I Bonn Spy Network C.I.A. Created Organization 14 The Central Riddled by Soviet Intelligence Agency created the Gehlen organization. By ARTHUR J. OLSEN General Gehlen, a regular of- to ficer in the prewar Reichswehr, Special 4made his reputation as an intel- BONN., July 11—Testimony ligence man on the Russian in a Karlsruhe courtroom this ! front during World War II. As week has tarnished the vaunt- head of the intelligence section ed reputation of the West of the Army High Command, he German espionage apparatus produced situation reports on the Soviet armies that are said officially known as the Fed- to have emerged in postwar re- eral Intelligence Agency once views as spectacularly accurate. headed by its founder, Rein- As the war ended, General hard Gehlen, a former Wehr- Gehlen went underground,- macht general. emerging to approach Gen. Thre of General Gehlens George S. Patton, then com- mander of the United States operatives are on trial before Third Army, with an offer to the Federal Constitutional cooperate with the victors. The Court, charged with 10 years former lieutenant general of the of conscientious labor on be- supported his lob half of the Soviet Union. application with a promise to • turn over his hidden archives. All three—Heinz Felfe, 45 • :,The newly created C.I.A., hair- years old; Hans Clemens, 61, lag. studied its recruit - for and Erwin Tiebel, 60—have months, authorized him in 1947 admitted systematic betrayal ta.-establish a full-scale German of the agency, known popu- intelligence organization. Gen- trali:Gehlen staffed his agency larly as "the Gehleri organ- largely with professionals from ization." • the .disbanded S.S. (Elite Guard) Their work was so satisfac- security service and the Welir- tory that shortly before their t inaisht intelligence agencies. . . ..44r. Felfe, who formerly waif:: arrest Mr. Felkand Mr.:Clem-1 th the Reich Head Security Office and was then awaiting ens received siinuItan.eOCits.-. Camera 10 years•mertIous possible war - crimes prosecu- Lions for . . tion, was, for example, abrutply REPUTATION AT ISSUE: " service=a plaque bearing rep- submitted to denazification pro, , a fOrper resentation of St. George .play- ceedings. A British Zone court German general, as ing the dragon—from . Gen. classified him in Group 5, that peared in World War Gehlen and a letter. of -.cam Is, "absolutely clean." mendation plus a cash ikon Three men of his West Ger- from Alexander N..:Shetepin;. Close C. I. A. Tie Remains man intelligence agency are chairman of the Soviet CoMMit- The C.I.A. operated the Geh- espionage in len organization • as a subdi on trial for tee for State Security;„ behalf of the Soviet Union.. The three have admitted vision for eight years. In 1955 it livering 15,000 photOgraiibs • of was turned over to the West Gehlen files and other -:.docu- German Government, but the ments plus 20 spools. of tape two organizations ties remain recordings to Soviet contacts intimate. . in. East Berlin. • The agency reports directly . At the time of his arrest, to the Federal Chancellor. RS Mr. Felfe was a director of the budget is not made public, but East Division of the agency, the •its payroll is reliably reported department responsible for • to exceed 4,000 regular em-: espionage operations In, Eastern ployes. Europe. • The main !headquarters is in In .prison awaiting trial, Mr: Pullach, a suburb of Mu- tel 7-` — /"r ,Felfe managed to continue reg- nich. Numerous. branch offices ular. reports to his. Soviet throughout are friends. These presumably disguised as business concerns: chronicled General Oehlens The organization funetions progress in uncovering Soviet bath at ,borne and abroad, in penetration of his agency.. : w Western countries as well as This seems to have -been a within the Soviet bloc. considerable task. One . of. the In. 1958 a political squall blew D ECLASSIFIED aceused testified inKarlsruhe up In t3onn when it was con- AND RELEASED BY that he had been urged by the vincingly reported that General CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Ruisiads to seek a transfer be, Gehlen Was tapping 5,000 ,tele- cause . there was a surplus . of phones in the capital aria, but SOURCES METHODS EXEMPT ION3B2B he rode out the storm. _.., . Soviet agents in his .depart- NAZI WAR CR IMES DISCLOSURE ACT ment. Nov( 61 years old, Went. Ger- The revelations lukve touched manys master spy avoids ,thp DATE 2001 2005 off deMands in the press and th public gaze and keeps.. eargra of political quarters for an wiiiVes the political commtiw weY -In tigation of the intelligence Bonn. Only one old pho - ph agency. The Government has of him is generally Onilah14. conceded that General GehlenS It has leaked out that wlitwliket personnel policies might be hiking in the Bavarian-Os:and quistiona.hip listening to classical mtialc.--i