Evening star., 1949-02-21
Bulgaria Claims
Confession
By Churchn1en
Latest Among IS
Leaders Attributed
To Pentecost Head
BY the Assoeiuted Press

" S'tSSSSN sbS1N
BY the Assoeiated Press
SOFIA. Bulgaria, Feb. 21.-The
Communist dominated press for
the third successive day printed
a purported confession today of
one of the Is Protestant Church
leaders facing trial Friday on
charges of treason, espionage and
black market money dealings.
The latest was attributed to
Georgi Chernev. head of the Pen
tecost Church in Bulgaria. Others
printed over the week end came.
the papers said, from Yanko
Ivanov. supervisor of Methodist
Churches. and Vassil Ziapkov
Congregational Church leader.
Mr.. ziapkov was religious repre-
sentative of the supreme council
of the United Evangelic a
Churches in Bulgaria. The Bap-
fists, also. were represented in this
council. along with members of
the Pentecost. Methodist and Con-
gregational churches.
Preliminary Testimony.
The Chernev statement was
described as testimony he gave
in a preliminary investigation be-
fore judicial investigation.
He, along with the other two,
were quoted as saying he worked
with American and British espio-
mage groups in Bulgaria.
Mr.. Chernev. the papers said,
also admitted he worked for Ger
man intelligence units before the
war.
He said Cyril Black, an Ameri-
can named in the government
indictments, was the key man
in the American espionage ring
The statement also implicated
several other defendants in the
espionage setup, including Mr.
1vanov and Mr.. Ziapkov and
Nikoala Mihailov. head of the
Baptists.
(Mr. Ziapkov and Mr.. Ivanov
and the other Protestant lead
ers we're announced to be under
arrest shortly after Josef
Cardinal Mindszenty, Roman
Catholic primate. was sem
fenced by a Communications
mated Hungarian court on
similar charges. All have been
held incommunicado since.
Protestant leaders outside the
Iron Curtain have strongly
condemned the arrests as part
of a program of persecution)
U. S. Legation Accused.
The alleged confession of Mr.
Ivanov. published in Sofia news
papers yesterday. said he was a
spy for Mr.. Black. former adviser
to an American government mis-
sion. It said Mr.. Black was head
of an espionage ring operated
through the United States lega-
ton.
(Mr. Black, history profess
sor at Princeton University, and
other Americans named in the
Bulgarian accusations. have
issued general denials of all the
charges)
Earlier the papers quoted pur-
ported confession of Mr.. ziapkov
in which he said he delivered in
formation on military installa-
tions, railroads and industries to
both the American and British
legations.
Mr.. Ziapkov was reported to
have said he took his first steps
along the road of espionage in
1882 when he became acquainted
with Prof. F. H. Black. father of
CyTu bldCk, LlleH pltSlutllG VI
Sofia American College.
"Treachery" Condemned.
The elder Black told him, Mr..
Ziapkov is quoted as saying, that
he was an American intelligence
agent and asked him to supply
certain information.
The Communist paper Rabot-
nichesko Delo also published what
it said were signed statements
from Catholic bishops, leaders of
the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
and heads of the Moslem and
tSee BULGARIA, Page A-6D