Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-09
5 Soviet Sailors
End Asylum in
u. s, Go Home

|
Church World Service says So
Wet agents frightened five Rus
sian sailors. who have returned
to Russia after obtaining asylum
in the United States.
Jan Van Hoogstraten. assist
ant director of the Church World
Service, an agency of the Ma
tional Council of Churches, says
he has no reason to believe that
Soviet agents beat or drugged
the sailors.
"They have other ways of
showing people they can handle
them" he declared.
The five were among nine
sailors who obtained asylum in
this country last October after
Chinese NationalistS captured a
Russian tanker with a crew of
48 in June, 1854.
Letters from Parents
Mr.. Van Hoogstraten said that
in recent weeks the sailors had
told him of receiving letters
from their parents in Russia i'm
Iploring them to return home.
In most cases, he said, the
sailors remarked to the effect
that my mother is simple
woman and would not use the
words in the letter" or my
father is a country man and
would not himself know such
words"
Mr.. Van Hoogstraten said yes
terday the five sailors were given
a hearing by United States i'm
migration officials 20 minutes
before they left Idlewld Airport
Saturday.
The Church World Service
said the sailors were represented
by Soviet counsel.
Surrounded by Officials
Mr.. Van HoogStraten said he
found the sailors surrounded by
Is to 20 Soviet officials at the
airport. He said immigration
officers whiSked the sailors off
for a hearing before he could
request permission to speak with
them.
1 Departure of the five was con-
flrmed by immigration officials IN
Washington. who said they had
no control over exit permits.
The immigration Service de-
clined further comment.
immigration officials in New
York were silent on the case, In
Washington. spokesman for the
State Department and the JUS
tice Department said they had
not heard Of the five men re-
turning to Russia.
Sees Possible Pressure
Angler Biddle Duke. president
OF the International Rescue Mis-
sion, said in statement:
1T is my conviction that had
these men had access to trained
counsel, they would have re-
vealed that they we're subjected
to Soviet pressure TO return.
Mr.. Duke urged that in future
cases involving iron curtain ref
ugees. a public defender" be APP
pointed to determine whether
they are returning voluntarily"
The nine sailors. who had first
been taken 10 Formosa with the
rest OF the crew of the seized
ship, are members of the Rus
sian Orthodox Church and came
here under sponsorship OF the
National Council Of Churches.
The master and 28 officers
and crewmen were repatriated
to Russia. Twenty asked for
asylum, and II Of these remained
on Formosa.
Mr.. Van HoogStraten identi-
fed the five who left Idlewild
Airport as Valentin Lukaschkov.
Alexander Shirin. Michael 5hi-
shin. Victor Ryan Benko and
Nicholas Vaganov.
He said the first three had
just completed a three month
language course at Columbia
University, and the other two
had been working in factories
in Paterson. N. J. He declined
TO say where the other four
sailors are. because he did not
want Soviet agents to find them.
A special commission Of the
: international Refugee Commit
tee said in recent report that
during Is months, l.l58 persons
! returned behind the iron curtain
i,