                                                                         -3-
 Since neither tb~, `~h treatinert L~VJ~ Sobell, n~    ~e unu~ua11y hea~'y
  s6ntence irnpo~ed on him altorcd:.his dotp~in~tion to  tick to tlio    truth,
  The Attorney General'~ office bet out on a new appr,o&ch, tI~at-of a
  temporary liberalization 0~~.the condition.of hi3 iniprisonnont~  They wore
  sufficiently aware of the fact~t~iat thou trial'~'end )~ad not negated their
  need for a spurious ~~confes~iont.I.  ThiB liberalization Was calculated to
  appeal to ~j~rton Soboli's obviously beep attachment to his family and
  Scientific work.  He was permitted to `:1ork at a job more c0Tni:~ensurate
  with his background, that of repairing arA maintaining electrical
  inst~lations at the Federal House of Detention.  Hi's visiting program was
  scme'~hat relaxed.  He was e~'en permitted, at tin'e~, to fl.a',e and I'ecei~~
  telephone calls to and from his fwni~y~  These step~~were taken in the
  hope that Sobeli would boccme1so.reluctant to ~i':o up :~~~ family and
  scientific work for 30,years t~~at his "ccoper&tior1 would be forthcoming.

  ~~hat the Attorney General's office did not foresee, hov~ver, `.~s that the'
  Rosenberg~Sobell case wct:ld alert a tren:enAous n'~~er of Aziericans to the
  ult~~n&te consequences of `.`.c?arthyir.m and h:.'storia.  The cai7ipaign for truth
  and justice in the c~~e `:as boginiing to r~':eal the incongruities and
  falsehoods by which the l~c~erffijer~ &nd ~obell convictior,s had been obtained-
  The Attorney General's office, feeling now the first twin.yes of concern,
  began t'6 withdraw these lib~ralizations.  1.)~jen it qulc)cly bec~e apparent
  that the campaign to win clemency for tbe PosonThergs was reac~iing world
  dimensidns, the condition of U'orton  obell's i~prisonnent becar.,e ~~ore
  Severe.  Now, more than~be~oro, his ?1confesion?~ was needed to still those
  nuneroi~s cries that woul'd oventu~1ly beccme virtually t::e single voIce. of
  the world.

  All this occurred fairly e&~ly in the ~~m~aign in behalf of tJ1e~i'~osenbergs~
  In the 5urjner of 1951, the Attorney Gen'~ral's office, in complete disregard
  of the laws pertaining to .~ederai prIsoners, yhis"ed  ode Il to Atlanta
  Penitentiar5~  This was done :it'.~out ?arning or notice to  obell, his
  family,. or his attorney, and violated those st~t'~tes wh,'ch (-IVe federal
  prisoners `Nhose cases are on alN')eal an Qutlon: t:~~~ nay elect to regain at
  the Federal Iiouse of Detention, in v:ichcaso t~~ time tey spend there  is
  n9t credited to thcm as t~?Tie served, or they `:ay elect to be sent to a
 fede,ral penitentiary to begin serving ti'iciir time.  :.orton ~obell had
  elected to remain at the Federal jouse of ~)~tention, so.that he &igiit be
  available for consultation on his appeals.

 Sobell's attorney vigorously protested t~iis volation of the federal laws.
 then he made it clear that ice would -peal this unl~~ful step An. ,tie `courts,
  .Lorton Sobell was returned to the i~ouse of Detention.  His return without
  a court:orderwas a~tacit~admIssion by tie Attorney Genoral1s office that it
  had broken the lawn

  The conditions of his im,~rison,n,ont ~rad':~lly worsened.  All.work was denied
  him.  Visits by thu fwr~.ily and attorney became more difficult.  Stoolpigeons
  were planted at  his side, whispei'in1' to him of the rewards that could easily
  beocn:e his if he chose to 1,cooperatell.

  As a next-t.o-the~last~resort, prison re'ulation5 were t~ro"~~ to the winds,
  and Mr. Sobell was given anon~~ous letters of a most brutal nature.

  These letters "informed~1 him that his wife wad dislQ.'al, and `:~s leaving him.
  A clue to the mentality of the autiiors of t)eso anon~~ou  letters was found
  in one 6f them that relates that i.~rs. ~obell was seen walking at the side of
  a Negro.  If x1othing else, this bit of racism told !r. Soboll that the
  authorship of-these letters Ia- at the door of the most bigoted elements in
  American life and government.
