Evening star., 1951-03-27
By ChorIes J. Yorbrouqh


Mrs. Ellen Knauff, whose losing
fight to enter the United States
forced the Government to un-
wrap some of it's military secrets,
surrendered to immigration off,
cials today and was ordered re-
turned to Ellis Island pending
final disposition of her case.
The 36-year-old, German-born
wife of an EXCL lost one of her
final chances to remain here, when
a special Board of Inquiry voted to
exclude her as security risk.
Bluntly. in one section of the
10-point decision, the board tagged
the pert little brunei as an "es-
pionage agent operating under the
code name of Kobyla" while she
was working in the American Mill
tary Governments civil censorship
section in Frankfurt.
Eyes downcast as Board Chair
man Edward A. Clark intoned the
deportation ruling after the day.
long hearing Mrs. Knauff nodded
her head disconsolately when
asked if she understood it's mean
ing.
Yes" she said. II have heard" :"
Wants to Appeal Case.
Then, questioned as to intention
of appealing the decision, she said
in loud, clear voice: II definitely
want to appeal"
The boards action goes to the
United States immigration COM
missioner for review. Should it
be affirmed, her next recourse is
an appeal to the Board of Immi-
grafton Appeals.
Since August, 1948, when she
landed at Ellis Island, she has
been at that port of entry save
for a period when out on bond.
For the current hearing, she was
in custody of her attorney, Alfred
Feingold of New York.
She lost at every turn-through
Federal Court in New York and
the Court Of Appeals. Finally, in
a 4-to-3 decision last January, the
Supreme Court held that the JUS
tice Department could legally ban
Mrs. Knaff from the United States
on its contention that disclosure
of evidence against her would en-
danger national security.
Bill Prevented Exclusion.
Her case, attracting national
and international attention, moved
into the congressional arena, and
last May, the House passed bill
to prevent her exclusion. Her
husband, Kurt Knauff, is a civilian
employe of United States forces
in Germany.
When the Government reluct-
antly opened its security files yes
terday, it produced a former Czech
army officer who definitely identi-
fled Mrs. Knauff as Ellen Box
hornova. who, as an employe of
American military government
civil censorship. had visited the
Czech mission in Frankfurt many
times.
Former Maj. Vaclav Kadane,
one-time deputy chief of the
Czech mission, said Mrs. Knauf
made reports to his superior, a
Col. Podhora. One of them, he
said he remembered distinctly be-
cause of its unusual nature"
1T was a description of a new
United States Army de-coding
machine" he testified.
On two occasions, he said. he
received orders from Czech intelli-
gence in Prague to contact "Koby-
la" who, he said, was Mrs. Knauf,
and to facilitate her return to
Prague for instruction" He did
not obey the orders, he said.
Another strong witness, who
gave the second Identification of
Mrs. Knauff as an espionage
agent, was an American Army
captain, William C. Hacker, who
was with the counter Intelligence
in Frankfurt. He testified that
he received specific information
that she was engaged in espionage
from Maj. Kadane and from an
other source he said was 80 con-
fidential it cannot be disclosed"
In Frankfurt, Mr.. Knauff ex-
pressed confidence that his wife
would win eventual entry despite
the testimony of the witnesses,
whose reliability he questioned.
He said that ''it is a known fact
that some informers from Iron