Russian Author Given Asylum By U.S.

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28767, 12 December 1958, Page 13

Russian Author Given Asylum By U.S.

(Rec. 7 pjn.) WASHINGTON, December 10. Alexander Cheshvili, the Soviet author and Stalin prize-winner, has been granted United States asylum after crossing over to West Berlin, and is now in Frankfurt, in West Germany, the State Department’s spokesman announced today.

The spokesman, Mr Lincoln White, said that Mr Cheshvili requested asylum about three weeks ago. His request was accepted by the United States Commander in West Berlin, MajorGeneral Arksdale Hamlett, and the Soviet author was flown to Frankfurt, where the West German authorities had allowed him to remain. It was not known whether Mr Cheshvili intended to come to the United States. He emphasised, however, that the author was under United States asylum. Officials Said it was too early to determine whether , Mr Cheshvili would be granted permission to come to the United States If he so desired. The United States Immigration. laws affecting nationals of Communist countries were rather stringent. The “Daily Mail” said Mr Cheshvili defected while attending a Communist Writers’ Con-

gress in East Berlin. Anti-Communist Russian sources in Frankfurt said the author, a Georgian, enjoyed Stalin’s patronage until his death in 1953. The newspaper said he may be able to throw new light on the cause of Stalin’s death. After Mr Khrushchev’s denunciation of Stalin, Mr Cheshvili was in the wilderness and last year was accused by the secretary of the Georgian Writers’ Unton of “deviationism"—virtual career assassination for a writer fa Russia.

After crossing to West Berlin he is reported to have said “as a Communist my hopes and Ideals in the Soviet Union were disappointed.” Mr Cheshvili became well known after the last war when his novel “Lelo” was published. The book was about collectivisationin the Caucasus and won him the Stalin prize.