Evening star., 1948-08-14
Mrs. Kosenkina
Given Subpoena
omCommittee
Order Puts Teacher
In Protective Custody
Of u. S. Government
BULLETIN
Soviet Ambassador

SOVlet Ambassador Alex
ander S. Panyushkin was
conferring with Undersecre-
tary of State Lovett at the
State Department this after
noon in visit which lasted
more than a hour and a half.
No indication was given of the
purpose of the conference,
which had been sought by Mr..
Panyushkin, but presumably it
concerned the case of the
Russian school teachers.
The House Committee on I'm
American Activities today threw
its protection around Russian
school teacher who escaped from
the Soviet consulate to a New
York hospital bed by leaping
from third-floor window.
Robert Stripping, chief investiga-
tor for the committee, served
subpoena on Mrs. Oksana Stepa-
novna Kosenkina to testify before
the House group when she RECEIVERS
from her injuries.
The subpoena was handed Mrs.
Kosenkina in her Roosevelt Hos
pital hotel room by Mr.. Stripping.
He had said earlier that the sub
poena would place her "in the pro-
tective custody of the United
States"
While the chief purpose of the
subpoena is to bring Mrs. Kosen-
kina legally under the custory of
the committee, that body plans to
question her in closed session when
she RECEIVERS. There was no indi-
cation, however, that she would be
able to add much to the committees
information in its inquiry into COM
munist intrigue.
Willing to Appear.
The teacher, center of a bizarre
tug-of-war between top-level diplo-
matte circles here and in Moscow
was asked if she had any objection
to appearing before the committee
and replied in the negative, Mr..
Stripping said.
William Taraska, Russian-speak-
ing New York detective, accompa-
MED Mr.. STRIPPING and William
Wheeler, another committee in
vestigetor, to Mrs. Kosenkina S room.
There, the detective identified the
callers. Mr.. Stripping instructed the
detective to ask the Soviet teacher:
do you have any objection to
appearing before the House Un-
American Activities Conmittee?"
NO." the woman replied, accept
ing the subpoena that Mr.. STRIPPING
handed her.
The investigators visit lasted less
than 10 minutes.
Another Russian teacher, Michael
Ivanovitch Samarine, whose custody
has been demanded by the Soviet
government, already has appeared
before the House committee in
closed session and is under subpoena
to testify further.
"I don't believe anybody has
authority to snatch a person sub
poenaed before Government body"
said Representative Mundt, Re-
publican, of South Dakota. who has
acted as chairman of the committee
during much of its current lnvestl-
cation of Soviet espionage here.
Under Guard in Hospital.
Mrs. Kosenkina is under police
euard in Roosevelt Hospital in New
York recovering from multiple frac-
lures received in her spectacular
leap for liberty Thursday. She
charged she was kept a prisoner"
in the Soviet Consulate which
claimed to have rescued" her from
anti-Communist Russians.
Federal and New York State law
enforcement agencies were assem-
bling information on her case.
Authorities refused to discuss
whether criminal prosecution was
contemplated nor was it indicated
against whom any prosecution would
be directed.
However, New York Mayor Will
liam O'Dwyer said his police depart
ment is turning over details Of its
investigation to Federal and State
prosecutors for action"
officials of the Federal Bureau OF
Investigation, the State Department
and city police met in an hour-lone
conference with United States Dis
(See KOSFNKINA. PAGE A-3D