Evening star., 1942-05-07
CrdndaII Knew Files
Were Confidential,
Witnesses Say
Civil Service Employees
Tell Of Conference Held
After News Leaks

Evidence was introduced by the
Government today in District Court
during the trial of four men and
a woman charged with illegal re-
moval of Civil Service Commission
personnel records that one of the
Observation-Disclosures G. Crandall, a
former commission employe-had
been given instructions that the
records should be regarded as con-
fidential.
Defense counsel has contended
throughout the trial that the rec
ords were not confidential because
they were not so labeled.
Richard H. Swesnik, a commission
employe, testified he knew definitely
that Mr.. Crandall attended con-
ference at which William P. Leh-
man, chief of the inter-depart-
mental placement service of the
commission, from which the records
are alleged to have been stolen, had
issued instructions that informa-
ton in the personnel files was con-
fidential.
The conference, held in Septem-
Der, 1910, resulted from suspected
leaks to the press of information in
the personnel files-data which
showed the qualifications of Civil
Service employees to switch into the
Governments defense agencies.
Records Called Confidential
Another Government witness, Ross
Pollock, formerly assistant chief of
the interdepartmental placement
service, testified that Mr.. Lehman
called attention at that conference
to the apparent disclosures to the
newspapers of information in the
commission files and stressed that
the records were TO be regarded as
confidential.
Mr.. Pollock was uncertain
whether Mr.. Crandall had attended
the conference, but Mr.. Swesnik de-
clared positively he was present and
had walked into the conference
room with him. The witness re-
called that Mr.. Crandall was smok-
ing cigarette at the time.
Mr.. Pollock also testified that dur
ing a discussion with Mr.. Crandall
after the conference he told Mr..
Crandall he was distressed" over
the disclosure of information in the
commissions records. At that time.
he said Mr.. Crandall, who was in
charge ofa.the flow" of personnel
records, told him he would do some
thing to prevent further leaks.
Another Government witness, Miss
Wanda Kantorowicz, commission
employe. who acted as secretary at
the conference, testified she recalled
that Mr.. Lehman had remarked that
the personnel records in the COM
missions files were confidential and
disclosure by an employe of any
information they contained was
"unethical"
Lists of Names Purchased.
In addition to Mr.. Crandall, the
defendants are Lawrence Lynford
Haynes, Walter August Caesar
Camp, Werner Julius Orbach, and
Miss Katherine Kay
One Of the witnesses before the
court late yesterday-George j. Cul-
Imam of Chicago, an executive of a
mail order house-revealed he had
received letter from an official of
the Washington firm which quoted
the fact that Government employees
are liberal spenders.'
Mr.. Cullinan said the letter was
written to his firm on the stationery
Of the Standard Buriness Service of
Washington and stated it had a
list Of Government employees whose
earnings are above the average"
which would be sold at a cost of l
cent name in lots of from 10000 to
10000.
Mr. Cullinan said his firm pur-
chased some of the names and paid
Sl04 for the list.