Using Stalling's characterization [11] of finitely generated (f. g.) groups with infinitely many ends, and subgroup theorems for generalized free products and HNN groups (see [9], [5], and [7]), we give (in Theorem 1) a n.a.s.c. for a f.g. group to be a finite extension of a free group. Specifically (using the terminology extension of and notation of [5]), a f.g. group G is a finite extension of a free group if and only if G is an HNN group where K is a tree product of a finite number of finite groups (the vertices of K), and each (associated) subgroup Li, Mi is a subgroup of a vertex of K.

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In [4], a subgroup theorem for HNN groups was established. The theorem was proved by embedding the given HNN group in a free product with amalgamated subgroup and then applying the subgroup theorem of [3]. In this paper we obtain a sharper form of the subgroup theorem of [4] by applying the Reidemeister-Schreier method directly, using an appropriate Schreier system of coset representatives. Specifically, we prove (in Theorem 1) that if H is a subgroup of the HNN group1

A presentation of a group G is an exact sequence of groupswhere F is a free group. Let l→S ⊆ F→G→1 be another presentation of G involving the same free group F.