Evening star., 1951-04-05
Rosenberg, Wife
Denounced by
Federal Judge
SobeII's Guilt Called
Lesser; GreengIoss
Fate Due Tomorrow
BY the Associated Press

NEW YORK, April 5.-JulluS
and Ethel Rosenberg, husband and
wife convicted of stealing Amer
lean atom bomb secrets for Russia,
were sentenced today to death in
the electric chair.
II consider your crime worse
than murder" said Federal Judge
Irving r. kaufman. He set the
week of May 81 for execution.
He said the trial Indicates quite
clearly" that an enemy nation is
employing "secret as well as out
spoken forces among our own peo-
pie"
Both Rosenberg, a 32-year- old
electrical engineer, and his 35-
year-old wife, showed little emo
ton at the sentence. RosenbergS S
Jaw muscles frightened. His tiny
wife grasped a chair and breathed
heavily.
Sobelrs Guilt Lesser"
Radar Expert Morton Sobell, "a,
o third defendant, was sentenced
to 80 years in prison. Judge
kaufman said his guilt was of
"lesser degree"
Former Army Sergt. David
Greenglass. 90. who pleaded guilty
and gave testimony that helpaT
convict Mrs. Rosenberg. his sister,
will be sentenced at Q pm. to-
morrow.
Sobell never testified in his own
behalf. Greenglass confessed to
obtaining atomic secrets while
working at the Los Alamos,
N. Mex. atomic bomb base and
passing them to the Rosenbergs
He was the chief prosecution wit
ness.
No Basis for Leniency Found.
In lengthy preliminary discus
sion before imposing sentence the
judge told the Rosenbergs:
Il consider your crime worse
than murder"
He continued:
Plain. deliberate murder is
dwarfted by your acts"
The court added that he had
searched the records and my
conscience for some reason for
mercy but am convinced that
! would violate the trust placed
In me If / showed any leniency
to the Rosenbergsf'
The Rosenbergs and Sobell
were convicted last Thursday of
obtaining atomic spy secrets and
passing them to Russia.
Wartime Offense Cited.
Judge kaufman asserted that
the Rosenbergs had committed
their acts of espionage in 1914,
while the country was at war.
THE overt acts were committed
during hostilities," the judge
added. ...
Sentence was imposed at 1908
pm.
Judge Kaufma@ opened his
discussion by outlining the penal
ties provided in the Espionage
Act in force. He said that provi-
sions of the act under which the
indictments were returned were
enacted in 1917 when the Rus
sian international spy ring did
not present the threat it does
now"
The law, the judge said, pro-
vided a maximum penalty of 20
years imprisonment for con-
viction of peace time espionage
and maximum of death or i'm
prisonment for not more than 80
years for wartime espionage.
Urges Congress to Act.
Stating that the law when en-
acted. took no cognizance of vital
secrets such as the atom bono
Judge Kaufman declared lit is
time for Congress to examine the
penal provisions of this act"
Judge Kaufman said that
should any persons be convicted
in peace time of transmitting
secrets concerning the new type
Of A-bomb or the hydrogen bomb
the maximum penalty that car
be imposed is 20 years"
The court characterized the
espionage activities of the Rosen.
bergs as "a dirty business"
This does not reflect the cour-
age of Nathan Hale for his coun-
try" Judge Kaufman said. "Thi:
is a dirty business-betrayal q
ones own country"
AS the judge told the Rosen.
bergs they made a choice o.
the denial of God and the denia
(See SPIES, Page A-3.)