Leon Uris, author of “Trinity” and “Exodus,” among other books, has informed his publisher, Doubleday and Co. Inc., that he and his photographer wife Jill have cancelled plans to visit the Soviet Union this fall, according to a spokesman for the publishing firm. In a cable to his publisher, Uris stated:
“I am cancelling my projected visit to Russia in protest to the recent trials, repugnant even by barbaric Soviet Standards of justice and a blight on the free spirit that dwells in every man. Had I been granted a tourist visa or an invitation by the Writers Union, It would be conditional upon my complete freedom to visit dissidents. Under present conditions my presence could only add to the misery and danger of those courageous soalus. I pray that a cry of outrage swells from the world that will penetrate that curtain of darkness and let the dissidents know that they cannot and will not be alone.” Leon and Jill Uris are presently in Israel researching their next two books.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.