Evening star., 1951-09-13
Czech AirIiners
Prohibited Over
West Germany
Action Is Linked to
TuIk of Reprisols
For Outis JuiIing
BY the Associated Press

FRANKFURT. Germany, Sept,
1S.-The Allied High Commission
has barred an Czech airline
flights across West Sesmany, high
commission officials disclosed to-
day. Offlcials gave no reason for
the action.
An American official said the
United States, Britain and France
had concurred in the joint action
in barring the Czechoslovak plane
flights, effective last Tuesday mid
night.
Asked whether the decision had
anything to do with the case Of
William Oats, Associated Press
correspondent, who was sentenced
to jail by the Czechoslovaks for
10 years on spy charges, he an
swered, mo comment"
The inquiry was prompted by a
dispatch August Is from Wash
ington which said that the State
Department was studying a plan
to bar the Communist country's
planes from flying over the United
States zone.
Charges Termed Hoax.
Washington officials said it was
one of several moves being con-
sidered as retaliatory steps to the
CZechoSlovak treatment of Mr..
Oats. The State Department has
termed the espionage charges
against Mr.. Oats ridiculous and
called his trial hoax.
State Department officials said
August Is that a United States
ban on Czech plane flights over
the United States zone would in
convenience the CzechoSlovaks.
but that consultations with Brit
ain and France were then being
held for a move which would vir-
tually halt all Czechoslovak plane
flights to the West.
The high commission official
here disclosed that the CzechoSlo-
wax military mission in Berlin was
handed the note on the ban last
Monday.
It is stipulated that "the Allied
High Commission has suspended
until further notice the permis-
sion of the Czechoslovak Airlines
(CSA) to fly over territory of The
(WeSt) German Federal Repub-
lie"
He said the brief notice con-
tanned no explanation.
Trade Break Urged.
The United States Congress has
voted overwhelmingly to recon-
mend that commercial relations
with Czechoslovakia be severed
until Mr.. Oats is freed.
President Truman was quoted
September l as saying he was
determined to take whatever
measures are necessary" to OBJ
tain Mr.. Oats release. He also
told the new Czechoslovak Am
basSador who presented his
credentials late in August that
one way to better relations be-
tween the two countries would be
to release Mr.. Oats and let him
come home.
The President told a press con-
ference that the Oats case would
never be closed until Mr.. Oats
is out of Jail.
Secretary of State Acheson also
told the Czech Ambassador that
for better relations he had to
understand the need of effecting
"the release of American citizens
unjustly imprisoned in Czecho-
slovakia."
John Hveszda of Hillside, N. j.,
was arrested on espionage charges
while studying in Czechoslovakia
and has been in jail since May,
1850.
The American Veterans of For
eign Wars have called for the re-
lease of both Mr.. Oats and Mr..
Hveszda, calling the latter a for
gotten man."
Numerous other organizations,
In the United States and abroad,
have condemned the trial of Mr..
OatiS as sham.
CZechoslovak Ambassador Vladi-
mir Prochazka told United States
reporters after seeing Mr.. AchesonE
that his government will not yield
to American economic, political
pr propaganda" pressure.
The Czechoslovak Airlines Co.
has regularly scheduled flights toI
Switzerland, France, Britain and
Holland.
Banning it's planes from the
lir over West Germany would
lorce long detours in an attempt