Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-06
Member of New Deal Cabinet
Involved in Sale Of Uranium
To Reds, House Prober Says
Testimony of French
Mine Owner Also
Sought by Committee
By Miriom Ottenberq

House Committee on Un-Ameri-
can Activities, said today a New
Deal cabinet officer and a French
uranium mine owner were in
volved in the wartime shipments
of uranium to Russia.
Mr.. Stripping made the disclosure
that a cabinet officer was involved
in saying that the committee would
begin an investigation Of the sales
of uranium to Russia possibly late
next week.
The investigator also said that
a number of former Army officers
"a lot of them who served with
the Manhattan atomic bomb pro-
ject during the war'-had been
heard in secret sessions of the COM
mittee.
Mcdowell Repeats Charges.
Representative Mcdowell, Repub-
liacn. of Pennsylvania, who told
the House committee yesterday
that uranium had been shipped
to Russia at the height of the
atomic research" repeated his
charges in a House speech today.
He said "a significant amount of
uranium compound, vital COM
ponent" of atomic bombs, was sent
to Russia in 1945. This was in addi-
ton, he said yesterday, to 1900
pounds sent to Russia in 1913.
In the wake of Mr.. Mcdowell S
disclosures yesterday. Maj. Gen
Leslie R. Groves, wartime head OF
the Manhattan project, said he die
not ship any uranium to Russia, but
added:
AS a retired Army officer, it
would not be proper for me to an
sWer that question fully
Asked whether. if such shipments
we're made, it was done without his
knowledge, Gen. Groves replied:
That would be a fairly good
assumption"
Russian Agent Uncovered.
Mr.. Stripping said the committee
had uncovered Russian agent al
legged to have been involved in the
shipments. The investigator did
not name the cabinet officer and
refused to say whether the official
would be called to testify.
He added we would like very
much to have the French mine own
er" as witness. But he pointed out
that it was impossible to get him to
this country.
The committee will take up the in
vestigation of uranium shipments at
the conclusion of its current inves-
tigation of the operation of Rus
sian spy ring here, Mr.. STRIPPING
said. He said he expected the
break in the spy inquiry next Wed
nesday.
His disclosures came as the COM
mittee wrapped itself in cloak OF
secrecy as it sought testimony from
a mystery witness at an undisclosed
rendezvous.
The witness. the place of meeting
and even the committee members
assigned to the latest chapter in
the spy story were labeled secret
But Acting Chairman Mundt told
reporters:
1--WE believe the testimony they
(members of the secret subcommit-
tee) will receive will result in break
ing the whole espionage case next
week"
In Position to Tell All.
The mystery witness, said Mr.
Mundt, is in a very splendid posi-
ton to tell the whole story and lis
very definitely in a position to know
what he is talking sbout.'
Mr.. Mundt was obviously excited
as he broke the news OF the mystery
witness to reporters after an eXecu-
tive session yesterday afternoon. At
an earlier break in the closed ses-
sion, he told reporters:
/. That the committees whole
staff of investigators" has been as
signed to dig up additional evidence
to determine whether Alger Hiss
former State Department official, or
Whitaker Chambers, former avoWed
espionage agent. was telling the
. lTulu duOuC MI. Hiss. MI. SlldIIiUelS
charged and Mr. Hiss denied that
Mr.. Hiss was leader in a prewar
Communist underground here.
2. That two agents are out look
ing for Victor Perlo, described by
Miss Elizabeth T. Bentley, also a
self-confessed former Communist
courier. as the leader of an espio-
mage ring of Government employees
3. That George Silverman. Dun
can Lee, Henry Collins and William
Ludwig Ullman are scheduled to
face the committee at open hear
ings next week. All four were
named by Miss Bentley or Mr.
See SIZES, Page A-4.b