Evening star., 1948-05-09
Truman Silent on Plea
By Condor 10 Release
FBI Loyalty Letter

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FBI Loyalty Letter
DR.. Edward U. Condor, head of
the National Bureau of Stand
ards, has asked President Tru-
man to make public the FBI
letter concerning his loyalty.
Whether the atomic scientists re-
quest will serve to bring the letter
from Mr.. Trumans files was not
indicated. A demand by the House
so far has failed to produce the let
ter and the White House had no
comment on DR.. Condon's request.
1t was disclosed yesterday that DR..
Condon's request that the letter be
made public was forwarded to the
White House by Secretary Of Com
merce Sawyer. The Bureau of
Standards is part of the Commerce
Department..
Letters Interest Recalled.
The interest in the letter is
development of charge by House
Un-American Activities Subcommit-
tee last March that DR.. Condor was
"one of the weakest links" in the
Nations atomic security. The SUBJ
committee said also that the scien-
tist associated knowingly or un-
knowingly with persons believed to
be Soviet espionage agents.
DR. Condor made vigorous de-
NAL of the charges and has been
seeking to clear his name.
In a letter written last Wednes-
day and released yesterday by the
Commerce Department, DR.. Condor
said:
Although I have never seen the
FBI letter I cannot believe it con-
tains anything Of factual nature
which challenges either my loyalty
or my discretion, because nothing of
the sort exists. The baseless rumors
or gossip that such a letter might
contain cannot possibly be as de-
famatory as the attacks by Con-
gresham Thomas subcommittee"
lHVIudS IICduS oiOup.
Representative Thomas, Republic
can, of New Jersey, is chairman of
the Un-American Activities Com
mittee.
II the letter is made public, DR..
Condor asked for opportunity to
make on analytic statement about
its contents at the same time. He
asked this. he said, "in view of the
experience I have already had with
Congressman Thomas partial quo
tations and quotations out Of con-
text"
The letter was written by FBI
Director j. Edgar Hoover to the
Commerce Department Loyalty
Board about a year ago. The letter
presumably summarizes the results
Of an FBI investigation of DR.. Con-
don's background.
The Commerce Department 10y
atty Board also made an investi-
cation and reported last February
"a that there are no reasonable
grounds" to doubt the scientists
loyalty.
Letter Is quoted.
The Un-American Activities Sub
committee quoted the FBI letter as
saying DR.. Condor had been in
contact with IAN individual alleged,
by self confessed Soviet espionage
agent. to have engaged in espionage
activities with the Russians"
Mr.. Thomas acknowledged later
that Mr.. Hoover also, said in the
letter there was no evidence that
DR.. Condor was disloyal. ?
The issue which the House COM
mittee is making about this letter
is largely fictitious" DR.. Condor
said in his letter. The committee
investigators must have had it in
their possession at one time in order
to get the partial and distorted
quotations from it which they used. ,"
The committee asked for the let
ter. Mr.. Truman issued orders it
was not to be turned over on the
, ground it was part of the conflden-
tial files of the executive depart
ment. The House, by a vote of 300
to %. adopted resolution demand
ing that the Commerce Secretary
turn over the letter and it's files on
Dr. Condor.
Truman Stands Fiym.
Mr.. TrumSn's reply was, in effect,
"let the House try and get them"
Before Secretary of Commerce
Hartman was succeeded as secre-
tary by Mr.. Sawyer, Mr.. Truman
asked that the letter be sent to him.
Dr. Condor, in his letter, re-
marked that the Presidents position
is based on general policy consid-
erations and not related to the
specific contents of that letter"
The scientist wrote that the re-
sulting situation is somewhat EN-
baraSsing to me, because Congress-
man Thomas is using this to create
the impression that I am trying to
conceal something He added that
there is nothing about me or my
activities that I wish concealed"
He said, however, he had become in
creasingly concerned at the reaction
of some of his friends to the with
holding of the letter.
Witnesses Questioned.
The Thomas committee has been
questioning witnesses privately in
preparation for a hearing on the
Condor case.
DR.. Condor wrote that in view of
the delay in holding the hearing
"it is natural to conclude that Con-
gresham Thomas recognizes his
inability to sustain the charges