DONOVAN TO THE RESCUE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100370064-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 1998
• Sequence Number: 64
• Publication Date: April 14, 1963
• Content Type: NSPR

APR 14 1963
_~NN;,iA ,Apps 4ed}Fbor Release 2000/08/24: CIA-RDP7
TIMES
;VENING
91,899
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CPYRGHT
Donovan to the Rescue
Brooklyn lawyer James van is
waking a career of sp n prisoners
;aught up in Fidel Castro's. web.
On his latest expedition to Cuba, Dono
'an came home with nine Americans who,.
accidentally happened on Castro's impris-
med island because of a shipwreck, and
'missionary Castro accused of spying for
he Central Intelligence Agency.
It was the same Donovan who last win-
er managed the ransom of 4:13 of the
prisoners from the Bay. of Pigs fiasco of
wo years ago. Recently he got out two
omen who had been - . held by.. Castro's,
ailers. And it was he'whoiiegotiated the
.rade of the. Soviet spy, Col. Rudolph
Gel, forthe.U-2 pilot, Francis Powers.
It could be that Donovah got started
on this unique career because the Brooklyn
.:gar Association in 1957 chose him to de-
fend Abel' at his trial. This made him a
logical, emissary, no doubt, in the later
Powers'-Abel exchange.
but the deal for the Bay of Pigs pris-
oners was another story. Although Dono-
van was backed by the $53 million in ran-
torn goods, it took two months to wangle
Castro into rei`easing the prisoners. In the
case of the nine shipwrecked men just lib-
erated,, Donovan apparently had no more
going for him than his talent for persua-
sion_-,vhich must be`enormous.
When the Brooklyn Bar Association ap-
pointed Donovan to defend Abel (somebody
had to do it), the bar president said they
had to have a lawyer of character and
ability whose l i tty was "beyond ques-
tion." In his oper'a~tiaps since, Donovan has
made good on those qualifications. He did
get a medal from the CIA for the Powers
trade-but in viee"' '1'i s services more
recently the medal seems a pittance... '
This editorial also appeared the Knoxville, Tennessee, NEWS-SENTINEL,
Ili. April 1963
and the Birmingham, Alabama, POST-HERALD,
15 April 1963?
Approved For Release 2000/08/24: CIA-RDP75-00001 R000100370064-7