REJECTION BY U.S.

Chronicle (Levin), 21 August 1948, Page 5

REJECTION BY U.S.

(N.Z.P.A,

. . K . —Reuter

Russia Protests About v Kidnapping

Copyright)

" Received Fnday, (.30 p.m. WASH1XGTOX, August 19. The Seeretarv of State (Mr. George Marshall; today rejeeted outright ail the main poin'ts of the three Soviet protests that the tlnited States Government had connived in the ' ' kidnapping" of the three Russian schoolteachers. At the saine time the State Department ruled that Mrs. Kosenkina is not subject to the eontrol oy authoritv of the Soviet Government xyhile she reniains in the United States. This ruli.ng was given in a letter to the Xew York Supreme Court where a habeus eorpus writ respeeting Mrs. Kosenkii\a is peiuling. Mrs. Kosenkina is still critieally ill in liospital, but her condition impro.ved today after a night report that she wasv siukiug. Thongli the text of the reply to the Soviet protests will not be released •nitil tomorrow the United Press says it is known the reply is a sharp rejection of the protests and may even repriinand the Soviet envoys for having made fake aeeusations against the Cnited States Government. Mr. Midiael McDermott, the State Depart m»»ut spokesman, said the note to 'iussia replied to only three of the four So\iet protests lodged by the Foreign Minister, IMr. Molotov, the Ambassador, Mr. Punyushkin, and the Consul- • reneral, Mr. I.omakin. McDermott said tlie fourth protest wliieh was against tlie writ of halietis eorpus served 011 Mr. I.omakin in Xew York did not need a reply sinee Mrs. Kosenkina was no longer in Russian custody. The Moscow radio, discussing the Kosenkina ease. today, declared: "The Americau authorities are supportiug and linancing the work of such gangs as the 'Common Cause' and Tolstov Foundation outside the United >States."