Evening star., 1953-08-19
Sanders Sees Family,
Tells Of Ordeal and
Visits in Vienna
BY the Asseeioted Press

" uS NSSOSi0tso FbSSS
VIENNA, Aug. 19.-Edgar San
ders, happily reunited with his
family after nearly four years in
q Communist prison in Hungary
on spy charges, spent today see
ing friends in the Austrian capi-
tai.
He will spend one more day
here before returning to Eng
land. He planned to do some
shopping for badly needed
clothes.
Mr.. Sanders, associate of
American businessman Robert
A. Vogeler of New York, crossed
the Austrian frontier yesterday
after being freed by Hungary. He
told newsmen he had been sub
jected to extreme mental pres
Sures" by the Reds to extort a
confession of spying at his trial
in 1850, but had not been tor
tured physically. His wife and
three teen-age daughters few
here yesterday from London to
gree him.
Though Mr.. Sanders, white
haired at 46, looked thin after
almost four years imprisonment,
it was a happy family.
1T is only natural for him to
look happy" Mrs. Sanders had
told reporters. There is no bet
ter place than home"
Freed After Appeal.
Hungary announced it was
freeing Mr.. Sanders, who was
jailed along with Mr.. Vogeler in
1949, following an appeal for
clemency sent to President
Istvan Dobi by Mrs. Sanders.
The Briton crossed the border
today at the Austrian village Of
Nickelsdorf.
Mr.. Sanders. a cousin Of Movie
Actor George Sanders, was
brought on to Vienna by a
British legation car and in
stalled at the British-run Park
Hotel for food and rest.
Mrs. Sanders and the girls
were f1rwn from London to
Vienna IN a small plane char
tered by a London newspaper
She and her daughters Barbara
18; Yvonne. II, and Denise, IL.
were accompanied by three re-
porterS.
Tells of Long Grillings.
Mr.. Sanders told of long grill
1ngs that wrung confessions of
espionage and sabotage from
him. The British said at the
time they were false.
Both Mr.. Sanders and Mr..
Vogeler were executives of the
International Telephone and
Telegraph Co. in Budapest,
whose properties the Com
munistS appropriated. Mr.. Vo-
geler was freed in April. 1851.
after serving more than year
on spy charges.
The British Foreign Ministry
said Mr.. Saunders release would
open the way for the resumption
Of normal trade relations be-
tween the two countries. After
his arrest Britain instituted a
trade embargo against Hungary.
Hungary'S trade with Britain fell
from about $19 million in 1949
to $50, 900 last year.
In Bedford Hills, N. Y, Mr..
Vogeler expressed JOY at the turn
Of events, but said of Mr.. San
ders "since he was convicted un-
justly, his release is no great
credit to the Reds" He called
Mr.. Sanders release no humani-
tartan act, but an attempt by the
Reds to widen the growing split
between the United States and
Britain"
Although Mr.. Sanders was
much longer in Jail than Mr..
Vogeler-three years and nine
months compared to Mr.. Voge-
ler'S II monthS-he looked in
better physical condition when
released.
MemoriZed Testimony.
Asked if he had any recollec-
ton Of his testimony in his trial
with Mr.. Vogeler. he said:
We'll. I had to learn it by
heart"
Before the trial, he added, he
was dumped into a cell with a
wooden mattress and a stool
pigeon as we'll" The only air
coming in, he said, was from
hole above the door where a
brick had been knocked out of
the wall.
There was no heating, and
on top of that it was very cold
and I am not accustomed to
running around without my
socks" he said. MY socks and
ShoelaceS were taken away"
Describes QuizZing.
He said he was interrogated
for 81 hours without letup.
They shoot questions at you
In such a way that you get giddy
and you are turning mental
SomerSaults. Before you know
where you are. you find yourself
signing statements.
Their questions were such
that you never could tell what
they were after. or find the
kernel of their questioning"