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

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rom Gutenberg.
separate, surprise interviews
with three people in Frankfurt
-Scarbeck, Ursula Discher and
Cordes. Knauf was to go at once
to Frankfurt to arrange for the
showdown.
Together, Lyons and Boswell
tried to plan for all eventual
tiles. They hoped they were
ready for anything when the
Scarbecks and their three chill
dren left Warsaw for Dussel-
dorf. Scarbeck had suggested
to his wife that she probably
would rather visit her mother
than spend three days waiting
for him in Bonn.
On June 4, Scarbeck left his
family in Dusseldorf and went
straight to Ursula Discher in
Frankfurt. The German police
saw Scarbeck leave the woman's
room before dawn on June 5
and catch the 5 am. train for
Bonn. He entered the Embassy
right on schedule at 9 am.
The Embassy's administrative
officer was full Of apologies.
The foreign buildings officer
had been called to Frankfurt
but he was still anxious to have
his talk with Mr.. Scarbeck.
Toughest Assignment
mfr. Farber here has volun-
teered to drive you to Frank
furt," the administrative off,
Ger added.
James Polk Farber, Knauf's
assistant, said afterward that
the next two hours we're the
toughest of his life. AS he
drove, he casually asked Scar
beck what Warsaw was like.
They compared Polish wines
and German wines. Farber
studiously avoided any refer
ence to Polish women.
At the consulate in Frank
furt, Farber opened the door of
the room where Knauf was
waiting, uShered Scarbeck in
and briSkly performed the in
Productions. Then he excused
himself and went next door
where two direct lines had been
inStalled-one to the German
national police, the other to the
Frankfurt police. Over the first
telephone. Farber gave the sig
nal for the Discher woman to
be picked up. ostensibly for
questioning about her visa. Over
the second phone, Farber asked
police to bring in Cordes.
In the next room, a record
ing device was beginning to
turn in a closet. Knauf, fac
ing Scarbeck, was painfully
aware that all the surveillance,
all the cables and diplomatic
pouches from Washington and
Warsaw, all the months of
planning had narrowed down
to this moment. If he failed
and the sound of his failure
would be clearly recorded or
the tape-the American Gov
eminent would never know
whether the Scarbeck case was
simply an illicit love affair OF
a dangerous threat to foreign
policy.
! Knauf began by mentioning
that he had information Scar
beck might be involved in q
black market in Polish cur
rency. He did have the infor-
nation but he brought it up
only to give Scarbeck a plaus-
ible reason why a security Of
ficer might be interested in
him.
Scorbeck Stalls
Scarbeck, after a bit of STALL
ing, admitted he had fooled
around a bit with Polish cur
rency. By now, Scarbeck, al
ways the extrovert, was calling
Knauf Ken" Cautiously,
Knauf asked Scarbeck If he
knew Urzula Discher, Scarbeck
couldn't deny that he had told
his right-hand man to say he
was interested in getting her a
German visa.
Knauf asked Scarbeck II he
had lived with her in Frank
furt. After some more stalling,
Scarbeck admitted that, too.
Obviously, he had concluded
that whoever trailed him in
Frankfurt had gotten the word
back to Knauf.
Knauf wanted TO know where
Scarbeck first met the girl.
Scarbeck said she had called
the Embassy in September,
1859, to ask for a Job and the
Marine guard had put the call
through to him. Attracted by
the girls throaty voice, Scar
beck made a date to meet her
that night. One date led to an
other and in April, 1860. the
girl moved into an apartment
rented by Scarbeck. After that,
he was with her almost every
night. He would have dinner
with his family and go back to
his office. pleading he had work
to do. After working a few
hours. he would 60 to the girls
apartment, where he usually
remained until about 3 am.
Scarbeck admitted he had
helped the girl get her visa to
visit Germany. Now Knauf was
ready TO lower the boom. He
asked Scarbeck how the girl got
her passport. As Scarbeck be-
gan fencing, Knauf pointed out
that the Poles would never re-
lease a healthy young woman,
particularly when they knew
she was having Illicit relations
with an American diplomat.
1T was all very short and
sweet" Scarbeck said abruptly