Evening star., 1949-05-15
British Drag EisIer Off Ship;
Poles Protest Reds Arrest;
Extrodition Hearing Planned
Four Police Garry
Boil Jumper Down
Vessels GonepIonk
by the Assoeioted Press

f4.-Gerhard Eisler, fugitive Com
munist from the United States,
was arrested and carried off the
Polish ship Batory tonight by
four beefy British policemen.
The squat, spectacled Commu-
mist who jumped $23.500 bail in
the United States, where two
prison sentences are hanging over
him, was carried into the tiny
cabin Of the tender Romsey.
After a swift run from the Ba-
tory's anchorage to the South
ampton docks, he was taken
ashore without undue protest. Hat
less and wearing a brown jacket,
he was led down the gangplank
by Inspector w. e. Bray of Scot
land Yard in an apparently re-
signed frame of mind. He was
hustled into a black limousine
and sped away.
Poles Protest Strongly.
Earlier during a conference in
the Batory captains cabin prior
to Eisler's arrest, a representative
of the Polish embassy in London
protested strongly.
A Pole identifying himself as
J. Panski of the embassy staff said
he would report the incident to his
chief.
I'VE are going to London to re-
port all that has happened to the
ambassador, Mr.. jerry Michalow-
ski. he said. "Mr. Eisler has made
q long and strong statement,
which we must submit to the am
bassador."
Newspaper reporters and pho
tographers were able to view the
arrival of the tender with Eisler.
although the small vessel had
changed docks In an apparent last
minute effort to give them the
slip.
Carried Down Stairs.
Those who witnessed the trans
fer of the 52-year-old Eisler from
the Batory to the tender, said
four policemen picked him up
one at each arm and one at each
leg-and carried him down three
flights of stairs through the main
lounge and down the gangplank to
the tender.
After that, Eisler was described
as having sat calmly in the small
captains cabin on the tender
smoking a cigarette.
He was not handcuffed when
brought off the tender. but in
spector Bray walked sideways
holding both of Eisler's wrists.
Other policemen surrounded the
Communist.
Eisler was arrested on a second
trip to the Batory by Inspector
Bray and Scotland Yard men. On
the first trip earlier in the day
Eisler had refused to leave the
ship voluntarily and the ships
master, Capt. Jan Cwiklinski, re-
fused to surrender him, on the
grounds that he was a paying
passenger.
Will Face London Court.
A United States Embassy spokes-
man in London said Eisler would
be held in Southampton overnight
and then taken to the Bow Street
Jail and magistrates court in
London tomorrow to face extradi-
tion proceedings to the United
States.
Southampton police reported
slightly different schedule. They
said Eisler would spend the week
end in jail at the Southampton
Civic Center and then appear in
Southampton magistrates court
Monday, when an application
would be made for his removal
to the Bow street magistrates
court In London.
Bow Street is the only magis-
trate's court in England empower
ed to deal with applications for
extradition.
The warrant on which Eisler
was arrested. police said, was is
sued under the Extradition Act of
1870. It was sworn out at the re-
quest of the United States.
Faces Year For Contempt.
One of Eisler's two prison SEN
tences In the United States, Is a
year for contempt of Congress.
The other is for one to three years
on Federal Court conviction
on passport frauds.
The prisoner was described, in a
citation for contempt by the House
of Representatives in 1947, as the
supreme Communist authority in
the United States and lone Of
the most dangerous men ever to set
foot on American SOIL"
In the Federal Court case his
sister, Ruth Fischer. a former
Communist and author. described
him as an agent of the Soviet
secret police and dangerous
terrorist"
Eisler's bail bond. which au-
thorities say he forfeited by leav-
ing the country. was posted by the
Civil Rights Congress. The or
ganization is listed as 'subverSive"
by Attorney General Clark.
Eisler slipped aboard the Batory
as q stowaway just before the
ship left New York on her regular
run to Gdynia. Poland. by way of
Southampton and Copenhagen,
Denmark
After the ship sailed, Gdyna-
(See EISLER. Page A-30
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