1934-06-09 — Page 11

PICTORIAL SUPPLEMENT

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1934.

PAGE THREE

FAMOUS SPY TRIALS SINCE THE WAR

THE CASE OF PROFESSOR EYDOUX AND THE ASPIRIN

BY MILTON BRONNER

ADEN with cameras, field glasses, maps and note- LA

books, the scholarly Professor Eydoux of the Paris Ecole Polytechnique and his comely secretary, Made- moiselle Georgette Bonnefond, touring Italy on holiday, set out on September 4, 1932, from their lodgings in Tarviso for an all-day motor jaunt.

They did not return that evening to their lodgings but the landlord thought little of it, since they sometimes stayed away overnight when they made trips in their hired automobile to near- by points. However, when another night came and another and another, and still they had not put in an appearance, the clr- cumstances were reported to the authorities.

Immediately afterward, thought nothing definite was heard of the pair, a thick, Impenetrable silence settled down upon the whole affair. Nobody In Tarviso

admitted to knowing anything | been making water colour studies about it or even asked any ques- of the scenery and so they were tlons.

about to be released.

In Paris, the home of the pro- fessor and his secretary, the case was quite different. As time went on and they failed to return from their holiday, friends naturally wondered. Inquirera, however, "drow blanks. The

familles of the missing man and woman preserved a mysterious reticence which, while It had in it an element of uneasiness, certainly did not seem to hold the agony of suspense that might have been expected.

ARREST REVEALED.

ASPIRIN? WHAT OF THAT?

The one item that all the hear- Anyera seemed to agree about was A bizarro report that n quantity of aspirin carried by either the pro- fessor or his secretary was to play a star role in the trial.

But what could aspirin have to do with

or even the charge could imagine. it? Meantime, in Italy antagoniam to the prisoners was growing. The relations between France and Italy were not too cordin) anyway. Always since the World War there had been loose talk about the pos-

of

A month, two months passed. It was Christmna, then New Year's. And suddenly one day In mid-sibility of war between the two January, the mystery was a mys- nations and now this Frenchman tery no longer. The Italian govern- and his friend, employee or what- ment announced that Professo ever, were accused of gathering Eydoux and Mademoiselle Bonne-information. along a strategically fond, without the knowledge of important boundary line, that be- anybody in France save their tween Italy and Yugo-Slavia, lend- families and the Foreign Ofee, ing member of the Little Entente, had been held in an Italian prison closely alited in a military way since the day of their uncanny with France. disappearance. They were char god, the announcement added, with being milltary spies.

At once Paris Beothed with con- tradictory rumoura cóncerning the pair. They had been caught skotching fortlacations and would probably be put to death. No, not at all the Italian government had slipped up this time. The two could prove that they had only

Yugo-Slavin, also, is more of a Bore point with Italy, then any of the other members of the Little Entente because, the smaller coun try raised such an outcry when Flume and all the best Adriatic ports were turned over to the Itál- lans after the war.

A asemingly Innocent scene in which Italy' new a dread mansce.

therefore, have made Franco as in Italy. Friends of mate important connection with might, Professor Evdoux were pointing the technical engineering training sketches, in all innocence, of sub- out that his position at the Ecole of French Army engineers and ar- joets, such as hydro-electric in- Focling was running as high in Polytechnique gave him a leglti-tillery ofcers. They said he stallations which would be of spe

FRANCE IS AROUSED.

cial interest to him.

Furthermore, as a member of the Salon des Artistes Francalucs, ho was quite likely to sketch scen- ery when on holiday.

In the midst of the discussion, the Italian government issued a statement setting forth the spec

Eduar

that he had made observations along the Yugo-Slav frontier at the request of д French military friend. He also confessed that he had supplied French authorities with notes on events observed on

the road over the Simplon Pass, but he said there had been no ie charges. They identified Pro-secrets in his reports. Any Intoll- fessor Eydoux as an engineer gont man, he asserted; could have specializing in road and bridge

Mademoisailo

construction" and accused him of soon the same things and turned "conspiring, together with his sect out the notes. ratary, Mademoiselle Bonnefond, within the meaning of Article 257 of the Penal Code to procure, for the purpose of military capionage, information which in the interesta of the security of the state, should remain

ain secret."..

LONG UNDER OBSERVATION.

The man and woman, It was re- vealed, had been under observation as they travelled about Italy and Tugo-Slavia. for some weeks bo- fore their arrest and had been seen to take notes of certain localities, bridges and roads which the pro- fessor had then developed into what seemed to be reports and plans, later found in his posses- sion.

Bounefond said she thought all the time the pro fessor was collecting material for a book or a magazine article or something. She had helped him with his work as she was paid to do but she had not even known that he was sending reports back to Paris, she insisted.

The frank manner of the pris- onera made a good impression on the court and their Italian attor ney argued to good effect that Ey- doux had done no more than apply his expert knowledge to roads and railroads whilch could been seen by any casual traveller. Luckily, this attorney, Signor Emilio Tommani, had helped draft the Penal Codo under which his clients wore being tried, and the court was obviously impressed when he declared that the activities of Professor Eydoux would not come under its provi There was no mention of aspir-sions against securing secret in- in in this initial document but formation, when the trial began bofore the Special Tribunal for the Defence of the Realm in Rome on Febru- ary 4, this odd angle of the case was immediately brought up.

Tho charges concluded with the declaration that he had confessed to having entered Italy to collect military information of interest to his country.

Why, the prosecution asked, had the prisoners been carrying aspirin? In case they had head- aches, of course, the prisonera themselves answered with some naperity. The prosecutor called the attention of the court to the fact that sepirin wa

was notoriously By used in the preparation of Invie ible ink. Professor Eydoux and Mademoiselle Bonnefond replied

Nevertheless, the Prosecutor asked that Eydoux bo sentenced to fifteen years in prison and Madem oiselle Bonnefond to ton. Eydoux and Mademoiselle got five years Bonnefond three.

Each, however, was given a re- mission of three years of the sen tence under an amnesty which had beon granted to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Fascist march on Rome. Mademoiselle Bonneford was released at onco and ordered to leave the country.

that they had never heard of auch A few months later, when the use. They carried the drug on a famous Four Power Fact for the medicine and used it, for that pur-Preservation of Peace for ton pose only, they said.

years was signed in Rome, Musso- Iini, Jubilant over the event, par- doned Professor Eydoux and sent SECRECY DENIED.

The professor frankly admitted him back to Paris.

ON LEAVE

WITH A CAR

"BE SURE OF IT: GIVE ME THE OCULAR PROOF."

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Thongkong Telegraph.

1934 VAUXHALL CARS

TO THE FOLLOWING HONGKONG RESIDENTS (DELIVERED IN ENGLAND)

Rov. G. E. 5. Upsdell

Capt. P. Villars

Comdr. J. B. Newill

Dr. D. J. Valentine

Dr. G. W. Pope

J. P. Sherry, Esq.

W. O. Lambert, Esq.

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LET THE OPINION OF DISCERNING MOTORISTS GUIDE YOU.

MONDAY, MAY 28, 1934,

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