May 3. Scarbeck left the
girl in Frankfurt and returned
to Warsaw. Dikeos noticed that
Scarbeck held many whispered
talks with two Polish employees
in his office.
AS nothing significant devel-
oped, Dikeos worried that the
file room supervisor or the code
room clerk might give the show
away. that Scarbeck might no.
tice the desensitized file, that
he might defect to the Poles.
In Washington. Boswell and
Lyons shared Dikeos' concern.
Convinced there was nothing to
be gained and much to be lost
by waiting longer, they had a
routine message sent to Scar
beck through the usual person.
mel channels.
Scarbeck was to execute his
orders for transfer to Naples,
Italy. after the usual weeks
consultation in Washington
and three months of home
leave with his family. En- route
to the United States. he was
u stop by Bonn for three days
consultation with the foreign
buildings regional officer. Since
Scarbeck was in charge Of the
American buildings in Warsaw.
II would be normal for the re-
gional buildings officer to want
a consultation.
Surprise Interviews
BY remote control, Lyons
worked out the timing Of the
Scarbeck plan. Scarbeck
couldn't be ordered TO go di-
rectly 10 Frankfurt because he
knew the foreign buildings Of
ficer was in Bonn.
Lyons goal was simultaneous,
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