UNE 19, 1963 marks 10 yeas
J since Ethel and Julius Rosen-
berg were executed, allegedly for
conspiring to pass the secret of the
atomic bomb to the Soviet Union.
Morton Sobell, a radar specialist
tried in the same case, was sen-
tenced to 30 years in prison even
though the presiding judge, Irving
Kaufman, told him: - ‘‘The evi-
dence in the case did not point
to any activity on your part in
connection with the atomic bomb
project.”

So flimsy was the case against
Sobell that his lawyers advised
him his most effective defence
would be to rest on his plea of
innocence, without even taking
the witness stand. Sobell, want-
ing to take the stand, reluctantly
bowed to their legal opinion.

* * ok

In the years since the Rosen-
bergs were put to death opinion
has been divided on many aspects
of the case.

At the time, Judge Kaufman
condemned them to die on the
basis of his belief that the Rosen-
bergs were responsible for the
Soviet Union developing the
‘atomic bomb. In the years fol-
lowing, Soviet scientific progress
—particularly in space research
and the harnessing of atomic en-
ergy — has led an increasing
number of people to mock the
notion that the U.S.S.R. obtained
its bomb through espionage.

* * *

Indeed, even before the Rosen-
bergs and Sobell were indicted,
Time magazine (issue of Jan2
1950) commented:

“For the last decade, there has
been no ‘atom bomb secret’ which
Russian spies needed to steal.
This fact has been asserted again
and again by the Atomic Energy
Commission . ..< Last week the
A.E.C.’s files yielded document-
ary proof: Russian scientific
papers on the project, published
in 1940, before the U.S. started
its atom bomb project . . . The
basic ‘secrets’ were already ~in
their files u

A review -of the Rosenberg-
Sobell trial records recalls that
there was no documentary evi-

dence against the Rosenbergs.
The jury found them guilty on
the word of witnesses who stood
to gain by their testimony.
Ethel Rosenberg’s — brother,
David Greenglass, who claimed

showed that the Mexican govern-
ment not only did not deport So-
bell, but took action to see that
its laws were not violated by an
international kidnapping.

None of this evidence, plus

“WE ARE INNOCENT!” Ethel
and Julius Rosenberg vowed to the end

before their execution ten years ago.

to have pieced together atomic
secrets by eavesdropping on sci-
entists, has since been freed. He
saved his life by accusing his
sister.

Since the trial, new evidence

™
ETHEL ROSENBERG

has been presented in court show-
ing that Greenglass was an habit-
ual liar who had fits of hysteria
and ran nude through hallways
shouting incoherencies (accord-
ing to statements made by his
wife).

Other new evidence offerd:

Proof that a console table the
Rosenbergs owned was an ordin-
ary, inexpensive table bought in
Macy’s as they had testified. The
prosecution had claimed the table
(never produced in court!) was
an expensive gift from the Sovi-
ets hollowed out for secret micro-
film work;

Proof that Morton Sobell was
kidnapped from Mexico at -the
instigation of the prosecution, and
that at the trial the prosecution
claimed fraudulently that the
Mexican government had deport-
ed Sobell. The new evidence

other new features, has ever been
given a hearing in court. Each
time, the prosecution has man-

aged to avoid a hearing on the —

merits.

Whether or not people were

MORTON SOBELL

moved by the Rosenbergs’ claim
of innocence, there were many
who believed the death penalty
was a result of the hysteria of the
«McCarthy period and the Korean
conflict.

“this court has never reviewed
this record and has never af-
firmed the fairness of the
Wales.

The Supreme Court has empha-
sized that refusal to review a
case in no way judges its merits.
Further, appeals are limited to
legal points, not the question of
innocence or guilt or which wit-
ness was telling the truth.

The furor that the trial un-
leashed has been paralleled only
by such cases as those of Dreyfus,
Mooney-Billings and Sacco-Van-
zetti. There were public meetings
and demonstrations, debates in
the press, thousands marching be-
fore the White House, and pleas
pouring in from throughout the

JULIUS ROSENBERG

world. Pope Pius XII, the Presi-
dent of France and Albert Ein-
stein were among those who in-
tervened for clemency.

A legal battle raged until the
last moment. Supreme Court Jus-

“The cry for justice has sounded many times through the

centuries from the time of

Amos the Prophet down to

the present. To me no cry has had such merit to it as
the cry for justice for Morton Sobell. I feel satisfied
in my own mind that Morton Sobell is innocent, a

victim of perjury, politics and prejudice.”
—REV. PETER McCORMAEK., Protestant

minister of 50 years experience who was

chaplain at

Alcatraz and knew Morton

Sobell while he was imprisoned there

Defenders of the Rosenberg-
Sobell verdict often claim that
the Supreme Court has reviewed
the case many times and found
nothing wrong. The fact is, as
Justice Hugo Black has stated,

tice Douglas granted a stay of
execution, braving later moves
for his impeachment. The ,Su-
preme Court had adjourned for
the summer, but it was called
back into unprecedented session

to overrule Justice Douglas 6-3
while the executioner stood by in
Sing Sing prison.

A few hours later, on June
19, 1953, with the execution
moved ahead until just before
sundown to avoid having it occur
on the Jewish Sabbath, Julius
and Ethel Rosenberg were electro.
cuted.

They swore their innocence in
final statements. A telephone was
kept open to the death chamber
with the offer to spare them if
they would admit their guilt.

* * *

Morton Sobell was made a sim-
ilar offer. Vancouver Sun column-
ist Jack Scott has written: ‘‘So-
bell, himself, has continued to
protest his innocence, although a
confession, whether true or ialse,
would lighten his staggering sent-
ence...

