Evening star., 1948-08-24
budenz Testifies
Secretly on Hiss
And Chambers
a Other Witnesses
Also Are Heard by
House Committee
By Miriom Ottenbero


ing editor of the Daily Worker
was closeted with the House
Committee on Un-American Ac-
tivities for 40 minutes today ano
contributed helpful" informa-
ton on the Hiss-Chambers con-
troversy, Representative Nixon
Republican, of California, an
nounced after the session.
Mr.. Budenz was the first of five
witnesses to appear behind closee
doors today as the committee pre-.
pared for face-to-face meeting OF
Alger Hiss and Whitaker Chambers
at 1890 am. tomorrow.
Mr.. Nixon, emerging from the
session, reminded Mr. Budenz thai
it was executive and neither volun-
teered much information on why
the committee had called the for
mer Communist.
Mr.. BudenZ, who renounced COM
munism. became Catholic and is
now a professor, testified before d
Senate committee during Senator
Ferguson's recent investigation OF
the Governments loyalty program
but has not appeared during the
House committees current inquiry.
Budenz to Be Called Back.
Mr. Nixon said Mr. Budenz was
able to testify on matters in con-
troversy' in connection with Mr.
Hiss and Mr.. Chambers and was
able to contribute helful informa-
ton" He said Mr.. Budenz was
remaining under subpoena and will
be called back later.
1t was thought likely that Mr.
Budenz will be here tomorrow
when Mr.. Hiss faces Mr.. Chambers,
who has accused Mr.. Hiss OF being
a member of an "elite group" in a
prewar Communist underground.
Mr.. Chambers was on the Daily
Worker a decade earlier than Mr..
Budenz.
Although committee members have
left the most recent questioning to
Representative Nixon and Chief
Committee Investigator Robert E.
STRIPPING, they will be out in force
for the full-dress performance to-
morrow
More Evidence Gathered.
Mr.. Hiss, former State Depart
ment official is now president of
the Carnegie Endowment for Inter-
national Peace.
Mr.. Chambers, self confessed for
mer Communist agent and now a
senior editor of'Tin1e magazine, has
offered to take lie detector test"
in support of his story.
Tomorrow's session Will focus on
the actual relationship between Mr..
Hiss and the man he says he knew
as George Crosley," a free-lance
writer. Mr.. Chambers contends be
was known to Mr.. Hiss as Carl" a
Communist Party functionary.
Since Mr.. Hiss admitted knowing
"Crosley' last week, Mr.. Nixon has
been gathering "corroborative evil
dence" from persons in a position to
know one or both men.
Motor Firm Officials Testify.
Besides Mr.. Budenz, the commit
tee today heard three officials of the
Cherner Motor. Co., which handled
the sale of Mr.. Hiss 1929 Ford in
1886. The committee is known to be
particularly interested in this car
transaction because of conflicting
testimony received from Mr.. Hiss
and Mr.. Chambers
Mr. Hiss, according to committee
sources, has testified in executive
session variously that he gave the
car to Mr.. Chambers as "Crosley,'
that he sold it to him, and that he
threw it in" as part of transaction
in which he sublet his apartment to
Mr.. Chambers.
Mr.. Chambers, on the other hand,
has said that Mr.. Hiss did not give,
loan or sell him the car, and that
he knew it only as passenger. Mr.
Chambers, according to committee
members, also has denied that his
tenancy of the Hiss apartment was
bound by lease.
The three witnesses who testified
for the Cherner Motor Co. were
Joseph Cherner, president; Sam
Mensh, a vice president and sales
manager for the company's used car
lot, and Henry Gertler, company
treasurer.
Another witness at the closed ses-
sion was colored woman who re-
fused to give reporters her name and
attempted to hide her face from
ISee pP0pF pooo AZ