Evening star., 1954-12-24
tContinned Prom First Pace D


bling down. In 9 left-handed
sort OF way he learned that the
Agriculture Department was re-
fusing him clearance to continue
| his work as an agricultural at
tache in Tokyo.
Sitting. in his apartment.
putting at times on curved
stemmed pipe. the 55-year-old
farm expert, q native of Russia
but q natura1ized citizen for ~
years, told how the whole matter
came about He speaks quietly,
| in an amazingly detached sort
Of way, and gives the iIllpfes-
sion, whether he knows u or
not, that he Just can't Agure
out what has happened.
1T took us Just about two
weeks to conclude the (. agree
ment with Japan on surplus
commodities" said Mr.. Ladejin-
sky, referring to the negotia-
tions that will send $104 mill
lions Of farm products to the
Japanese.
'Then inquired when my
transfer from the State to the
| Agriculture Department would
take place. When ] raised the
question I thought It was q pro
forma matter"
Raises Problem.
Mr.. Ladejinsky soon learned
differently; that for him, at
least. the proposed transfer Of
jurisdiction over agricultural
attaches from the State to the
Agricultural Department raised
the most serious personal prob
lens in his life.
Mr.. Ladejinsky talked with
various Agriculture officials and
found, in his words. that they
were "hemming and having"
'.It took me two weeks to real
ize there was q real problem
there" Mr.. Ladejinsky continued.
He heard second and third
hand" that questions had been
raised about him and finally.
along about December !, he went
to see Assistant Secretary Of
Agriculture Earle Butz. Mr..
Ladejinsky said Mr.. Butz told
him there's some problem"
Whats the problem" Mr..
Ladejinsky asked. He continued:
II can't recall his exact words
but they we're something to the
effect there was a cloud on my
record. He didn't specify what
| it was"
This was the first meeting Of
Mr.. Ladejinsky, q veteran Of
nearly 20 years in the Agricul-
ture Department, with Mr.. Butz.
The farm expert gave the Assist
ant Secretary something about
his background and work and
asked him to see Secretary Ben
son. s4.M
"He seemed very sympathetic. !"
MFR. Ladejinsky said. land he
promised to do So"
Gets Bad News.
On wednesday. December Is,
Mr.. Ladejinsky was summoned
to Mr.. Butz' Office. When he
came in he received the official
word that he would not be re-
tanned. i
II demonstrated" Mr.. Ladejin-
sky said mildly. "It was rather
diftcult for me to accept such
/ q decision. But 1t was very clear
to me that it was a final decision.
coming from the secretary him
self"
Mr.. Ladejinsky, realizing the
enormity of his problem. asked
to see Secretary Benson himself.
But was told the secretary was
very busy and I couldn't see
him." he added, "and I never saw
him"
Since that day, Mr.. Ladejinsky
has not been back to his Office
in the Agriculture Department,
he has received no word direct
from the department, none of it's
security officers has talked with
him or corresponded with him,
and no charges have been pre-
ferred against him.
During his discussions with
Mr.. Butz, according to the farm
expert, no question was raised
about his security status. The
first he knew there was a security
question involved was week
after the summons to the As
sistant Secretary's Office. Then,
in formal Agriculture Depart
ment release, put out after Mr..
Judd and others had protested
the action, Mr.. Ladejinsky
learned there was a security
question raised against him.
Friends Protest.
The departments action in
ruling against Mr.. Ladejinsky
without even the formality of a
hearing brought immediate pro-
tests from Mr.. Judd and other
friends Of the farm expert.
It was recalled by some Of them
that only two or three months
ago. according to information
they had received. the Foreign
Operations Administration had
requested Mr.. Ladejinsky for a
special assignment In q Far East
ern trouble spot. and Secretary
Benson had rejected the request
on the grounds that Mr.. Lade-
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