Evening star., 1953-05-12
Ex-Premier Of Poland
Tells Of Red Terror in
1947 in Litte|I Suit

Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, former
anti-C Communist Premier of Po-
land, now Boyds (Md.) farmer.
told a courtroom yesterday about
the Red terror in his native coun-
try.
Mr.. Mikolajczyk was called as
a defense witness in the trial of
the $780, 900 consolidated libel
and defamation suits, brought
against Columnist Drew Pearson
by Norman M. Littell, former
Assistant Attorney General under
Francis Biddle. The case is be-
ing heard in the U. S. District
Court for the District of CO.
lumbia.
One suit stems from a Pear
son column of 1949 in which he
said the Justice Department was
investigating reports that Mr..
Litten was active in behalf of
the Dutch government although
not registered as foreign agent.
Eisler Escape Cited.
The basis Of the second suit
is a subsequent Pearson broad
cast in which he identified Mr..
Littel as counsel for 1.-The Com
muniSt Polish Embassy" The
broadcast urged an investigation
Of Mr.. Littell to ascertain "how,
after Gerhard Eisler was spirited
out Of New York on the Polish
steamer Batory. this attorney
arranged for Polish Communists
to board the returning steamship
and interview the crew ahead of
United States officials :"
Mr.. Littell has denied the al
legations, although he was an
attorney for the Embassy at the
time. He denied the Embassy
was Communist at the time of
the Batory incident in 1948.
But Mr.. Mikolajczyk testified
yesterday the Communists took
over the government in l947,
after killing off or imprisoning
opposition leaders. In answer
to a question, he agreed that the
various Polish embassies carried
out the orders of Warsaw"
Earlier Edward Hart, Wash
ington publicity man and radio
panel show producer, testified
Mr.. Littell had showed much in
terest in presenting the Dutch
side Of the Indonesian question.
Mr.. Hart said he called Mr.. Lit
tel in 1949 to enlist his aid in
finding some one to present the
Dutch viewpoint in a panel
broadcast.
The witness declared Mr.. Lit
tell "Was enthusiastic" about the
idea and launched into a disser-
tation on the Netherlands stand.
Mr.. Hart said he asked Mr.. Lit
tell about getting the Dutch Am
bassador to participate in the
show and quoted Mr.. Littell as
saying, II will deliver the Dutch
Ambassador" The show never
did come off.
Littell'S Testimony.
The former Assistant Attorney
General has contended his legal
work for the Polish Embassy was
entirely non-political and con-
cerned mainly tax matters. He
testified he had tried to have at
torneys for the Polish owners of
the Botory allowed aboard. but
denied that he sought to have
any one put ahead of United
States officials.
Harold Corbin, a New York at
torney for the ship line, has tes-
titled he and a number of Polish
officials managed to get aboard
the vessel some time after the
American officials had questioned
tIle crew.
1t also has been testified that
an investigation into Mr.. Lit
tells alleged activities in behalf
OF the Dutch were started after
the Justice Department had re-
celved information from one of
Mr.. Pearson's assistants that
Mr.. Littell was thus engaged.
In addition, the department re-
ceived an anonymous memoran-
dunn to the same effect, it was
brought out.
The trial. which opened two
weeks ago. is expected to end late
this week.
W~@A