Evening star., 1941-05-18
Alleged Red Agents
Finally Near Trial
In Test Case
Three Booknigu Offieiols
Charged With Failure
To Register in U. 5.
Nv BLAIR BOLLES.

py DLaln DoLLES'
Seventeen months after the mems
Indictment, 1t was learned yester-
day, the Federal Government is
ready now to air its case in Dis
trict Court against Raphael Rush,
Norman Weinberg and Morris Lis
kin, accused as agents of Russia
who failed to register with the
State Department as required by
the Mccormack Act, and charged
further with conspiracy in their
failure to register
The trial was set for opening to-
morrow in the court of Justice F.
Dickinson Let's, but a technical
problem confronting the prosecu-
tors has caused Today postpone
msnt. With this case the Govern
ment plans to test the whole ma
chinery of the foreign-agent regis
tration act. 1t will be the first case
brought to trial, 1t will precede the
case concerning Manfred zapp, the
manager of the Trans-Ocean News
Service, who was indicted early this
year. He faces deportation pro-
ceedings.
The Federal Government has been
almost two years at work perfect
ing its case. The Justice Depart
ment expects that the full story of
the working of the Soviet propa-
ganda machine in the United States
will be brought into the open dur
ing the course of the trial. Benja-
min M. Parker, former rabbi. now
Special Assistant United States At
torney General, is handling the case
for the Government in cooperation
with Special Assistant Edward }.
Hickey. jr.
Termed Agents of Soviet.
The three defendants we're officers
In an organization known as Book
niga Corp. of New York, Chicago
and Los Angeles, which, according
to the indictment, was the duly
authorized agent and representative
OF the Vseojuznoje. Objedinenie,
Mezhdunaradnaya Kniga OF
the city of Moscow, U. S. S. R., for
the sale and distribution in the
United States OF America OF books,
magazines, periodicals and pamph-
lets of a political and propagandlst
nature and for political and propa-
gandist purposes"
The Mezhdunaradnaya Kniga is
the book trust of the Russian gov
ernment. Mr.. LiSkin was presl-
dent of the Bookniga Corp. Mr..
Rush its vice president and Mr..
Weinberg its secretary treasurer.
The government hopes to prove that
Bookniga is publicity agent for M.
<, which is the equivalent of pub
licity agent for Russia, inasmuch as
M. K. is an integral part of the
Russian government.
Mrs. Carol King is counsel fer
Mr.. Rush and Mr.. Liskin, and Leo
Rover, former district attorney here,
is defending Mr.. Weinberg. Mrs.
King was counsel for Earl Browder,
former head of the American Com
fnunist party, in his trial on pass
BORT fraud charges; for Harry
Bridges, president of the c. I. o,
Longshoremen's Union, in his de-
tense against efforts to deport him,
and for Joseph Strecker, alien Or
dered deported as a Communist in
1889.
Possible Penalty $1,000, Two Years.
The indictments were returned
here December 16, 1899. Count one
alleges that each of the three de-
PENDANTS violated the Mccormack
Acts section requiring registration
with the Secretary of State of every
"agent of a foreign principal"
within the meaning of the act. Sec
ton says that whoever fails to file
is subject, if convicted, to fine of
not more than 1000 Or imprison-
ment for not more than two years
Count two charges the defen-
dants with conSpiring so that the
corporation would wilfully fail to
file with the Secretary of State
registration statement under oath
on a form prescribed by the Secre-
tary of State, as required by the Act
of June 8. 1888 Mccormack Act,
the said defendants well knowing
that the said Bookniga Corp. was
the agent of foreign principal. :"
Three days after the indictments
were returned, Mr.. Liskin pleaded
guilty to the charges of count one
and pleaded not guilty to the
charges of count two. On January
8, 1910, Justice Peyton Gordon in
District Court sentenced him to i'm
prisonment for a term of to Is
months, suspended sentence, and
fined him $500, which was paid. Mr..
Liskin was released on bail pending
his trial on count two.
On December 10, 1899, Mr.. Vein
berg pleaded not guilty to the
charges in both counts, and on jan
uary II, 1910, Mr.. Rush pleaded not
guilty to the charges in both counts.
A month ago Mr.. Weinberg filed a
motion for bill of particulars, but
Justice Let's overruled the motion