Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-01
Offered Atom Energy
Job, U. S. EmpIoye
Under Probe Says
By Don S. Worren


committee was startled yester-
day by testimony that a Gov
eminent official, accused OF
being a source of information
| for a Soviet spy ring, was Of
fered a job with the Atomic
Energy Commission, while un-
der investigation by the FBI.
William w. Remington. 30, Phi
Beta Kappa graduate of Columbia
University, now on leave as chair
man of the Commerce Department S
Export License Committee, told the
Ferguson subcommittee he had been
offered a job with the Atomic En-
ergy Commission while he was still
under investigation as to loyalty.
Says He Refused Job.
He said he had refused the job
in this super-secret agency because
I thought my life would be uncom-
Portable"
The Atomic Energy Commission
last night issued statement deny
ing there had been any offer" of
employment for Mr.. Remington. 1t
insisted the question of his en-
ployment had gone no further than
an interview.
At any rate, the commission S
statement added, it was clear that
any discussions were contingent
Upon security clearance following
an FBI investigation.
Hearings Resume Tomorrow.
Hearings before the subcommittee
headed by Senator Ferguson, Re-
publican, of Michigan will be re-
sumed at 10 am. tomorrow when it
will 60 further into details of the
effect of the alleged Soviet spy
ring described by Miss Elizabeth T.
Bentley, self confessed former head
of Russian espionage group.
The subcommittee also will dig
deeper into what it calls the fan
tastic" question of how person
under FBI loyalty investigation
could be offered or given conflden-
lldl SOFSl
Senator Ferguson revealed that
he had called on Secretary of Com
merce Sawyer to produce the de-
partment's ~personnel records-said
to have been unavailable heretofore
showing how Mr.. Remington got
his export license post.
Mr.. Remington was identified by
Miss Bentley as one of numerous
Government officials from whom
she obtained valuable secret war
time data.
Commission Comments.
While Mr.. Remington specified
to the Senate investigators how he
was offered but declined a job with
the Acc. that commission last night
issued this comment:
Mr.. William w. Remington was
one among several hundred persons
interviewed in early 1947 by per-
sonnet officers to ascertain whether
they were interested in and quail
fed for employment by the COM
mission. AS in all such interviews
the requirements of the Atomic
Energy Act concerning character
association and loyalty of persons
employed were stated, and it was
made clear that any discussions
were contingent upon security
clearance following an FBI investi-
cation.
THE matter went no further than
the interviews with Mr.. Remington
There was no offer of employment
and as a consequence he was not
asked to submit personal data as a
basis for an FBI investigation"
It was brought out that Mr.
Remington had been recommended
for the Acc post by Arthur Nc.
Mahon, now a member of the
Presidents Loyalty Board.
! Now on Inactive Status.
One member of the subcommit.
| tee commented last night that re-
gardless of the innocence or guilt
of Mr.. Remington there was now
no QdIlSeI SLICE llc ildO oCC1I
put on an inactive status a month
ago. But he went on to ask "hoV
in the blazes, in the face of the
facts that an individual was being
investigated by the FBI as tt
loyalty, could he be given such g
post as export license officer fol
the Government"
What the investigators want Il
find out, he added, is whether thu
procedures and policies of the Gov
eminent are effective.
Further development of the pic
ture of how things were done i
expected to come early this week
possibly tomorrow, from testimon,
by Louis Budenz, former managing
editor of the Communist Daily
Worker, who renowned the part!
and joined the Catholic Church
- Committee spokesman said HI
would be called to substantiate the
| (See REMINGTON, Page A-4)
ia