Evening star., 1946-02-01
AP Newsman Charges
Reds Held Up Story
On Oil Field Seizure
BY MAURICE E.. MORAN,

Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
. VIENNA, Feb. Marshal Kle.
menti Y. Voroshilov and a Rec
Army security officer have advised
me that story filed for the Associ.
sted Press from Budapest January
"a on the Russian American oil
situation in Hungary was withheld
from transmission on the ground ii
was untrue.
THE dispatch, answering an in
ouiry from the Associated Press
New York Office and quoting Amer
lean sources, said American repre-
sentatives of the Standard Oil Co
of New Jersey were served formal
notice that the Russians intended to
take over the management of prop
critics of the Lispe oil fields, near
the Yugoslav border.
"a Budapest report to the New
York Times January 20 said the
red Army had seized the fields
and within the last few days 1t
also took physical possession of
the largest Lispe field-that
owned by the Standard Oil Co.
of New Jersey-and is operating
it."
Dean Acheson, as Acting Sec
retary of State, told Washing
ton news conference two days
later that from time to time the
Government had taken up with
the Soviet government (the
occupying power the matter of
readmitting American represent
atives of the company to govern
that property and some have
been, but progress has not been
altogether as fast as would be
lked)
Story Called Untrue.
After filing the January % dis
patch by commercial facilities in
Budapest, I was summoned to meet
a subordinate Russian security Of
flcer. I was told that the story was
mot true" and that, therefore, 1t
was withheld. The officer added
that stronger measures" would be
taken if I persisted in filing "un-
true" stories.
This was the first known instance
of dispatch to the American press
being withheld in Budapest, though
the Russians scrutiny of copy had
resulted in some delays. explained
that the Associated Press was inter
ested in presenting both sides of any
issue, but that this was impossible
unless correspondents could meet
the Russians on common ground.
The Russian argument that no
seizure ever was intended, that the
only difference was one OF produc-
ton methods, then was presented.
The officer was told that I would
be delighted to present the Soviet
view.
"If you want to write the truth,
that's private matter" he said.
Report Is Filed.
A story was then filed saying the
Russians denied as untrue reports
that they intended to take over the
management of the Standard field.
CThis dispatch, dated January "a,
was received and transmitted by the
Associated Press January 26) 1t
was learned later that the interpre-
tation of intent to seize was placed
on the Russian action by American
diplomatic and military officials, as
well as by American oil men.
Maj. Gen. William S. Key, chief
of the American military delegation
on the Allied Control Council for
Hungary, protested Withholding of
the January % story as violation
of the freedom of the press prin-
ciple agreed on at Potsdam and ar
ranged an interview with Marshal
Voroshilov, Soviet commander in
Hungary. The interview was brief.
Marshal Voroshilov greeted me
with the remark that, by accident
or design. I had written-but was
unable to send-a story which was
mot the truth"
My reply was that American news
services were interested only in pre-
senting both sides of any issue. No
answer to this reply has been re-
ceived.