THE CENTRAL FIGURE IN THE MUNSINGER AFFAIR IN CANADA, MRS GERDA MUNSINGER, WAS INTERVIEWED IN MUNICH YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION IN OTTAWA OF THE FINDINGS OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY.

THE INQUIRY WAS CONDUCTED BY MR. JUSTICE SPENCE OF THE CANADIAN SUPREME COURT AND ENDED LAST MAY AFTER TEN HEARINGS. MR. JUSTICE SPENCE HEARD THAT CANADIAN POLICE FILES SHOWED THAT MRS. MUNSINGER HAD AN ILLICIT SEX RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FORMER ASSOCIATE DEFENCE MINISTER, MR. PIERRE SEVIGNY, AND THAT SHE WAS ON FIRST NAME TERMS WITH THE FORMER MINISTER OF TRADE AND COMMERCE, MR. GEORGE HEES. EVIDENCE WAS ALSO PRODUCED ALLEGING THAT MRS. MUNSINGER HAD BEEN ARRESTED IN WEST GERMANY IN 1949 AND HAD ADMITTED SPYING ACTIVITIES, AND THAT SHE HAD ONCE BEEN REFUSED ENTRY TO CANADA ON SECURITY GROUNDS. MRS. MUNSINGER WAS IN CANADA BETWEEN 1955 AND 1961.

MR. JUSTICE SPENCE'S REPORT STRONGLY CRITICIZES MR. SEVIGNY FOR HIS INDISCRETIONS, WHICH, THE REPORT SAYS, MIGHT HAVE EXPOSED HIM TO BLACKMAIL OR UNDUE PRESSURE. MR. HEES IS ALSO REPROVED FOR A LACK OF DISCRETION WHICH IS DESCRIBED AS "SLIGHT BUT REGRETTABLE."
THE FORMER CONSERVATIVE PRIME MINSTER, MR. JOHN DIEFENBAKER, WAS SEVERELY CRITICIZED FOR TAKING NO ACTION AGAINST MR. SEVIGNY OTHER THAN FORBIDDING HIM ANY FURTHER ASSOCIATION WITH MRS. MUNSINGER.

IN HER INTERVIEW YESTERDAY, MRS. MUNSINGER DENIED THAT SHE HAD EVER BEEN APPROACHED BY SOVIET AGENTS - EITHER IN CANADA OR ANYWHERE ELSE. SHE ALSO SAID THAT WHEN SHE FIRST MET MR. SEVIGNY, SHE DID NOT KNOW HE WAS CONNECTED WITH POLITICS.

MRS. MUNSINGER NOW LIVES IN MUNICH AND SHE SAID SHE WAS TO BE MARRIED VERY SOON TO A MUNICH BUSINESSMAN.