Evening star., 1951-12-27
Press HurIs Ransom,
B!ackmaiI' Charge at
Hungarian Reds
By the Assoeioted Press

Red Hungary for the release of
four imprisoned American airmenI
drew varied comments and warn
ings from the Nations newspapers.
Words like "blackmail' and
ransom" and "kidnapers" were
sprinkled through editorials de-
nouncing the Hungarian govern
ment's action against the flyers.
Hungary Sunday claimed the
four violated it's border and fined
them total of $4,000. The
State Department yesterday de-
cided to pay the fines.
Some newspapers said the
United States could take no other
course, but other editorials sug-
gested that this country might
have found other means of obtain
ing the flyers release.
Further Trouble Foreseen.
A number of newspapers ex-|
pressed fears that many similar
troubles are yet to come. SomeI
said the United States should
consider retaliatory measures
against the Communists.
These were some of the COM
mentS:
The New York Times-'There
is every reason to believe that i'll
this ransom had not been paid
-. the three-month's imprison-
ment which had been imposed on
them (the airmen) as an alterna-
tive to redemption by ransom
would have been dragged out in
terminably while the young men
themselves were subjected to
physical and mental torture for
the purpose of obtaining from
them confessions of criminal
intention"
The Richmond Times Dispatch
THE sum of $4,000 is Just
peanuts to much of WASHINGTON
ofhclaldom but it is lot of dollars
to be paying over to a Russian
satellite. Furthermore, it may set
a precedent and encourage the
Reds to go rounding up Americans
every time they can find one"
The Baltimore Sun-"If any one
has thought of any practical way
for procuring freedom for these
Americans other than paying the
blackmail demanded, he has kept
his idea to himself"
The Chicago Tribune-"More
1SolatloniSm would result in fewer
annoyances of the sort with which
Budapest has just acquainted U.S."
The New York Daily News
-. We think majority opinion
IN this country since the 'convic- 4
ton has favored the Govern
ments course. But as we ran
som these men, let us make up
our minds to get our revenge some ]
day some way" Il
Economic Measures Urged. ]
The Philadelphia Inquirer 4
The State Department must
fashion a policy based on expecta-
tlon that Red satellites will try
such tactics in the future. We
can take. economic measures. .
We can restrict diplomats of other
nations here on the same basis |
that they restrict ours" +:
The st. Louis Globe e-Democrat {
The Nation that once said t
through Teddy Roosevelt, Speak t
softly but carry big stick ap- '
parently is impotent." a
The Christian Science Monitor
%. The United States should t
forthwith make claim on the Hun
Rarian and Russian governments !
for cash indemnities This +
might seem to be only for the V
record, but record is being writ
ten on which there must some day c
be judgment" I
The San Francisco Chronicle +
"The United States Government q
has done the right thing "a
There was nothing dishonorable =
in doing the expedient thing I
at the moment in order to get v
the four airmen out of Hungarian :
hands and free from peril"
The San Francisco News
"This blackmail should not be :
paid Whether our Govern =
ment or private citizens pay the
ransom. It'll still be the United
States knuckling under" Z
Part of Shakedown." It
The Atlanta CONSTITUTIONAL "
This is all part of the shakedown t
game which the Reds are using r
to weaken America, to strengthen c
themselves and to try to reveal i
Americans as decadent Spineless
dupes." !
The Dallas Morning News q
%. Pay the ransom now, be I
ready to crack down on this whole II
international racket once these Il
four airmen are rescued" {
The Cleveland Plain Dealer r
"The very least we could have c
done was to have demanded the G
release of our flyers and the re- S
turn of their plane under penalty
of Severing diplomatic relations c
and conflscating all Hungarian S
assets. :. Our foreign policy is {
In the hands of timid men. :" S
Oklahoma City Daily Oklaho-
man-"The Government should {
crack down and seize every dol
lars worth of Hungarian property S
that can be found in the United |
States" &
The Miami Daily News-"We i
must avoid paying ransom, or
blackmail at cost of our national l
security" |
Desire for Peace. !
The Syracuse IN. " Post
Standard-The fine payment is
"a decisive example of our desire
for peace"
The Detroit Free PreSs-"The
first thing to do is to get (Wil- {
liam) Oats (Associated Press cor {
respondent imprisoned in Czecho-
Slovakia) and the flyers forced