Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-19
Soy Rinq Brain Introduced Hiss
And Chambers Inquiry Is Told;
Truman Says Probe Peri|s Rights
President Sure
No War Secrets
Have Leaked
By Joseph A. Fox

President Truman today as
serted that the House espionage
inquiry violated the Bill oil
Rights and expressed his firm
conviction that no war secrets
have leaked out of this country
into the hands of enemies.
The Presidents comment came al
a news conference where he told 6
questioner that he would say cate.
gorjcally that the Governments owr
loyalty program had prevented the
infiltration of subversive elements
into Federal service.
He repeated his earlier refusal to
let congressional investigative
81 cups have access to the loyalty
records of Government workers.
Asked about reports that the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation was
drafting a new espionage statute
the President said that subject was
under consideration. But he added
that it was difficult to frame a law
that would not violate the Bill OF
Rights. He added that he was
against an Gestapo proposition that
did violate the rights to free press
and free speech.
Reiterates STAND on Records"
The Presidents discussion of the
congressional hearings, which he
has characterized as "a red her.
ring" designed to draw attention
from Congress own shortcomings,
was provoked by question as to
whether he had any comment on
the efforts of Senator Ferguson,
Republican, of Michigan to get
possession of Federal employees rec
ords for his Senate inquiry on espio-
mage activities in the United States.
Firmly the President responded
that the same documents are avail
able to Congress as alWays-em-
ployment records but not conflden-
tial records.
He hastened to amplify that the
latter have always been available ia
the FBI or the loyalty boards set
up within the Government and
added that wherever any records
have shown any indication of crimi-
nality, they have been available for
grand jury procedure.
Program Called Successful.
A reporter then wanted to know
if the President thought this Gov
ernment's loyalty program had been
successful. The President responded
afirmatively and then commented
that all the information developed
in the twin inquiries or, Capitol Hill
had already been the subject of Of
fetal scrutiny and that the only two
Government employees whose names
were involved were relieved from
their duties.
He interpolated that these per-
sons had not been found guilty OF
anything. When the questioning
turned to the proposed new espion-
age statute, the President said that
this country had been trying to pro-
tect the rights Of people since ITS
He commented that If the history
of the alien and sedition laws was
studied it would be seen that they
were brought about by just such a
situation as now prevails.
Comments on KOsenkina Case.
When asked to comment on the
case of the Russian school teacher,
Mrs. Oskana Stepanova Kosenkina
the President said it simply indi-
Gated that lot of people believe
in freedom of the individual just
as Americans do.
Mrs. Kosenkina refused to return
to Russia and, after being held II
seclusion in the Soviet Consulate
in New York, made dramatic
Nleap to escape.
He also told another questioner
that this country always had grant
ed the right of asylum to those
seeking it and would continue to
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