◆ SpookStack

_Lieut-Col, When I was sent yo Australia, than beginning to assume grea fmportanee politically as & Paific power aad militarily as inf centre of cecret rosket experiments, I held the rank of + of State Seourity, Later tulk Colon Bur iny rank and the nature dt was promoted Sof my work were Kept secret from evervbady in ow Caaberra Embassy gave the Ambassador hunself. M.V.D, headquarters ih Mestow appointed ms aad my assisinnts. We were responsible io the MVD, not to the Foreign Ministry. AM the game, we spies hed real jobs in the Embassy. Twas Third Secretary and Consni, My wife Evdokia, who held the rank of Cxptain in the M.V.D, afi acted as ay cypher clerk, xfs Einbassy aecountan There were two reasons for is arvangement, Is kepb our cfcagues in ignortaice of our And i gave us, immunity from by the Australian counterspy organisation should we be unmasked, Their agent was safe UT were caught fn espionage work the Australian Govert- meng could only ask Moscow to withdsaw me from Canberra, Maseaw Would have to comply, but their agent would ba safe, ,aiore danpertant sl. the MVD. could send gut another “qipiomal “—in the jause of & dy Counselior or Press attaché | or| second Secretary —and the seq ring would caxyy on, esides. by doing a real ciple maiic job, the Soviet spy has many oyporiimities for ut the secrets of the country i which ne is accredited. As Consul in Australia $b was JF suty to look after the inter sis of Soviet citizens ail aver the countey, That meant tarel- ling snd seeting peaple whe might be enlisted to supply seciet information, The appreach Lo prospective informers is the erucial point af a Soviek agent's work, Onc false move and he frightens off his contact or exposes himsel!, RS A Spy. Moscow's standing insists tion to all Rs avenis abroad is never Lo approxch a possizle gouree of inforwiation Wily asking permission from be quarters, Even when permiss: is given, the agent proceeds Ww the witoss caution, There is first a period of “ stualy,” to aver the suite agility of the gountact. Ih has Sou.gomies taken me weeks TO complete even its preliminary BEAR. L had to weigt up hew sym pathetic my cantacs. was to $5e Sovies. system. Coutd he be useiW ig us? Did he have access to Goyernmieng inferma- Hon? Did he have any tweak ness on which we could play to enilst Lie i oup cause? Knowledge of a contaet’s ine cotte is important, for we migne beable to tempt him with money, ‘His religious bellets, any associa tions With women, specially culside marriage, wheiber be deank~—all Lhose were included in my “study” of a vietim, T reported to Mescow the re gulls of my inguiries. Then, if they agreed that I had a Unely serait oy tow, Twas ai Bo atiesd abd delicately prove for the seeret information he possessed. Some contacts did nob & they were divutging sayin aporbanse. ‘They were our une wilting helpers. Others heeamut conseiows agenis—and same + times treeived payment. Messages from MVD. head quarters wee BENE 10 U ty Siplouatie bag. I knew whic fetiers to pick Out bouarse ihe iyelopes bare (he Initial letters | of Uhree Russian words meaning “Office of Weights and Mera- suites.” Fae messages inside were on undeveloped filme weepped in atighisprouf jasper. I Reveloped and printed the cs . Uien passed then. to mg wife to he decode a burned the negalives, One prine ¢ of pach message Was Kept a ay rafe, After 12 montgs,.the print was destroyed, Atraid of discovery WY was morbidly afraie secret qusinments-—gons names: 20) informianis—betny the Australia addvesses Gt discovered by Security Sery AL one stage Wey asked me 20 find a biding place for them aut- side the Emibasgy. i chose a spot underneaily a bridge an a road owside Canberra, Bat Moscow jold me if was rmsuitanle, They xefused to appraye of twa other supheated Rising places. Before £ could propase a fourth. the erisis thai brought adel me breach with the MV. bad. come toa head, When Twas given refuge in Au capiomatic refasions were between Moscow and Canberra, ny spy-ring collapsed, But job uo one imagine that a | smashed Soviel Spy netwel sannot be rebuilt, IL saw the way Sine was done in Sweden, WORLD COPYRIGHT | ~ — RESERVED Nest werk Petrov reporid on his spying — assignusent | in Sweden—an’ isvestigation into the private file of his awn | aumbassadar! + |