Evening star., 1951-07-04
Czech Court Gives
0atis Ten Years in
Prison in Spy Case
Continued From First Page)

TlNVH Ill JpY VoSC
Continued From First Page.)
repudiating his admissions after
his release.
Mr.. Oats, in a final statement
last night that was strongly rem
iniscent of previous confessions"
in Communist trials, said he was
sorry" he committed espionage
and that he did it only because I
listened to the wrong kind of or
ders from abroad and came under
the influence of the wrong kind of
people in Czechoslovakia.'
Trial Denounced Here.
In Washington. State Depart
ment Press Officer Lincoln White
yesterday termed the trial a
"hoax" and said he hoped "the
American people will understand
the absolute worthlessness of any
alleged confession or revelation
beaten out of or otherwise OBJ
tanned from any one who is held
incommunicado for 10 days or
more"
No Western correspondents were
left in Prague for the trial and
details were obtained from Amer
ican official sources in Frankfurt.
Since Mr.. Oats arrest April %.
the remaining three Western
newsmen in Observation-Disclosures
ton Fournier of the French Press
Agency, Russell Jones of the
United Press and Robert Bigio of
the British Reuters News Agency,
have left Czechoslovakia indi-
vidually.
Mr.. Oats and his three Czech
co-defendants accepted their SEN
tences without appeal. Word of
the sentences was telephoned from
Prague to the United States high
commissioner Office here by two
observers from the American En-
bassy in Prague. the only West
erners attending the trial.
Oats Accepts Sentence.
Mr.. Oats, they said. told the
court:
Il accept the sentence of the
court and ask that be sent some
where where I can do some useful
work
The court confiscated the prop
erty of all four defendants.
The observers could not see Mr..
Oats reaction as he heard his
sentence. All four defendants
had their backs to the spectators.
The convicted men were removed
Immediately afterward.
During his two-day trial Oats,
81, admitted espionage activ-
ities," but most of the so-called
spying apparently was what is
considered routine newsgathering
in the West.
Under Czech Communist law,
however, almost any type of
reportorial activity beyond the
relaying of official government
announcements, newscaSts and
Communist press items can be
interpreted as a crime against the
state.
During the trial in Prague IS
Pankrac Prison the Communist
prosecutor charged that Mr.. Oats
was particularly dangerous be-
cause of his discretion and his in
sistence on obtaining only accu-
rate, correct and verified infor-
nation"
Three Others Sentenced.
The Czechs convicted with Mr..
Oats, and their sentences, were:
Tomas Svoboda, 20 years; Pavel
Wojdinek, 18 years. and Peter
Mmtz, 16 years.
Held incommunicado in Pankrae
Prison for SO days, Oats was
brought into court Monday te
answer "yes" when asked whether
he had carried out espionage. He
entered no formal plea of limo.
cence or guilt, however.
The slender, dark haired wal
veteran from Marion, Ind, deniee
in his testimony the Czech charge.
that the A. P.'s Prague burea,
was IAN espionage center" wher
he took charge of it on his arriva
in Prague in June, 1850.
He admitted repeatedly that h
had sought information for new
dispatches from Western mission
and unofficial Czech sources ant
had told them of some information
which he had collected for filinI
to AP newspapers around tn
world.
Not Linked to Murder.
But the prosecutor in his sum
nation admitted he had beel
unable TO connect Mr.. Oats witt
the alleged murder of a Czecl
security officer or with the Czec
leader of the group charged wit
this crime.
A Moscow dispatch, however
said the Soviet government orga
1zvestia reported from Pragu
that Mr.. Oats murdered" tn
Czech army officer with the a:
of a Czech agent.
Under questioning Mr.. Oats ao
mitted that the other Wester
yewSrnen who had hnen with hi,