1934-06-16 — Page 9

PICTORIAL SUPPLEMENT

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1934,

PAGE THREL

THE SENSATIONAL CASE OF THE "DOSSIER FROGE"

MEMORIES OF TERRIBLE “AFFAIRE DREYFUS” STIR ALL FRANCE AS ANOTHER HERO-CAPTAIN IS “PERSECUTED”

THEN FREED-ON ESPIONAGE CHARGES

BY MORRIS GILBERT

Suspicion, fear, possibility of double-crossing on France's eastern frontier, where the great new fortifica tions loom toward Germany; may be responsible for an espionage case which now turns the minds of Frenchmen back to the days of the terrible, the shattering "affaire Dreyfus."

of

January 11, 1933, he was accused having delivered plans of the forti- of two onormities. First fications of Belfort to German

Had it not been for the prompt. | FALLEN FROM GRACE. trenchant action of one of France's greatest criminal lawyers, Maitre Jean Charles Legrand, an innocent man--o captain like Dreyfus emissaries, then having divulged might have been ral!readed on the charge most hateful to gallant citizens or soldiers, namely tecagon, As it is, the "affaire Frogo" has been troubling people here-Cap- tain Georges Froge, of the com- missary service, not least--for a year. Its conclusion is at hand, and Frogo is cleared of suspicions. It remains to learn who, or what group, was responsible for what might have developed into one of the major acandals of French military annala,

POSITION OF TRUST.

Captain Frogs had a sterling war record. Twice a volunteer in the infantry, ho won the rank of Chevaller of the Legion of Honour, tho Military Cross, and the Croix de Guerre with three cltations. The war ended, he was chosen as the man most worthy to carry the battle flag of his regiment in the great victory parade in Paris.

Later he served in Morocco dur- Ing military operations, and was then made a captain and assigned to serve as instructor at the military school at St. Malxent. He moved then into the com- missary department, because of a grave illness caught in Morocco.

to the same parsons the full plan for revictualing Belfort in the the location of all depots of muni- event of war. This plan contained tions and food, forage and gas, and rovealed that would be the number and position of effectives over a vast stretch of territory. It com- prised 124 pages.

Froge was sent in disgrace to the neighbouring post of Valdahon, pending hearing. He denied all charges. It was pointed out that the papers in question were avail. ablo in the office of Froge's super- ior. the Intendant Alexandre, whether or not Froge was present; and furthermore that the plans-for rovictualing had already been con- municated to Gorman agents least four times, according to de- finite French information, before Froge arrived first at Belfort.

at

At this point rose the question -Hoon to be comparatively famous in military circles here of the "dossier Froge," the Froge record, then in the hands of the accusing authorities. Here Frogo called in Maitre Legrand. Instantly civil lawyer demanded that Froge be legally incriminated in order that the dossler might become available for his defence.

•

the

AB a commissary offleer he was CLEARED OF ACCUSATIONS. presently stationed at Belfort, a post on the eastern

The case dragged on. borders of was accused of having received Froge France. The big new fortifica-two registered letters comlag from tions were going up there, an well apies. He as further north. Froge was in a

was grilled thirteen position of trust.

hours to bring a confession, but refused to do so. He was able to

prove that he had never signed for such letters. Froge wrung a con- fession from a chauffeur, a former

Dawns...

and death

"the fate of the spy. 57

accuser, that the man had been tlons, of having written to foreign coached in Identifying Froge by agents concerning moeting places, police officials. Two other accusa presumably for the exchange of in-

formation, were mado against him, both apparently implausible.

Maitre Legrand's insistence won the day for Captain Frege. Ha is now cleared of all charges. MYSTERY REMAINS.

But certain quartera la Paris aro raleing the quesions: How did It all commence? Why did individ- uals or groups send omlaauries to Froge to offer him acquittal of all accusations If, in return, he would got rid of his lawyer?

And how oxplain the curious episode when an individual, called

Froge's offleo terous work, Meo and, by some dex- ork, managed to steal two valueless papere? When captured, he explained that

that he was ho

bellever in Frogo, and wanted to prove that papers could be stolen from that office without Froge's

The similarity of apparent per connivance. sccution is striking in the cas Froge and that more famous, one

едно of Captain Dreyfus, who epent so many years on Devil's Island after

of

Capt. Kroge

"Please get straight the distinc- tion between 'espionage" and "troa, Hon. The first is a simple crime, the second a double one, because the idea of nationality entors A Chinese might be a spy, but he would not be a traitor unicas bo did this Frenchman or an Englishman or spying in China. A. an American who steals secrets of his own government would be a traitor. If he were working in a foreign country, he would be mere- ly a spy."

ALL NOT

IN MILITARY SERVICE. "Of course," the man with the quiet voice went on, from behind his desk, "when the public thinks of spying it usually thinks of theft of military or Actually, spying is

naval secrets. much broader than that.

"There is commercial spying for secrets, instance the theft of trade manufacture, formulae.

patents, processes of "There is financial spying, bank- espionage, stock market

a series of trials that shook France ink

and resulted in the strict anti-espionage, the peddling of secrets clorical laws of this nation early in of high finance a very fertile the present century.

·

WHAT IS ESPIONAGE?

Thus, uncertainly, ends another of the espionage cases which have stirred Europe in the last year. What, really, is espionage to-day? Let us go to a gloomy building In the ominous Rue de Sausanies. Here is the nerve-centre, of the police investigation France-the "Surete Genorale."

work

of

field.

"There is professional spying therapeutic remedies and systems, spying into the secrets of medicine, methods of work. In architecture, too, for instance-now engineering methods, construction methode.

"There is artistic espionage spying into secrets of artists of various kinds, painters, sculptors who use a new technique, glass- makers who have their own in-

Here is done the job of protect- dividun! processes, fully an drama-

ing France from all sorts of dan- gers, foreign and domestic. The stone courtyards are damp and unadorned. The stairs leading to the caplanage bureau are steep and winding.

"A field perhaps

tic as national defence is that of international diplomacy, 'g' coun try may be extremely anxious to learn what 'A' country will do un der certain circumstances. Maybe "Espionage is a legal offence" the circumstances won't have any a gentleman with a cultivated thing to do with war. They may voice and manner is speaking concern commercial, treaties, tar- "which is treated by the pollee in Iffa, quotas. There is no doubt just the same way as any other that this kind of capionage is very logal offence. It exists, just the generally practiced. Perhaps there. way robbery exists. And it is the is no recognized power on earth to foresee it, if possible, and to agents for these purposesor at make arrests and bring charges least is interested in having the duty of policemen to prevent it, which does not employ secret. when occasion demands.

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