Show J grand jury indictment of 0 18 foreigners spurs federal investigation of espionage activity by JOSEPH VV labine it has taken official washington 10 years to discover what the rank and file american has known all along the nation the north american continent in general is infested with the spies of three powerful fascist nations on the pacific coast innocent japanese fishing craft snare a few tuna and whatever american naval secrets happen to be lying around in the panama canal zone a guttural german is is apparently minding his own business meanwhile his photographic mind records the geographic layout of this most vulnerable spot in americas defense program men and women have been free to come look and leave at our greatest military strong holds they have closed their eyes not to see our army and navy test secret equipment designed to outfox out fox the enemy but some closed their eyes because a foreign government wanted those secrets yet 10 years passed before a new york federal grand jury found occasion to indict 18 suspected nazi agents most of whom are now safe back home it was not until these spies became so bold as to ask the state department for blank passports that we suspected their real intentions behind this invasion of foreign agents is an unimportant sou sounding riding document signed by japan germany and italy last year the pro fascist pact for mutual assistance that at least was the surface reason for this treaty in truth it was probably a working agreement between three nations with common aim to combat democracies the latest assertion on this matter not substantiated is that germany is handling the propaganda and italy is furnishing ammunition stores which are constantly being dumped in nicaragua and mexico but substantial proof is already at hand testifying to japans leadership in the espionage program san pedros clippers in los angeles san pedro harbor which shelters battleships of the united states fleet power powerful tui tuna clippers weave their path among the super cognizant of every move the navy makes the story is told of one foggy day a few years back when neither battleships tle ships nor tuna boats left the snug ness of san pedro harbor none that is except a japanese captain who put out with his skipper through the milk gray fog and returned a few hours later with full crew was it pure coincidence that a japanese naval training s ship hip dropped anchor a few miles out that same day tuna clippers are not frail craft especially the new type ja japanese markese boat which has recently appeared along the pacific coast these have a cruising radius up to miles and might be turned into mine layers carrying 30 anchors in their holds and twin torpedo tubes aft moving north northward waid we find the J japanese invasion of alaskan fishing waters a double menace not only to national security but to the conservatively operated salmon industry fostered costere d and controlled by the united states government in bristol bay where the red salmon run yearly on their persistent path from mountain stream to the sea japanese fishing ashing craft appear annually in increasing numbers placing their nets ahead of american boats and shifting their huge catch to floating canneries salmon minus nationality you cant paint the stars and stripes on every salmon that spawns in alaskan mountain streams but the american state department has been slow in taking protective measures jumping south the seeker after spies lands invariably in the panama canal zone justifiably called the achilles heel of our national defense should the canal be closed by an enemy an attack on the pacific coast could not be successfully repulsed until the navys ons had journeyed 13 I 1 miles around the tip of south america from new york to san francisco the japs have long been active in panama in 1917 a ragged oriental fisherman was piped over the side of a visiting japanese man of war to this day many a seemingly unimportant fisherman or bar her ber is treated with strange deference by prominent panama japs there is only one explanation two hours by air from the canal at corrento Cor colombia jap colonists have been firmly entrenched for years A short distance north of the canal a group of japanese scientists have leased pancake flat land for experiments in growing cotton this land and would make a remarkably fine aviation field government at work the federal government has not been completely idle in the face of this menace lengthy investigations were made after that storybook incident on july 30 1935 when arthur H took off from los angeles municipal airport to test an amazingly fast new plane his instructions were costay within sight of the field but lieutenant streaked off to the south disappeared from sight and was never seen again this is the background to a story of espionage which may be told publicly within the next few weeks as the government proceeds with its spy investigations but more than that it is the handwriting on the wall that america must heed perhaps there is something undemocratic about the secrecy which must shroud american military operations erat ions if our future is to be protected maybe it polite to give unauthorized foreign visitors the bums rush but it is better than waking up some fine morning to feel a sharp bayonet prying into your ribs Q western newspaper union 4 TW gw 43 1 1 W R U ax 41 K J huge railway guns with a 12 inch bore and short barrels are designed I 1 to protect the united states coast from foreign invasion this guu is birin at a target 15 miles at sea |