Evening star., 1949-05-29
Lawyer 10 Ask Britain.
To. Compensate EisIer'
For Arrest, Detention
BY the Assoeiassd press

BY the Assoeiatsd Press
LONDON. May 20. - Gerhard
Eisler's attorney said today he IL
going to ask the British govern
ment to compensate the German
born Communist for his arrest
and detention in England.
Eisler jumped $23 500 bail and
fed from New York on the Polish
liner Batory May 6. He was re-
moved from the ship at South
ampton by British police, at the
request Of the United States.
A British court rejected the
American extradition plea and
freed Eisler yesterday on the
ground he had not committed the
extraditable odense Of perjury
He had been convicted in the
United States of making false
statements in applying for an exit
visa and sentenced to one to three
years In prison.
The attorney, Stanley Moore,
estimated that Eisler's legal ex-
pense here had been $4,000.
Asking No Definite Sum.
He also listed Eisler's loss OF
part of his passage to Gdynia,
Poland. his loss Of time and the
treatment Eisler was subjected to
| in being hauled of the Batory." T"
He said, however. he would not
ask Home Secretary Chuter EIDE
for any definite sum.
After I receive the Home Sec
retarys reply, we'll consider the
position" he commented.
The Communist Party news
paper Daily Worker said the Brit
ish government must Justify it's
extraordinary procedure in allow
ing Eisler to be forcibly abducted
from a Polish vessel" May IA.
Eisler himself told an inter-
viewer, "the American people
should be sick of hearing about
the Eisler case by now" How
ever, the 52-year-old Communist
expressed keen interest In what
American newspapers said about
his release.
Spends Morning Shopping.
He spent the morning shopping
with money given him by Com
munist friends. He bought q
;..I,n+ tro,,sers shoes and a rain
coat. .
"All I had were the clothes I
had on when the magistrate freed
me-" he said.
He reported he had only about
$40 or $50 of his own, but hoped
to get back $100 the British are
holding.
He expressed the hope the Brit
ish Home ONCE would give him
travel documents, since he has no
passport, so he could leave in q
few davis for Leipzig, In the So
Wet zone of Germany. where he
plans to lecture at the university
on current social and political
problems.
"I'Il have to find some trans
portation which does not lead
through the American zone Of
Germany" he said. "I'll prob
ably go by way of Poland. either
by ship or plane. I certainly am
not going to let Tom Clark at
tempt to kidnap me. as he indi-
rectly threatened to do in his
statement in Washington"
Attorney General Clark said
Yesterday I'VE shall exert every
effort to secure the return Of the
fugitive"
Hopes Wife Can Join Him.
Eisler also said he hoped de-
portation proceedings against his
wife, who is held in New York.
would be ended soon, so she could
join him.
"she is surely no No. l Red" he
declared.
The House Committee on Un-
American Activities has called
Eisler the No. / Communist agent
in the United States.
Gordon Schaffer, secretary Of
the British Council Of German.
Democracy, said about $500 had
been raised in donations for Els
ler's defense. Since his release
Eisler has been staying at Mr..
Moore's home.
Comment in the British press
was differing.
The Liberal News Chronicle said
sit is not to the credit Of Ameri-
can Government that extradition
was requested with political mo-
tives In mind and none will doubt
that such motives existed"
The Conservative Daily Tele-
graph voiced regret that Eisler was
free in Britain. ''in view Of his
known record as q Communist
agitator."
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