Evening star., 1948-12-17
Clark Will Ask
StrongerLaws
Against Spying
Specific Amendments
Being Prepared,
Official Says
By Robert X. Walsh

1lgIller laws against spying
will be proposed to the Eighty
first Congress as soon as it con-
venes next month, Attorney
General Clark announced today
after cabinet meeting at the
White House.
He said the Justice Department
will be ready with specific amend
ments to espionage statutes.
The development came while con-
gressional spy hunters and admins
tration leaders kept up a running
fight about damaged microfilm evi-
dence and charges of red herring"
Investigation.
Mr.. Clark was asked, as he left
the White House, to comment on
remark by President Truman yes
terday that the Justice Department
has been working for more than
year on the problem of plugging
loopholes in laws against spying.
The President saio the job was diff
ficult because of the danger of
jeodardizing civi rights.
Will Offer Amendments.
"We will have something to say
at the very beginning of the session
of the new Congress" the Attorney
General told reporters This
will include recommendations for
amendments to present statutes en-
espionage"
He refused to go into details.
The Justice Department. mean
while. continued to be target for
criticism by the House Committee
on Un-American Activities, because
q department. official in New York
City yesterday asserted that a
"bungling, amateur investigator
for the committee ruined a micro
film Of allegedly stolen Government
documents. That was one of five
such film rolls obtained by the COM
mittee from Whitaker Chambers,
prewar Communist agent.
The committee also flared up late
yesterday after Mr.. Truman told
his news conference he has
not changed his mind about the
committees inquiry. The President
did not use the expression red
herring again. But he declared he
had made his position perfectly
clear and that it was closed incl
dent so far as he was concerned.
Committee members retorted that
the President was wrong when he
first called their work red her
ring" and that he was 100 per cent
more wrong now"
SNEAK Attack" Charged.
Replying to the Justice Depart
ment officials charge, the commit
tee accused the department of
SNEAK attack" Members were par
ticularly angered by the officials
assertion that careless handling of
one Of five microfilm rolls may
have prevented the possible indict-
ment of an entire espionage ring"
Those microflms contained copies
Of Government documents Mr.
Chambers said he got 10 years ago
from Alger Hiss, former State De-
partment official. Mr.. Hiss was in
dicted by Federal grand jury on
two perjury counts and pleaded not
guilty when arraigned in New York
yesterday.
The House committee, which ear
lier had recessed until Monday. with
indications there would be few if
any hearings until after Christmas,
called a news conference late yes-
terday.
This committee" Acting Chair
man Mundt announced, challenges
the Justice Department to support
the vicious sneak attack one of its
spokesmen has made in the public
press. It is true that one of the
microfilm rolls was ruined, but that
happened before committee investi-
gators got it. Mr. Chambers told
us it was accidentally exposed sew
eral years ago"
Careless Handling Denied.
Reports that one of the micro
film cylinders was smashed when
taken from a pumpkin hiding place
December 2 and given to committee
investigators by Mr.. Chambers were
heard some time ago. Earlier yes
terday, Mr.. Mundt denied the films
had been carelessly handled or pre-
maturely exposed by investigators,
although one had been previously
damaged.
Representative Nixon, Republican,
of California said the Justice De-
partment was Informed by the COM
n1ittee that one of the rolls had
been damaged.
Accusing the department spokes-
(See SPY INQUIRY page A-51