A MYSTERY MISSION FOR MINDSZENTY?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100350016-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 1, 1999
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: June 3, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

FOIAb3b
Sanitized - Approved For Release : IA-
NEW. YORK
N:RALD T1 TBU
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JUN 3 1964
Donovan Promises Fascinating" Story
Mystery Mission for Mind s'zenty90
By Barrett McGurn
Of The Herald Tribune Staff
wyer who has worked minor
iraeles in freeing Com-
munist-held prisoners, re-
ned from Yugoslavia and
e Vatican yesterday after a
ew venture of the same kind.
e said that when the full
tory comes out "in due time"
hat "I think you'll find it
i ascinating."
Speculation spread im-
ediately that the object of
r. Donovan's efforts may be
osef Cardinal Mindszenty,
ho has been a voluntary
mate of the American lega-
ion in Budapest for seven-
nd-a-half years. But Mr,
novan insisted that it was
ot."opportune" for him to,
ay anything about his work
1: t #his,ti,me, beyond the fact
that the trip 'to Yugoslavia
made "very great progress"
in his new case.
Mr. Donovan, the court-ap-
pointed defender of the Soviet
spy, Col. Rudolf Abel, was the
negotiator who freed U-2 pilot
Francis Powers, and the 9.700
Bay of Pigs captives. A lawyer,
he is president of the New
York City Board of Education.
Msgr. Bela Varga, the last
president of a free Hungarian
parliament, who has been in
continued close touch with
political and religious condi-
tions in Hungary, said that
Marshal Josip Broz-Tito of
Yugoslavia, could be a useful
intermediary . in negotiating
the release of the Hungarian
primate. The regime of. Pre-
mier Janos Kadar is seeking
international respectability
and sees Communist but non-
Soviet Yugoslavia as the most
likely starting point. Tito, for
his part, Is, indebted to the
United States for much ma-
terial aid and would enjoy in-
creased prestige both with his
own Catholic minority and
with the Communist world in
general if he could pluck the
poisoned arrow of the Mind-
szenty case from the side' of.
the Budapest regime.
However, Mr. Donovan, ' in
answer to a, direct question,
denied speaking to Pope Paul
VI about Cardinal Mindszenty.
Cardinal Mindszenty is
ready to take a communist'
safe-conduct out of Hungary
if he gets a flat order from
Pope Paul VI to go, Mon-
signor Vagra pointed out.
Short of that the cardinal has
demanded that the ' Kadar
regime give the Catholic
Church freedom of operation
and permit the consecration
of new bishops, neither of
which the Budapest govern--
ment has been willing to",
concede.
Mr. Donovan was in Europe
10 days. The last person with
whom he conferred was the+,3
pope. last, Wednesday." ; _111
rW YOIzx
JUN 3 1964
Donovan has
NevvSwap idea;
Attorney .Tames B. Donovan
aid yesterday on his return rom
urope that he had discussed with
ape Paul a "fascinating" new
Ian to free political prisoners
rom behind the Iron Curtain.
Donovan, who arranged the ex-
hange of U-2 pilot Gary Powers
rom Russia and the release of
e Bay of Pigs prisoners from
uba, arrived on the liner Queen
~: lizabeth.
0f his plan he said. "When this
prn n out is will je, fascinating,"
CPYRGHT
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000100350016-2