The Nation : Death Permitted for Spies

After March 1, military personnel convicted of espionage during peacetime could be executed, under a new directive. The directive, signed without fanfare by President Reagan, formally incorporates the death penalty into military law as a possible penalty for peace-time espionage. Congress authorized the change last summer. The action grew out of the arrest last summer of four men involved in the so-called Walker family spy scandal. Three of the four have since either been convicted or pleaded guilty to the charges. The fourth is still awaiting trial.