Evening star., 1948-08-26
.Probers' Report
due Saturday on
Hiss, Chambers
'Condon Case Listed
When Public HEARINGS
Resume on Sept. 7
By Miriom Ottenbero

The House Committee on Un-
American Activities will make
public its preliminary findings
on the Hiss Chambers contro-
verSy and other elements of Its
Communist inquiry in an in
terim report to be issued Satur-
day. Chairman Thomas an
nounced today afterat~o-hour
executive session.
Mr.. Thomas told reporters that
the committee still has more wit
nesses to be heard and that when
all the committees hearings are
completed "the entire testimony will
be turned over to the Attorney Cen
eral with appropriate recommends
tions."
The new witnesses, all OF whom
probably will be heard in executive
session, will be called to throw more
light on the directly conflicting tes-
timony of Alger Hiss and Whitaker
Chambers as we'll as on the COM
mittee's earlier espionage inquiry.
Condor Case" Hearing Set.
Mr.. Thomas also announced that
public hearings already scheduled
to resume September 7, will include
among other things:
l. The Condor case" The COM
mittee has accused DR.. Edward u.
Condor, director of the National
Bureau Of Standards, of associating
with alleged Russian espionage
agents and has called him "one of
the weakest links in our atomic
security" DR.. Condor has denied
the charges in requesting chance
to appear before the committee.
2. A new espionage case" which
Mr.. Thomas has previously referred
to as third espionage ring involv-
ing Government employees.
3. Cases similar to the Hams Eisler
case, which Mr.. Thomas referred to
as pattern" for cases where in
f1uential persons have succeeded in
getting into this country or keeping
subversive persons in this country.
4. Cases involving the attempted
infiltration Of Communists into cer-
tain Negro organizations.
Peters to Be Heard in New York.
The committee also announced
that J. Peters, described by Mr..
Chambers as the brains" Of the
Communist underground, will be
heard by the committee in execu-
tive session in New York. Peters,
Mr.. Thomas said, will be served with
a subpoena when he appears before
immigration authoritiSs for a de-
portation hearing Moslday.
Mr. Thomas, after issuing a pre-
pared statement, refused to say
whether the committee will draw
any conclusions in its interim re-
port as to who Is lying in the Hiss
Chambers puzzle.
The two men, meeting face to face
yesterday, traded charges of being
liars" but stuck to their conflicting
stories.
Mr.. Chambers has accused Mr..
Hiss of membership in a pre-war
Communist underground and Mr..
Hiss has fatty denied the charge.
Mr.. Thomas said the interim re-
port will cover all of the matters
which have been brought up in
hearings in the last few weeks" and
will speak for itself"
New Facts Developed.
The report will be drafted by
Representatives Mundt, Republican,
of South Dakota: Nixon. Republican.
of California, and Hebert, Democrat,
of Louisiana.
Mr.. Thomas issued this state
ment:
THE committee is most desirous
Of resolving this Communist espion-
age investigation at the earliest
possible date. 1t is obvious, how
ever, that the ramif1cations are
great and far-flung, which necessi-
tates a continuing and diligent in
vestigation of everything involved.
Each day new facts are devel-
oped which must be explored. The
committee will therefore continue
its search until it Is able to come
to definite conclusion of the mat
ter before it,
In the meantime. the commit
tee will issue an interim report
which will be issued on Saturday
relating to the developments to date.
The committee has more wit
nesses to be heard and upon the
completion of all our hearings, the
entire testimony will be turned over {
to the Attorney General with ap-
propriate recommendations.
The committee has called in
handwriting experts to throw light
on the fate of a 1929 Ford automo-
bile which has become a central
Continued on Page AS, Col. 81
n