GV BARGHOORN ENTERS STATE DEPT. BUILDING. PAST CHEERING CROWDS.
0.09


CV BARGHOORN SOF STARTS.
1.09


TRANSCRIPT: FREDERICK BARGHOORN: " I WAS ENTERING THE METROPOLE HOTEL WHERE I HAD BEEN STAYING. I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE NEXT MORNING. I WAS GOING TO TAKE AN EARLY PLANE THE NEXT DAY, ON NOVEMBER 1, WHEN A YOUNGISH-LOOKING MAN, AS FAR AS I CAN RECALL, A COMPLETE STRANGER, APPROACHED ME AND HE WAS CARRYING WHAT LOOKED TO BE A ROLL OF NEWSPAPERS. IT WAS PRINTED MATTER OF SOME KIND AND I RECALL HE ASKED ME, I THINK IT WAS IN ENGLISH BUT I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE, HE ASKED ME: 'ARE YOU AN AMERICAN CITIZEN?' AND I WAS SOMEWHAT STARTLED AND STEPPED BACK A BIT AND I SAID 'YES'. I SHOULD ADD I WAS RATHER PREOCCUPIED - I'D JUST SAID GOODBYE TO MY FRIENDS AT THE AMERICAN EMBASSY AND WAS THINKING ABOUT THE TRIP AND THE CONVERSATIONS AND SO ON. IN ANY CASE, THIS VERY BRIEF CONVERSATION BETWEEN US, THIS STRANGER AND ME, TOOK PLACE AND THEN HE PUSHED TOWARDS ME THIS ROLL OF NEWSPAPERS, OR THOUGHT IT PROBABLY CONTAINED SOME SORT OF PROPAGANDA MATERIAL AND PERHAPS UNWILLINGLY OF FOOLISHLY I TOOK IT AND PUT IT IN MY COAT. AND ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY A COUPLE OF MEN GRABBED ME AND HUSTLED ME OFF TO AN AUTOMOBILE. WELL LATER I WAS TOLD IN PRISON THAT THIS MAN HAD BEEN ARRESTED ALSO."




Initials JRG/N/CR/LW



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE AMERICAN PROFESSOR FREDERICK BARGHOORN...AFTER VISITING THE STATE DEPARTMENT IN WASHINGTON...TALKS ABOUT HIS SEIZURE ON "SPY" CHARGES IN MOSCOW.

THE YALE PROFESSOR WAS RELEASED LAST WEEKEND AFTER SPENDING 16 DAYS IN PRISON IN THE SOVIET UNION.