Evening star., 1948-12-11
Chemist Awaits
Grand JuryCa||
In Spy Inquiry
Piemon Is on Hand,
Reported Ready
To Cooperate
BY the Associated Press

NEW YORK, Dec. 11.-William
w. Pigman of Appleton, Wis,
former Bureau of Standards
official, appeared today to testify
before the eSpionage-investigat-
ing Federal grand jury.
He arrived at the Federal court
house shortly before the jurors be-
gan an unusual Saturday session.
Mr.. Pigman. one of several for
mer Government officials sub
poenaed, said yesterday while on
his way here that he would Co
operate" in the inquiry.
Other principals in the investi-
CATION, including one-time State
Department official Alger Hiss, we're
on hand for today's special session,
which caused the House Un-Ameri-
can Activities Committee to cancel
a scheduled hearing.
Both Mr.. Hiss and Mr.. Pigman,
along with Henry Julian Wadleigh,
another former State Department
man, have been accused in testimony
before the House committee of
carrying United States secrets to
Communist agents.
Jury Term Ends Wednesday.
The stepped-up jury sessions gave
rise to other reports that the jury
is pressing for early decisions. Any
indictments by the present jury
would have to come before next
Wednesday, when its term ends.
One Government source said the
Hiss Chambers phase of the jury's
inquiry will be cleaned up" by that
time.
Whitaker Chambers, who re-
signed yesterday as a senior editor
of Time Magazine, is the confessed
former Communist who told the
House committee that Mr.. Wadleigh,
Mr.. Pigman and Mr.. Hiss gave him
restricted Government papers for
relay to Soviet agents.
Mr.. Hiss, now president of the
Carnegie Endowment for Interna-
tional Peace, has fatty denied the
charge
Mr.. Wadleigh has refused to an
swer House committee questions on
the subject.
Paper Quotes Pigman.
In Appleton yesterday, the Apple
tom Post Crescent quoted Mr.. Pig
man as saying:
I've never been informed OFF,
cially what this is all about, but I'll
cooperate with botH agencies to
clear this thing up"
Mr.. Pigman, a 38-year-old chem
ist, is a member of the staff of the
Institute of Paper Chemistry in
Appleton. He was attached to the
Bureau of Standards from 1880 to
1888 and from 1941 to 1914.
Both Of the Hiss brothers have
been on hand for questioning by the
grand jury during most of the week.
Mr.. Wadlelgh also made an appear
once at the Federal courthouse yes
terday and it was learned he testi-
fed in the closed jury chambers
Wednesday.
Mr.. Chambers also appeared yes
terday before the jury for the fifth
consecutive day.
Mr.. Chambers said he planned to
devote himself to dairy farming on
his Westminster Md farm. where
his disclosure of the now celebrated
microfilm- filled pumpkin nine days
ago set off the renewed inquiry.
MIR. Chambers statement said his
resignation from Time became i'm
perative when 1 recently began to
make revelations about Communist
espionage
Word that the present grand jury
may wind up the Chambers Hiss in
quiry by Wednesday was accompa-
MED by reports that a new grand
jury, to be impaneled the next day,
will launch Immediately into a new
spy inquiry.
Miss Bentley Faces Call.
1t was said the new investigating
group will call as key witness Miss
Elizabeth T. Bentley, who last
August made sensational charges
of Communist espionage activity
against numerous Government off,
cials.
Most of those accused by Miss
Bentley, admitted wartime Commu-
mist courier for Soviet agents, were
(See GRAND JURY, Page A-3D