Evening star., 1948-12-10

ScttCf W iACtHtS SftUH Heub {" u'eUt
OF the House Committee on Un-
American Activities and Mr..
Mundts reply tollo,os::
My Dear Mr.. Mundt:
This letter is to confirm the sub.
ject matter Of our conference this
morning when United States At.
torney George Morris Fay and
appeared before a closed session Of
the House Un-American Activities
Committee at which were present
in addition to yourself, Congress.
men Mcdowell, Nixon, Vail, Rankin
and Hebert. as well as Committee
Investigator Stripping.
At this closed meeting, which
lasted from approximately II am
until / m. today, stated that in my
capacity as Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral in charge of the Criminal Divi.
sion, supervising criminal cases ir
the Federal Courts throughout th'
country, I had just returned from
New York City where had been ir
conference with United States At.
torney John F. X. McGohey anc
Special Assistant to the Attorney
General Thomas r. Donegan, rela.
tive to the Chambers-Hiss matter
You were advised today that the
members of the New York Fedora
grand Jury were extremely concerned
over the release of information by
the House Un-American Activities
Committee. You and your commit.
tee were also advised that United
States Attorney McGohey and Mr.
Donegan were concerned because o1
the premature publicity attendant
to the examination of grand jury
witnesses by your committee.
Four Specific Requests.
Therefore United States Attorney
Fay and respectfully requested:
/. That the House Un-American
Activities Committee refrain from
interviewing and questioning wit
nesses who had in the past or who
might in the future be called to
testify before a Federal grand jury
in New York for reasons of inter-
nal security, and the successful
prosecution of any case which
might be developed.
2. That the House Un-American
Activities Committee refrain from
releasing any information which II
has regarding said investigation.
3. That the members of the COM
mittee were cordially invited to ap-
pear at any time before the Federal
grand jury in New York.
4. That your committee furnish to
said grand jury any and all infor-
nation and documents which II
may have regarding the subject
matter.
Your attention is directed to sec
ton 34S6. title 1s, United States
Code Q948 ed:
3485. Testimony before Con-
gress: immunity.
No testimony given by a wit
ness before either house, or be-
fore any committee of either
house. or before any joint COM
n1ittee established by joint or
concurrent resolution of the two
houses of Congress, shall be used
as evidence in any criminal pro-
ceeding against him in any court,
except in a prosecution for per-
Jury committed in giving such
testimony. But an official paper
or record produced by him is not
within the said privilege.
Jury Convened i'm 1947.
In view of this statute you can
appreciate the fact that the calling
of any witnesses may preclude the
successful prosecution Of a GRIM
inal case.
You were further advised that in
june. e.z1947, at the direction of the
Attorney General, the United States
attorney In New York City con-
vened q Federal grand jury for
the purpose of investigating any
possible violation Of espionage
statutes or other laws relating to
the internal security Of this coun-
try. Mr.. Hiss and Mr.. Chambers
were called and both testified in
detail and at length before this
grand jury long prior to its present
session. In addition, you were ad-
vised that the United States at
torney in New York had requested,
and that the Federal court had
called, a succeeding grand jury for
December 16, 1948. to continue the
. investigation begun by the present
grand jury, which convened in
June. 1947.
today that last month personally
conferred in Baltimore, Md, with
attorneys for Hiss, Chambers and
Time Magazine, during which con.
ference certain information, dis
closures and documents, which here
tofore had not been revealed, were
turned over to the Department OF
Justice, and that Immediately the
Federal Bureau of Investigation was
requested by me to conduct full
field investigation regarding this in
formation, and that said investiga-
ton was Immediately started and Is
now in full progress, and that the
USNSlUJulCllLS tllLc 1llNCotAB1SAOAA
are being turned over to the United
States attorney in New York City
for submission to the Federal grand
Jury.
In view of the foregoing 1t is again
respectfully requested that the COM
mittee refrain from any action which
may preclude the successful prose-
cution of any criminal case arising
out of this subject matter and which
may be detrimental to the internal
security of this country.
Respectfully,
For the Attorney General,
ALEXANDER M. CAMPBELL,
Assistant Attorney General.
House Probers' Letter.
Mr.. Mundt's reply:
Dear Mr.. Campbell:
This letter is In reply to your
communication of December 8
Ssyhirh uas delivered IN me nv mas.