Evening star., 1954-05-02

don't know why your soldiers
do this. Karpinsky and Thar
kov are diplomats. Why do
they keep me here? I want
to be together with every
body"
For the next hour Mrs.
Petrov talked privately with
Mr.. r. Leydin. government
secretary and ranking man
in the northern territory at
the time. He took her to the
terminal. where she talked with
her husband on the phone.
At 6:10 am. she rejoined her
Russian travelling companions.
They sat together on benches
in the terminal. Few words
were exchanged.
Mr.. KislitSin, meanwhile,
had put a call through to Can
berra to tell his Embassy, so
the Soviet Union could protest
against the interference with
his party.
She Was Confused
Mrs. Petrov, for her part,
still had not made up her
mind what to do. No wonder
she was confused. The peo-
pie she had lived with and
trusted all her life had told
her that her husband had been
kidnapped. Later they told
her he was dead. Now she
had just talked to him on the
phone. But she could not be
sure that Vladimir was not
under some more or less subtle
compulsion to entice her into
a trap.
One of the Australian Off
cials at the terminal said:
There is no question that she
wants to stay. But she is
scared"
At 7:30 am. Mrs. Petrov
was called to the customs Of
flee telephone for a second
conversation with her husband.
The three Russians followed
her and stood behind her as
the connection was put
through. They listened to her
end of the Russian conversa-
ton, but did not try to inter-
fere.
Mrs. Petrov spoke softly at
first. She listened intently and
nodded her head several times.
Once as she tried to speak her
voice broke, she shook her
head and said, "Niet, MET"
(No, no.
Police and airport officials
also clustered around, to make
sure the Russians tried no
monkeybusiness.
The call lasted four minutes.
When it ended Mrs. Petrov
went back to sit down, looking
worried. tired and depressed.
At 7:35 Mr.. Leydin asked
Mr.. Kislitsin if he would mind
if Mrs. Petrov came along for
another conversation. KiSlitSin
said sourly: "She does not want
to talk. She can come with
me and the Others"
But Mrs. Petrov shook her
head and said in English: mo,
I go with him (Mr. Leydin)
Lecture From a Red
Mr.. Leydin led her into the
airport Office and closed the
door. Police stood guard. A
few minutes later the Sputter-
ing Kislitsin and his two COM
panions didn't see Mrs. Petrov
leave with the Australian off,
cials by side door, enter a
nearby car, and drive away.
Kislitsin was lecturing the by
ISLANDERS:
This is your freedom. You
are a lot of gunSmen, your DO
lice VI. Couriers have the right
to carry guns. You willing to
break international diplomatic
immunity. Couriers have diplo-
matte personal immunity"
Somebody asked him if he car
ried a gun. mo-" he said
weakly.
II go back to Russia. After
my treatment I don't want to
come back here. I have in
formed my Ambassador and I
think they have lodged a pro-
test. :"
At that point an Australian
police official, Mr.. K. Edmunds.
came up and told Mr.. Kislitsin:
"Mr. Leydin and Mrs. Petrov
have gone to Government
House by car"
1t took moment for Kis-
litsin to catch the import of
this. Then he exploded: For
what?"
Mr.. Edmunds said in quiet
exultation, "She wants to have
a rest in Australia"
Mr.. Kislitsin didn't hesitate
now: 1T is a provocation. She
is Kidnapped" he ragged.
MIR. Edmunds said, "She
wanted to talk on her own.
She is not going on this air.
craft"
The very disturbed second
secretary asked if he could call
his embassy. He also had a
call put in to Government
House to speak with Mrs.