Evening star., 1952-11-23
) Jews Confess
In Czech Purge,
One Asks Death
Admit 'Zionism''
And Say They Spied
For Western Powers
BY the Assoeioted Press

BY the Assoeiated Press
VIENNA, Austria, Nov. o.
Three Jewish Czechoslovak Com
munists abjectly confessed to
"Zionism" at the Prague purge
trial today and one asked to be
hanged.
They are among IA purged Reds
being tried on charges of treason
and a series of other alleged Of
lenses growing out of a Shakeup
of the Czech Communist Party.
Two of the Jews are former
Deputy Foreign Ministers; the
third is former Red newspaper
editor.
The obvious anti-semitic over
tones of the trial may be aimed
at wining the Arab countries to
communism through their hatred
Of Israel.
Israel Shows Concern.
(The Jewish Telegraph Agency
reported from Tel Aviv that the
trial, with it's anti-Jewish and
anti-Israel tone, was the chief
topic of conversation through
out Israel.)
The two former Deputy Foreign
Ministers, prize exhibits at the
trial, are Arthur London, 81, and
Navro Hadju, 80. Both served in
the Czech Foreign Ministry until
their arrest last year. They were
among seven of the defendants
who had made their humble con-
LESSONS to plotting against the
Prague and Moscow regimes when
;onlght's court session ended.
London and Hadju confessed
hey had conspired against Prague
md Moscow as ''Titoists and Zion
lsts."
Editor Pleads Guilty.
The third Jew to confess today
is Andre Simon, 81. former editor
of the Czech Communist Party
Rude Pravo.
After pleading guilty before
world communism's biggest show
trial in l6 years to Zionist" espio-
mage and conspiracy. he addressed
the five-man court in slow, de-
pressed voice. saying:
IAN engineer of words like I am
belongs to the gallows. The heavier
the punishment the better the
future. The only service can still
make is to warn all those like
me-"
A broadcast by the Prague radio
late tonight said a seventh de-
fendant, Ludvik Frejka, 48, for
mer deputy secretary general Of
the Czech Communist Party. had
confessed tonight to being a
Zionist cosmopolitan and British
spy"
Obstruction of Industry.
The broadcast did not say how
Frejka had pleaded, but quoted
him as saying he had deliberately
obstructed the expansion Of
Czechoslovakia's heavy industry
while he ran the Communist
Party's economic section.
In his confession Simon halted
before almost every word he ut
tered. He said he had given the
British information about Czech
policies as early as 1889 and had
worked for the British secret
service in Mexico in 1914.
Simon said he had been in con-
tact with American espionage and
psychological warfare Offices be-
fore returning to Czechoslovakia
in 1916.
Charging that Western journal
lists in Prague had "spied" on the
Czech government. Simon said he
was paid $4,000 crowns ($1 .00O by
former Czech Foreign Minister
Vlado Clements, one of the IA de-
PENDANTS, to give information to
some Westerners.
Tone Is of Despair.
The indictment had described
Simon as IAN international spy.
Zionist and Trotskyite." When he
was first summoned to the court
and was asked if he
was guilty, he replied: YES" As
his testimony proceeded he be-
came increasingly halting, and his
tone was almost one of despair.
Rudolf Slansky. deposed Sec
retary general of the Czech Com
munist Party, led off Thursday
with a detailed plea of guilty to
charges he had plotted murder.
treason. sabotage and anti-Soviet
activities for Is years.
Clements Also Testifies.
Clements, and a Jewish former
oackstage operator of Commu-
nism, Bedrich Geminder, recited
similar sins yesterday against the
party and the government.
London, 81, is one of the Lon
don group" of Communists. as is
They spent most of
World War II in the West.
The Prague radio quoted Lon
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