Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-01
Russian Agent
In TokyoAsks
US. for Asylum
Largest Spy Ring
In Asiu Nay Have
Been Cracked Open
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

BY the Assoeiotsd Press
TOKYO. Feb. IAN Ameri-
can source said today Yuri
Alexandrovich Rastovorov, a
Russian diplomat intelligence
agent. asked for and was grant,
ed political asylum by the United
States.
The source. who refused to be
identified. told the Associated
Press it is almost certain that
RaStovorov has left Japan and
may be en- route to the United
States.
A Russian spokesman accused
the United States of kidnapping
RaStovorov. second secretary of
the defunct Soviet mission to
Tokyo. The object, he charged.
was "provocation of the Soviet
Union"
The Russian spokesman said
RaStovorov has a wife and
daughter in Russia.
Official American sources in
Tokyo said they knew nothing
OF the matter.
Big Ring May Be Cracked.
The break in the long silence
on the cloak and dagger story of
RaStovorov stirred speculation
that the largest spy ring in Asia
may have been cracked.
The affable 34-year -old Rus
sian diplomat disappeared from
the Soviet Embassy January "a,
on the eve of his scheduled de-
parture for Russia.
There was speculation that the
Russian had been flown Satur-
day to Okinawa. a huge United
States base 700 miles south of
here.
S. I. Runov. spokesman for
the Russian mission here-un-
recognized by Japan-called in
japanese reporters and issued a
prepared statement accusing
the American espionage organ
IN Japan" of selling and holding
RaStovorov.
State Department Silent.
The United States State De-
partment and Far East Com
mand had no comment on the
case
RaStovorov was known to be an
intelligence agent. The Russian
diplomats had free run of Japan
and have been in a position to
gather information on United
States bases. He had been active
in the Tokyo Tennis Club which
has many American servicemen
and civilians as members.
Kyodo news agency reported
earlier that Rastovorov was
being returned to the Soviet
Union to explain how he botched
spy assignment.
Kyodo said japanese police
had caught Rastovorov last
spring buying American jet
secrets from a United States air
man here. The Air Force denied
this.
Rastovorov was one of several
dozen Soviet diplomats who
stayed behind after the japanese
peacy treaty was signed in April.
1852. Since the Soviet Union has
not signed the peace treaty. the
mission has no official status as
it did during the occupation.
A reliable source said 80 of
the Russians remaining were
intelligence officers.
Reds Ask japanese Aid.
The Soviet statement said
Japanese police, who were asked
by the Russians to find Rasto-
vorov, had not been able to
locate him. It also said Ras-
tovorov was very happy" at
the prospect of returning to the
Soviet Union.
Runov refused to answer ques-
tons. He merely handed his
statement to a large group of
reporters and left.
American newsmen were not
invited.
The Russians report of Ras-
tovorov's disappearance was I'M
usual. Previously they have ig-
nored the police and the govern
ment. The mission asked for
help and said RaStovorov was
suffering from a nervous break
down."
The request appeared designed
to fish for information and to
lay the foundation for charges
of kidnapping or that Rastovorov
was insane. should he cooperate
with United States authorities.