Evening star., 1948-09-24
Proposal 10 Try
; as Atom Spies
Con1esUp Today
Probers' Accusations
Will Be Considered
By Full Committee
By Miriom Ottenbero

A recommendation that two
scientists and a Conn
Party official should be
prosecuted for wartime espio-
mage was to be considered by the
House Committee on Un-Amer-
ican Activities today.
The committee scheduled a meet
ing for this AFTERNOON to assess the
results of nearly months investi-
cation of Communist attempts to
ferret out the secrets of the atomic
bomb.
The proposal that the committee
urge prosecution of three persons
involved in the case was to be made
by Representative Mcdowell, Re-
publican. of Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Mcdowell predicted that
there may be more Americans
sufficiently involved to warrant
prosecution. but he was sure of at
least three persons.
Linked to TOP Spy"
He told reporters the committee
has evidence linking these three
unidentified individuals with the
top spy" assigned by the Russians
to atomic espionage
Mr.. Mcdowell said the top SOY"
is Arthur Adams. previously identi-
fed by the committee as Soviet
agent who disappeared several years
ago and is probably in Moscow. He
said the committee had given UP
hope of ever questioning him.
FBI agents are known to have
kept Adams under surveillance for
many months, trailing him from
coast to coast and observing his
with various Americans.
He was never taken in custody be-
cause of the administration policy
of not wanting to offend wartime
ally, according to committee sources.
Mr.. Mcdowell said Adams and his
wife separated early in the war and
Adams is now probably at his
home in Moscow" He scoffed at
reports that Adams is engaged cur
rently in espionage in this country,
saying:
Anybody as hot as he is would
be on the lam long ago"
Described Self rs Finn.
Adams, according to Mr.. Nc
Dowell, said he was Canadian-born
in seeking a passport at one time,
but the committee has questioned
close relative who said Adams
was born in Sweden. Mr.. Mcdowell
said Adams has described himself
as second generation Finn.
So far, the committee has lin
tied itself to hints and promises
of sensational revelations to come.
A decision on whether its atomic
case will be the subject of public
hearings or a written report will
be made today If a quorum OF the
full committee is present, Mr.. Nc
Dowell said
Among other unfinished business
is series of subcommittee recon-
mendations that four different wit
nesses should be cited for contempt
Of Congress,
The committee also has not yet
announced when 1t will be ready to
hold hearings on the resumption OF
its investigation of Communist
activities in Hollywood and its ac-
cusation that DR.. Edward U. Con-
don, director of the National Bureau
Of Standards, was one of the weak
est links in the chain of this
Nations atomic security. DR.. Con-
don has denied the charge and
asked for a hearing.
Before the executive session of
committee members, subcommittee
scheduled a closed meeting to hear
at least one witness in the contin-
uation of its atomic espionage case.
Wants Hoover to Testify.
Meanwhile, committee members
individually had something to say
on a. variety of subjects, as follows:
/. Representative Nixon, Repub-
lican. of California challenged
President Truman to let FBI Chief
J.. Edgar Hoover tell the truth"
about espionage to the committee.
MFR. Nixon told reporters the ad-
ministration is afraid to let Hoover
testify because of the names he
would name" He said the admins
tration is afraid of the political
consequences" If Mr.. Hoover told
the committee what he knows, Mr..
Nixon contended, he would make
additional revelations that would
shock the country"
I 2. Committee Chairman Thomas,
speaking at the. 10th Midwest Indus
4 trial Conference in Chicago, charac-
(See PROBE, Page A-6D