Evening star., 1950-03-11
us. SettoRecaII
3Legation Aides
From Budapest
Aeeedes to Hungory's
Demand, but Rejects
Espionage Charges
By Gornett D. Homer

Allc OllIIeu OIdGeS LOQdy pre-
pared to recall at the demand of
Hungary's Communist government
three Army and Air Force officers
assigned to the American Lega-
ton in Hungary.
No specific retaliation against
Hungary's Legation staff here was
expected Immediately. Hungary
has no military attaches here.
While ready to move the three
American officers out of Hungary
promptly, the United States re-
jects as completely false the
espionage charges on which the
Hungarian regime based it's recall
demand.
Officials pointed out that it is
established diplomatic practice
for any government to withdraw
representatives declared persona
non grata (unwelcome) by an
other government.
SOSeier lrlal Clted.
Hungary put in this unwelcome
classification last night, the As
sociated Press reported from
Budapest, Col. James Kraft,
American military attache; 1t.
Col. John Hoyne, deputy military
attache. and Maj. Donald E. Grif-
fin, deputy air attache.
The action was based by the
Hungarians on testimony in the
espionage and sabotage trial of
Robert A. Vogeler, American rep
resentative in Europe of the In
ternational Telephone & Tele-
graph Co.. and six co-defendants
last month.
Mr.. Vogeler. who was sentenced
to Is years imprisonment, testi-
fed that Col. Hoyne and Maj
Griffin had been in touch with
him and that Col. Kraft "also
knew about my espionage ac-
tivities."
Secretary of State Acheson and
other American officials have de-
nounced these statements as
false. suggesting that Mr.. Vogeler's
confession" was forced out of
him by Communist police torture,
Might Be Sent Home.
There was some-but not much
here that Mr.. Vogeler
might be sent home instead of
being forced to serve his prison
sentence as a result of such treat
ment accorded Valentin A. Cub
itchev, Russian engineer convicted
as a spy with Judith Coplon in
New York this week. officials
said no effort to use this to make
a deal" for Mr.. Vogeler was con-
templated, although it was hoped
the treatment of Gubitchev might
set an example.
In its demand for recall of the
three American officers, Hungary
again protested against what it
called the "over- swollen number"
of the American Legation staff.
The United States and Britain
bluntly rejected last week Hun
garian demands that their Lega-
tion stats be cut on the ground
they were spy nests. This Gov
ernment said it would adjust it's
Legation staff "in accordance with
it's own judgment of it's require
mentS."
2 Britons Also Named.
Declaration of specific individ-
uals as persona non grata" is a
different matter, however.
In addition to the three Ameri-
can officers, Hungary also has
declared persona non grata two
British Legation attaches-Lt. Col.
Percy Capron, military attache,
and Edward Southby, CONNER
cial attache. The British Foreign
Office said they will be withdrawn,
although Britain wholly rejects
Hungary's reason for asking their
recall.
Col. Kraft, Col. Hoyne and Maj.
Griffin are among seven armed
force officers on the American Le-
cation staff in Budapest. Col.
Hoyne was said to be already out
of the country on leave. y