Impudence in Sofia

"Great are your achievements, Comrade Kostov. Under your leadership and inspired by your heroic life, thousands of Communists were educated into unquestioned loyalty to the party."

In these glowing terms, the Central Committee of Bulgaria's Communist Party saluted its leader on his soth birthday, two years ago. Last week Comrade Rostov, for a decade Bulgaria's No. 2 Communist, was on trial for his life.

Kostov had been ousted from power last spring for being "anti-Soviet," which meant in plain Bulgarian that like Tito he opposed his country's economic exploitation by Moscow. "Kostovism," explained Bulgaria's new boss, Vulko Chervenkov, "is nothing but Titoism on Bulgarian soil." Through the summer and fall, Kostov and ten alleged accomplices were prepared for another big Communist show trial. It was reported that Kostov was flown to Moscow for "rehearsals." His jailers persuaded Kostov to write a 32,000 word "confession" of his anti-Russian activities, including the customary self-accusations that he had been a paid U.S. agent and had plotted the overthrow of the Bulgarian government with Yugoslavia's Marshal Tito.

Unbelieving Ears. As Kostov walked into the great hall of Sofia's Military Club, which had been rigged up as a courtroom, high Communists in the spectators gallery sat back smugly, waiting for him to cringe before his judges.

But Kostov would not play. When charges of espionage and treason were read to him, he cried: "It is not true!" Stunned, the presiding judge asked Rostov if he repudiated his earlier confession. "Yes, I do," said Rostov quietly.

The court hastily adjourned for 20 minutes to give Kostov a chance to read his confession over. When the court reconvened, Traicho Rostov, a colorless little man who looked like a small-town schoolmaster, still firmly stood his ground. For the first time in the weird history of Communist show trials, a major defendant had stepped out of the part assigned him and had yelled defiance till the end at the hidden author of the script.*Defendant Kostov provided some biting lines of his own. Questioned about Tito's police chief, Alexander Rankovic, he said: "I went to a banquet with him once where he proposed a toast. All he could say was 'Long live Stalin,' and then he sat down. A man of very limited capabilities . . ."

Thieving Eyes. Kostov was whisked from the courtroom. His co-defendants knew their parts, and stuck to them. Ex-Minister of Finance Ivan Stefanov, who confessed that he had been a spy for the British since 1932, passionately demanded that the Bulgarian people be on the lookout against such public enemies as himself.

For three days, the Bulgarian press was too dumfounded to mention Kostov's defiance. Then Moscow's Pravda reported that the startling words of the "despised Anglo-American spy" with the "thieving eyes" had aroused great indignation. Taking their cue, Sofia papers expressed great indignation at Kostov's "impudence."

* During the Great Moscow Purge trials in 1938, Nikolai Krestinsky similarly repudiated his confession, screamed: "Not guilty." He was rushed out of the courtroom, returned 20 minutes later to go back on the stand. That time he was letter-perfect in his part, missed not a cue.

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