The Spy
The trial of Dr. Goertz on a charge of contravening the Official Secrets Act is said to be the first trial of a foreigner for espionage since the War. It is inevitable but unpleas- ant that increases in military preparations should give an added incentive both to the spy and to those who have to catch him, and it is to be hoped that rearma- ment will not mean spy-fever. Until now, in this coun- try, spies have been more real to us in the theatre or cinema than in real life, but Dr. Goertz seems to have done his work without any of the elaborate precautions for secrecy employed by the Deuxieme Bureau and other theatrical institutions. It is interesting to contrast his trial with cases of espionage in his own country. Here, it was a sensational event, but it was conducted in open court, without secrecy or prejudice, and it was fully reported in the Press. In Dr. Goertz' country, espionage trials are frequent, secret and not reported.
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