Evening star., 1950-04-23
Czech Court Orders
7 10 Hang on Charge
OF Spying for U. 5.
BY the Assoeioied Press

22.-Czechoslovakia sentenced two
of her nationals to the gallows
today on charges of high treason
and spying for the United States.
Another defendant was SEN
fenced to life Imprisonment and
three others were given prison
sentences ranging from 18 to Is
years.
The four-day trial in the state
court in Prague at gloomy Pank-
rae prison vas attended by West
ern newspapermen and copiously
reported by the Czech news
agency.
The news agency said the six
were only the advance spearhead
OF a widespread espionage network
which was smashed last fall. At
the trial. witnesses declared four
former United States Embassy
of1cials had direct contact with
the ring. In addition the present
air attache, Col. Andre Dechaene.
was said to have made use of it.
Secretary of State Acheson
said last fall the charges against
American officials were trumped
up"
More Trials Scheduled.
The defendants testified they
had supplied embassy officials
with information about changes in
the Foreign Ministry, impending
currency changes, shortages of
materials and political opinion
among working classes. The Czech
news agency said this constituted
spying.
Maj. Jarmoir NechanSky. "a,
British-trained parachutist, and
Veleslav Wahl, 28-year- law
student who said they were twin
heads" Of the network. were sem
fenced to death.
They had testified they operated
several regional espionage centers
supplied with radio sets by the
United States to be used in event
OF an East West war.
Other Sentences Given.
The other defendants and their
sentences:
Milos Sprysl, 20-year-old book
keeper. life Imprisonment.
Jiri Dohnalek. 43. lawyer and
former civil servant, 20 years.
Miss zdenka Vackova, 25-year-
old clerk, l8 years.
Karl Loris, 81 year old glass
factory manager. Is years.
The property of all defendants
was confiscated.
At the trial NechanSky testified
that Walter Birge. former politi-
cal attache at the United States
Embassy. established the espion-
age center in March, 1948, imme-
diately after the Communists
came to power in Czechoslovakia.
Spencer Taggart and Miss Louise
Schaffner were declared his sue
cessors in contacts with the ring.
Samuel Meryn, clerk in the mil
itary attaches office, was de-
clared, however, to have been the
chief agent of contact with the
center throughout most of it's
operations. He was declared to
have delivered radio sets person.
ally in his own car to various
groups of the ring.
Mr.. Birge was transferred to
another post last year. Mr.. Tag
CART and Miss Schaffner also are
in different posts outside Czecho-
slovakia' now.
Expelled From Country.
When the government declared
1t had uncovered the spy ring
it demanded expulsion of Isaac
Patch, Mr.. Birge's successor, and
John Heyn. his aide, and arrested
Mr.. Meryn. Mr.. Meryn was ex-
PEELED from the country after sew
eral days in JAIL
The same day that the trial
began the government ordered the
United States Information Serv-
ice library in Czechoslovakia
closed and its director, Joseph
c. Kolarek, to leave the country.
The government alleged the serv-
ice distributed information calcu-
lated to stir up Czechs against the
government and enticed Czecho-
slovak employees into spying acti-
vities.
The library closed its activities
IN Prague and Bratislava today.
Prague dispatches to London
said two United States embassy
officials. Martin S. Bowe, military
permit officer. and Alexander
Manchesky, assistant general serv-
ices officer, were held by Prague
police for short time Friday.
Mr.. Bowe was arrested while TAX
ing pictures of several thousand
Czechs who crowded to the library
to receive the last books and other
reading material distributed by the
U.S.1.S. He and Manchesky were
released when they were identified.
They said they saw several Czechs
at the police station who had been
arrested at the library.
The United States on Friday
ordered the Czech consulate. at
Chicago closed in retaliation for
the action against the U.S.lS.
nj A t.