Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-14
By Jack Quinn.


soviet LII. Gen. v. r. Sv1rldQv told
me last night that one Associated
Press dispatch had been withheld
and parts deleted from two others
last month because they were "un-
true" and contrary to Russian
American friendship"
A two-hour conference concerning
these stories ended with Gen. Swirl
dov's statement that the censor
would continue to delete and with
hold that which was untrue" He
asked me II the Associated Press
understood that censorship would
continue. I told him yes.
Heretofore restrictions imposed
on correspondents in Hungary
have not officially been called
censorship. It was maintained
that Hungarian authorities mere
ly exercised scrutiny" over OUT
going dispatches, from which
doubtful matters were referred to
Russian oficial for further
scanning.)
Allied Sources Quoted.
The dispatches discussed with
Sviridov. deputy to Marshal KLEIN
emit Y. Voroshiloy, quoted American
and British sources.
One quoted these sources as saying
the Russians had ruined an Ameri-
can oil well in the Lispe area OF
Southwestern Hungary, causing
damage of $25, 000, 900.
(This story was withheld by the
Russians when it was filed Feb
ruary 10. A copy later was sent
by courier to another European
capital for radio transmission and
it was carried on Associated Press
circuits March u
The second story, filed February
%, asserted that Russian-Hungarian
economic talks were likely to lead to
agreements which would bring about
Russian political and economic
control over Hungary"
(This was carried by the Asso-
ciated Press March 5. Mr.. Quinn
filed a protest that day on the
handling of both those dispatches
and third, an account filed
February Is on. the delay In
authorization for Josef Cardinal
Mindszenty, primate Of Hungary,
to fly to Rome for the consistory.
From the Mindszenty story there's
was deleted the sentence: 1.-THE
clearance usually is handled by
the Russians"
(The Associated Press trans
mitted the substance Of Mr..
Guinn's protest against the Buda-
pest censorship to Moscow for the
information Of Soviet authorities
along with o request for any
available statement or clarifica-
ton from the Russian govern
ment0
Summoned by Sviridov.
I was summoned to appear before
Gen. Sviridov. 1t. Col. Lawrence r
Hagy of Amarillo, Tex, executive
officer to Maj. Gen. William S. Key,
commander of the American mil
itary mission, accompanied me.
Speaking through an Interpreter,
Gen. Sviridov said the dispatches
were untrue" and added
that he failed to see what the
Associated Press had to complain
about. I replied that the informa-
ton came from trusted American
and British sources.
Concerning the oil story, Col. Hagy
and reminded Gen. Sviridov that
the Hungarian-American on Co.
had filed a formal complaint with
the Allied commission, charging
that the well was ruined.
The general said a Russian en-
commission had inspected
the field and that this statement
was untrue. Col. Hagy and I replied
that this seemed to be q matter of
opinion. After some talk, Gen.
Sviridov agreed after a fashion that
perhaps 1t was matter of opinion,
but still commended that the well
was not ruined.
I asked about the possibility of
making Russian sources available in
the interest of balanced accounts.
The answer was that the Associated
Press was free to consult with the
engineer who is working with
the Hungarian-American Oh Co.
The dispatch concerning economic
developments, from which about
three lines had been deleted, finally
was disposed of when Gen. Sviridov
and the Interpreter said the real
reason for the deletion was that