Evening star., 1952-11-20
IA 4Ex-Leaders
Go on Trial in
CzechosIovakia
Former Top Officials
Accused of Treason
And Espionage
BY the Assoeioted Press

VIENNA. Austria. Nov. 90
Fourteen former top leaders of
Communist Czechoslovakia. in
cluding former Foreign Minister
Vlado Clements, went on trial in
a Prague court today on charges
of treason and espionage.
Austrian press agency reports
said Clements had confessed to
responsibility for the death Of
Jan Svermo. a Slovak Communist
hero who took part in the anti
Nazi uprising of 1914.
The reports said Rudolf Slansky,
former Secretary-general Of the
party and another of the chief
defendants. had admitted to pre-
venting medical treatment for
Svermo. Slansky was charged also
with plotting the elimination" of
President Klement Gottwald.
No Western correspondent was
permitted to witness the court
room drama, which compared with
the famous Moscow trials of 1886.
The Prague trial represented a
final stage in struggle for power
by clashing factions within the
Red leadership of a country once
foremost in the ranks of the de-
mocracies, and, now dominated by
the Soviet Union.
Maria Svermova. widow of Sver-
mo. was former deputy of Sian
sky. She is reported to have given
testimony to Communist inter-
rogators that helped them obtain.
a confession from Slansky. Al
though she was arrested with
Slansky, her name was not among
the accused.
There have been no Western
correspondents working In Prague
since the spy trial in July, 1851,
of Associated Press Correspondent
William N. Oats. He received a
10-year sentence on what has
been denounced in the West as
trumped up charges.
Clements name figured In the
Oats trial. Mr.. Oats testified as
to his part in reporting the arrest
Of Clementis-a big news story Of
that time. The prosecution sought
to stamp as spying" the normal
work of a reporter in collecting
facts and answering queries Of his
home Office about the Clements
story.
Prague radio broadcast accounts
of today's trial. 1t said these
were the other IL defendants:
Otto Sling. former Communist
Party secretary in the city of Brno.
who was arrested in 1850.
Bedrich Geminder, long time
mystery man of the Czech Com
munist Party and often regarded
as the acknowledgements ruler Of
the party before his disappearance
in 1850.
Slansky Aide Included.
Arthur London, former deputy
foreign minister and a friend of
Clements. London was arrested
in 1851.
1t. Gen. Bedrich Reicin. former
deputy defense minister and Mos
cow-trained intelligence man. ar
rested in February, 1851.
Josef Frank, one Of Slansky's
former deputy party secretaries
who was removed in September.
1851.
Otto Fischl. former deputy
finance minister.
DR.. EVAN Loebl. former deputy
minister of foreign trade, arrested
early in 1850.
Vavro Hajdu, also former dep
uty foreign trade minister.
Ludvik Frejka, economic ad-
wiser to the Czech government, re-
ported arrested on January 30.
1852.
Rudolph Margolius, former dep
uty minister of foreign trade.
Andre Simon. former editor Of
the official Communist newspaper
Rude Pravo.
Karol Svab, deputy minister Of
state security, removed in 1851.
The trial was first announced
earlier today by Prague radio.
Eleven of the IA accused were
Jews
Accused as Traitors.
Radio Prague said that all II
were accused Of "Trotzkyism.
Titoism and Zionism," and were
all bourgeois nationalist traitors
(See CZECHS. Page A-6.l