Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-19
Explanation Seen Due
By Truman on Facts
In Spy Indictments
By David Laurence

President Truman has not told
the American people all the truth
about the circumstances surround
ing the Federal grand jury investi-
CATION of the Communist spy ring
and it will be interesting to learn
whether Mr.. Truman was simply
misfnformed about the facts through
negligence on the part of subordi-
mates or whether the episode was
part Of political effort to avoid
indicting employees Of the admin
istration.
In any event, an explanation from
the President is due. For it now has
become known that Whitaker
Chambers, seh-confessed Commu-
mist agent, did not testify before
the Federal grand jury at all. This
fact was first disclosed In the last
"a hours in Washington dispatch
to the New York Sun by David
Smell. That same fact has now
been verified by this correspondent
from an entirely different and also
unimpeachable source.
Mr.. Truman gave the news cor
respondents on August S the fol-
lowing statement, which he allowed
to be quoted
mo information has been re-
vealed that has not long since been
presented to Federal grand jury
Jury Did Not Get Story.
But it turns out that the sensa-
tional story told by Whitaker
Chambers to the House Committee
on Un-American Activities was not
given to the grand jury, although
the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
ton had the information in ample
time for the grand jury sessions.
A host of Democratic campaign
speakers are echoing this statement
also from President Truman on
August S.,
mo information has been dis
closed in the past few days by
the congressional committees that
has not long been known to the
FBT. The Federal grand jury found
this information insufficient to
justify Indictment Of the Federal
employees involved"
The plain impression which the
above statement seeks to convey is
that all the testimony Of accuse
ton brought out before the con-
gressional committees was in the
hands Of the Federal grand jury
In New York. Now 1t turns out that
an important outline of Communist
activity and Of efforts at inflltra-
ton In the Federal Government was
known to the FBI and was available
from Whitaker Chambers, senior
editor Of Times magazine, but was
not given to the grand jury.
Congressional committees may
seek to learn the reason by inter-
rogating officials who were In
charge Of the prosecution.
It Is reported on good authority
that the reason for failing to tell
the grand jury about Mr.. Chambers
confessions or to let him testify was
because Of convenient technicality
1t is stated, for instance, that all
the information derived from Mr.
Chambers testimony related to acts
which occurred prior to the time
any overt acts of disloyalty are
alleged to have been committed by
the Federal employees. This means
that the statute of limitations" OPP
Grated against introduction of evil
dence occurring more than three
years before.
Entitled to Background.
Certainly grand jury, however,
Is entitled to all background infor-
nation as to the character of the
witnesses who do testify and all
necessary data Of historical nature,
no matter In what year it occurred,
which could possibly throw light on
the probity Of witnesses. 1t is be-
lieved that Mr.. Chambers Informal
ton could have been introduced as
bearing on the veracity of other
witnesses.
The incident. however, does Illus
trate how hard it Is to get indict-
ments under present espionage and
conspiracy laws. There are plenty
OF technicalities of which Congress
should be advised in order that it
may strengthen present laws.
The very fact that the Federal
grand jury was not given all the
information available to the FBI
and the fact that such information
as was given did not result in in
dictments now has justified in every
sense the exploration of the whole
subject by the congressional COM
mittees. "Pitiless publicity" by con-
gressional committees can be more
effective in warning the Nation
against dangers to Americas secu-
rity than secret grand jury sessions
from which essential evidence is
withheld for technical reasons.
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