“T happened to be reading a
booklet on the witchcraft trials
in Salem, Mass., when I came
across the Sobell file. One para-
graph tells of 13 women and six
men hanged as witches and con-
cludes: ‘Fifty persons confessed
and were freed.’

“The comparison with the Ros-
enberg-Sobell case is unavoid-

able.”
* * *

Morton Sobell is officially elig-
ible for parole. He even has a
job waiting for him when he gets
out. The trick is to get him out.

Before his election as President,
Senator John F. Kennedy gave
every indication of planning ac-
tion on his behalf. The official
position now is: “It’s up to the
parole board.”

Every decent person wishing to
see an end to the vendetta against
Sobell should write or wire Presi-
dent Kennedy. Also, financial aid:
is required by the Sobel! Com-
mittee, 940 Broadway, New York
10, N.Y.

Our readers write thei

rcommenfs...

Our Reputation

William Carson, Burnaby,
writes: I hope that all honest and
decent Canadians will condemn
the attitude of the Warwick Broth-
ers (world hockey players from
Trail who boast that they filched
original world cup) to permanent
and shameful obscurity.

Drama workshop

T° Progressive Actors Work-

shop, a drama group formed
these last few months, has plann-
ed an interesting social evening
for Friday, June 21st, at 3894
“West 11th Ave.

Improvisations and monologues
will be presented, giving those in
attendance an opportunity to dis-
cuss class training and other as-
pects of drama.

Casting of a Brecht play within
two.weeks should be of interest
to those who have a yen to do
drama.

There will be food, refreshments
and social fun for an admission
of 50c with the program part of
the evening getting under way
around 9:15.

All interested people should
contact Mrs. Syvia Friedman, at
HE 3-0106.

It could only happen in Trail,
B.C. the country, that by some
co-incidence, also fostered so
much of the hatred for our Douk-
hobor minority. The cup episode
could only happen with a Canad-
ian world hockey team. For how
else could a player think and act
when forced to behave as do our
world players abroad? Or, if this
is putting the cart before the
horse, what else except the War-
wick mentality could perform so
dismally in cost of Canadian rep-
utation?

I am beginning to think there
are solid reasons why these sab-
oteurs of Canada have been al-
lowed to air their infamous and
degrading acts so blatantly. Is it
possible that the Kootenay and
particularly the Trail influence ex-
emplifies the tail end of Canada’s
cultural and intellectual develop-
ment? Is it not in this area that
the Doukhobor hatred still is be-
ing strongly fostered? And isn’t
this the area that also expresses
hatred of the French Canadians?

Wake up Trail! The world is
leaving you behind. The day has
passed when one human can try
to pretend he is superior to an-
other. Also, the very fact that a
person thinks of himself as being

superior, makes him in reality in-
ferior!

Frankly, I do not believe that
thé so-vocal hate organizations in
your area express the opinions of
all you good people. But T will
say that it is your responsibility
to prove the point to the rest of
the world!

(Ed. Note: The Warwicks are
now directing their ignorant
“hate” campaigns from Edmon-
ton and -not Trail as Brother
Carson’s letter would indicate.)

Take Over City?

E. S. Vancouver, writes: Hav-
ing read the newspaper “‘letters
to the editor’? from the general
public about the high taxes on
homes and property I might say
that the Non-partisan outfit at
City Hall has been doing that for
years.

No doubt also that a good many
of the people who are complaining
about high taxes have been voting
the nonpartisans back into office
for years.-So what do they ex-
pect? Naturally the nonpartisans
don’t tell the people before elect-
‘ions that they are going to boost
taxes. That comes later. Perhaps
Bennett should ‘“‘take over’’ the
city as he did the B.C. Electric?

They ‘Got Their Man’

E. L. Knott of Victoria writes:
I wish to make the following
statement in reply to your paper’s
telephone request for my com-
ment on the dismissal of Gordon
Knott of Lake Cowichan from the
R.C.N. because the RCMP turn-
ed in a “security” report alleg-
ing that he was my son.

As secretary of the Vancouver
Island Region of the Communist
Party, and on behalf of many
others, I want to express my
appreciation to Colin Cameron,
MP, for. exposing the undemo-
cratic activities of the RCMP.

The force, which as a sideline
investigates the loyalty of peace
fighters and students on the
campus, seems to think that one
of its main duties is to deny em-
ployment and citizenship rights to
people because they are suspect-
ed of belonging to or supporting a
legal political party—the Com-
munist Party of Canada.

I did my bit in the last war to
help make the world safe from
Gestapo style activities. It is high
time these activities of the RCMP
were publicly exposed and ended.
If the RCMP would spend half as
much time and energy looking
after its proper work such as il-
legal immigration and narcotics

traffic, instead of hounding pro-
gressives Canada would be much
better off.

This is just one more case of
the Mounties ‘‘getting their man’”’
—the wrong one, and I extend my
sympathy to the Knott familv of
Lake Cowichan, who are definitely
not related to me.

The least they could do to make
amends is to apologize to the
Knott family, put an end to these
practices, and restore the boy
back into the navy, if he still
desires to be a Sailor.

(Ed. Note: Since Mr. Knott’s
above letter, also forwarded -to
the Vancouver Sun, but not pub-
lished, Liberal Minister of Just-
ice Chevrier has admitted the
RCMP “error” and made annlo-
gies to the Knoft family. Since
such “errors”? are becoming too-
common it is obvious that much
more than ‘apologies’ are re-
quired.)

NEW DISCOVERY

: Research workers at the Insti-
tute of Nuclear Research of the
Czechoslovak Academy of Sci-
ences have discovered a mineral,
found in Slovakia, which reliably
purifies water polluted by radio*
isotopes of radio-chemical opera-
tions. :

June 14, 1963—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 5