Evening star., 1948-12-12
u Chambers Documents Barred;
British Navy Program Included;
Writing on Note Linked to Hiss
Grew Message
Found in Copies
Of Looted Files
By Robert K. Welsh
(Tert Of Documents on Page A-10,


The House Committee on Un-
American Activities yesterday
buttreSSed it's charge of Commu-
mist espionage in the Govern
ment here before the war with
the release of IL documents
which, it said, had been COPIED
from State Department files anc
turned over to a Russian agent
One of the documents was 6
handwritten note, and an accom-
panying committee memorandum
said the handwriting had beer
identified as that of Alger Hiss
former State Department official
Mr.. Hiss has been accused by
Whitaker Chambers, avowed for
mer Communist courier, as beln&
one of his State Department source.
of information-a charge denied by
Mr.. Hiss.
Mr.. Chambers told the committee
that the IL documents were all
turned over to him by MFR. Hiss in
1888. At that time, Mr.. Hiss was
an assistant to former Assistant
Secretary Of State Francis B
Sayre.
The documents are part Of some
200 which have been turned over
to the committee by Mr.. Chambers
They included 81 diplomatic mes
sage5, some of which might have
provided information of value when
they were stolen 10 years ago.
Secret Codes Imperiled.
Some of them were transmitted
in State and Navy Department
codes. Committee witnesses have
testified thy could have been used
to break some of the Government
most secret" codes provided the
coded messages had been inter-
cepted in transmission.
The documents included confiden-
tial messages sent in 1888 by United
States diplomats in England, France,
Germany. Poland, Austria, Italy,
Yugoslavia, Spain, Central America,
Japan and China.
The note which the committee
said had been identified as being
in the handwriting of Mr.. Hiss re-
ferred to British warship building.
It read:
March 3. johnson, United States
charge at London cabled that Lord
Chatfeld had told the naval at
tache that whether oscillation was
eventually decided or not, he would
not change his plans for cruisers
this year, and in any case new
battleships would not be laid down
before the end of the current year
Message Sent by johnson.
That was a paraphrase of mes
sage sent the State Department in
1888 by Herschel V. johnson, now
this countrys representative in the
United Nations General Assembly,
committee members said. Lord
Chatfield at that time was First
Sea Lord and Naval Staff Chief
in England.
The message apparently referred
to diplomatic exchanges at that
time resulting from reports that
japan was building Warshlps be-
yond the limitations OF the London
Naval Treaty of 1886, which Japan
had not signed. The treaty con-
tanned an "escalator" clause that
provided nations signing the treaty
could build above the limitation
if a nonsignatory nation did so.
The Chatfield message indicated
that Great Britain would not take
advantage of the clause at that time
Committee members SAID this Woulo
have been highly important lnfor.
nation at the tims-about a veal
before Britain became involved In
war with Germany.
Handwriting Expert Testifies.
The handwriting on that note was
examined by a Veterans Admins
tration handwriting expert, Harolo
J. E. Gesell, and compared with
known writings of Alger Hiss the
committee stated. Mr.. GeseH re-
ported that the person responsible
for the writings purported to be the
known writings of Alger Hiss also
wrote the notes appearing on photo
static copies" of the committee
exhibit.
The other II documents were type
written. They contained either ver-
batim copies or paraphrase OF Stats
Department documents, the commit
tee declared. The handwritten copy
and 10 of the typewriter copies
were among more than 60 MIR
Chambers produced at deposition
hearing in Baltimore last month II
connection with the $75, 1000 libel suit
brought against him by Mr.. Hiss.
The twelfth paper was typeWrit'
ten copy of message sent January
13, 1888, to the State Department
by Samuel Sokobin, then an attacht
at the United States consulate II
Tsin2tao, China. 1t was reproduced
from one of the five microfllm roll!
Mfr. Chambers dug out of a hiding
place in a pumpkin at his West
minister, Md, farm, December 2 ane
gave to the committee, member
said.
State Department Clears Papers.
The State Department cleared th'
- documents released last nigh
and about so others as not affect
ing national security now. In all
there are more than 200 secret docu
1See SPY INQUIRY, Page A-11J