Thus a reference to Hiss by name indicates that he was not a spy but was simply one of the many American and British officials, including presidents and cabinet officers, who were often mentioned by Soviet intelligence agencies in their Venona cablegrams. Venona and Alger Hiss points up a distinction between the two sides of Venona that is crucial for responsible historians and journalists. On the other hand, some of the deciphered messages were sloppily translated and subjected to flawed interpretations, distorting the results to suit the preconceptions and political agendas of the intelligence agencies. Certainly in the case of Alger Hiss, Venona is not the final piece of the puzzle that Hiss's detractors have claimed it to be. Intelligence and National Security is published quarterly in London by Frank Cass and Co. Ltd., international publishers of books and academic journals.
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