Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-21
Russia Ignores
u. 5. Protests
On Detentions
By the Associated Press

by the Associateu Ptees
American protests to Russia
over the detention for two
days in East Germany Of two
United States Army majors
ana their enlisted driver have
been ignored. the Defense De-
partment reported yesterday.
Meanwhile, Czechoslovakia
has notified the State Depart
ment 1t will release an Ameri-
can soldier when his l4-month
prison term is up Saturday.
specialist 4jc John F. Kennedy
OF Philadelphia was arrested
and tried for border violation
In mid 1858.
The East German incident
occurred last July l0-l1. The
three Americans, members Of
the military liaison mission
that has been stationed in East
Germany for many years, were
halted by East German military
guards at Frankenberg.
A report to the Pentagon by
the United States Army COM
rnand in Europe said the East
Germans accused the three
Mats. Bernard A. Ramundo
and John r. Rantz and Spe-
cialist 4ic Robert Baker-of
having photographed German
installations at Marienberg,
Refused to Sign Papers
They were provided hotel
rooms in a nearby town by the
local Russian commander. Dur
Ing the night their rooms were
entered and searched and such
things as binoculars, a map
case, cameras and both ex-
posed and unexposed film were
taken.
The next day the three were
held in the detention room OF
the Russian commander at
Chemnitz. The two majors
refused to sign official state
ments prepared by the East
Germans and Russians and also
refused to sign receipts for the
conflscated items.
Later in the day two brief
cases were returned to the
Americans, empty except Tor
several rolls of unexposed HIM
Then the Americans were per.
aitted to return to United
states headquarters at Pots
dam.
The next day a letter OF pro-
test was sent to 1t. Gen. H. F.
Voronstov, chief of the Soviet
forces in East Germany, by
Mai. Gen. Ralph M. Osborne,
acting chief of staff OF the
liaison mission. The letter de-
ulanded the return of all items
cofifiscated and for disciplinary
action against all Russian ana
East German personnel con-
earned nlus an official apology.
No Further Action
The Russian general refused
to accept the latter. and no
further action has been taken,
the report to the Pentagon
concluded.
AS for Specialist Kennedy,
oficials here said they expect
him to be taken by Czech au-
thorities to some point on the
German-Czech border and re-
leased there.
He was picked up in 1858 by
Czech border guards together
with Pvt. Cole Youngert Of De-
troit. The State Department
said shortly after their disap-
pearance that the two became
Intoxicated in Weiden. a Ger
man town near the border, on
August %. They took a taxi
cab and the driver reported he
saw them disappear in the di-
rection of the border. Pvt.
Youngert was releaced earlier.
Specialist Xennedy's release
viii leave one other American
soldier and a United States
civilian in Czech prisons.
The soldier is Pfc. AM dew A.
Bellrichard of Nekoosa, Wis,
who was sentenced IN August,
1858, by a Communist court IN
Pilsen to two years imprison-
ment for border violation. The
civilian, Jaromir Zastera. was
arrested in 1949 and sentenced
to 10 years on espionage
charges.