CONVICTION OF U.S. GENERAL

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27096, 20 July 1953, Page 10

CONVICTION OF U.S. GENERAL

Propaganda Extracts From Diary (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, July 16. The Federal Court of Military Appeals today confirmed the courtmartial conviction of Major-General Robert Grow, whose diary fell into Russian hands and provided propaganda for Moscow. General Grow was today sentenced to be reprimanded and suspended from the command of troops for six months.

He was assigned as Military Attache of the United States Embassy in Moscow at the time his diary fell into the hands of Soviet agents, who entered his hotel room while he was on a visit to Berlin. Material claimed by the Communists to have been taken from his diary was used as the basis of a propaganda attack in 1952. The propagandists said that General Grow had written such things as “War as soon as possible now,” “The time is ripe for a blow this year,” “We must learn that in this war it is fair to hit below the belt.’’

The Court of Military Appeals agreed with General Grow that many of the quotations ascribed to him by Soviet propagandists “were palpable forgeries,” but added: “It cannot be denied that the accused, negligent in the handling of his diary, furnished that germ of truth which is the starting point of all propaganda.”