Evening star., 1949-02-08
Sentence Denounced
By Non-Communist
Leaders Of World
BY the Associoted Press

BY the Associated Press
LONDON, Feb. 8. - Leaders
throughout the non-Communist
world bitterly denounced the life
imprisonment sentence imposed
on Josef Cardinal Mindzenty to-
day by a peoples court of Com
munist-dominated Hungary.
Comment ranged from "a saw
age Communist attack on the
Christian church" to "travesty
of justice"
In many countries, bishops
called on Catholics for special
prayers.
In Germany, the Archbishop OF
Trier. DR.. Friedrich Rudolf Borne
wasser, and the Archbishop OF
Paderborn, Laurentius Jaeger
called for special prayers.
This trial is nothing but part
of a mean Communist lying cam
paign against the Catholic
Church." Archbishop Bornewasser
said in a PASTORAL letter.
Fears Soviet Reprisal.
The Archbishop of Paderborn
withheld comment explaining If
I were to issue a strong statement,
ali the Catholics in my diocese
would be subject to Soviet re-
prisal." Part of his diocese is in
the Soviet zone of Germany.
In Austria, Andrea Rohrbacher
Archbishop of Salzburg, said the
sentence lis just what we expect
ed, we will not give the Hungarian
: government the honor of our pro-
test"
The Roman Catholic archbishop
of Liverpool, the most Rev. Rich
ard Downey, said "The travesty OF
justice has been played out to the
end. One thing is certain: The
cardinal will never be allowed his
liberty to tell what happened tu
him during the five weeks of his
imprisonment before so called
trial"
: The life sentence was nothing
less than a delayed death SEN
tence," commented Frans van
Cauwelaert. president of the Bel
!, gian Chamber of Deputies.
!. In the French National Assem-
bly,, two members of the Popular
Republican Party, predominant
. ly Catholic group, translated their
! protest into action.
. Deputy Marc Scherer resigned
from the Franco-Hungarian AS
sociation. a group of Deputies in
. terested in Hungarian affairs.
The Rev. Albert Gau, Catholic
. priest as we'll as Deputy. filed
question formally asking the
French government to explain
why some French correspondents
were unable to obtain Hungarian
visas to report the trial.
Pattern of Trials Cited.
DR.. Konrad Adenauer. chair
man of Germany's liberal Chris
tian Democratic Party. COM
mented that "all political show
trials behind the Iron Curtain are
conducted in the same manner
confession of the defendant. and
admitted"
Heinz Renner. Communist dep
uty in West Germany'S constitu-
ent assembly at Bonn, said, THE
Hungarian citizen Mindszenty and
not the Cardinal Mindszenty has
admitted hisrguilt."
David Logan, British Laborite
member of Parliament, said he
intends to propose that Hungary
free the cardinal to take asylum
abroad.
He will ask Foreign Secretary
Bevin in Commons to consider
such an appeal to the Hungarian
government because the court
found extenuating circumstances
in passing sentence.
Signs Painted in Frankfurt.
In Franfurt, Germany, signs de-
manding freedom for Cardinal
Mindszenty appeared painted over
Communist Party posters.
To the Freedom for Max Rel
mann" slogan of the Communist
Party, the words were added in
white paint: why not for Minds
zenty?" Police said Mindszenty
sympathiZers apparently had
seized the opportunity to utilize
for their own purpose the Com
munist demand for the release of
their party chief. Reimann is
serving a three month Jail term
for calling Germans who collabo-
rate with the Allies "quislings."
The Soviet news agency Tass
disposed of the conviction of Car
dinal Mindszenty with an 83-word
news item. The agency's dispatch
from Budapest merely listed the
sentences of the cardinal and his
co-defendants but did not mention
the charges.