Police Precautions For Mikoyan’s Safety

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28794, 15 January 1959, Page 9

Police Precautions For Mikoyan’s Safety

(Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14.

The Los Angeles police chief, Mr William H. Parker, said last night that he had been warned by “foreign intelligence sources” that Mr Mikoyan, the Soviet First Deputy Premier, “would not be allowed to leave this country alive.” Mr Parker did not identify the sources of his information.

Mr Mikoyan, one of the most powerful Communists in the world, will be driven to the hub of American capitalism today when he visits Wall street for lunch with 18 directors and officers of First National City Bank of New York. The luncheon is Mr Mikoyan’s first engagement since his return last night from a whirlwind coast-to-coast tour marked by rowdy demonstrations staged by Hungarian and other Eastern European refugees, egg-throwing incidents and a threat in Chicago that a bomb would be placed aboard his plane.

Later today at the WaldorfAs oria Hotel. Mr Mikoyan will be the guest of honour of the Economics Club of New York Up to 500 policemen in uniform and in plain clothes, F. 8.1. agents and security agents of the State Department will be watching over Mr Mikoyan’s safety until he leaves for Washington for talks late in the week with President Eisenhower and the Secretary of State (Mr Dulles). When he enters the Waldorf-

Astoria tonight, Mr Mikoyan will be guarded by about 400 policemen. who will have cordoned off the entire street block in which the hotel is situated. The Federation of Former Hungarian Political Prisoners has promised that 1000 of its supporters will picket the hotel for Mr Mikoyan’s arrival from the nearby home of the Soviet United Nations’ mission, where he spent the night under armed police guard. But police have strict instructions to allow nobody on the side of the street on which the hotel is situated and the demonstrators may have to content themselves with shouting at Mr Mikoyan from across the street.

Mr Mikoyan arrived at the Idlewild International Airport last night under one of the tightest security curtains ever draped over the airport. Less than 30 demonstrators appeared More than three hours before his arrival, police had set up barriers and check points so that only legitimate travellers were permitted through restricted areas to board their planes. Not even the relatives and friends of departing and arriving travellers were allowed near the area where Mr Mikoyan’s plane came in and policemen kept watch from the airport roof for anyone who might evade the cordon.

Mr Mikoyan was whisked out of the airport so swiftly and expertly that his car was already roaring towards Manhattan under police escort before many of the demonstrators were aware that he was no longer at the airport or that he had arrived. One of the leaders said: “We’ll catch up with him tomorrow.”