Evening star., 1948-09-28

| CLEVELAND-SPEEDS MORE
test missile which has been clio
closure was made today by tf
/ AID
closure of atomic information t.
Adams. Chaplin testified he did no
give Adams any information, bu
Mr.. Nixon said the committee tool
the position that intent to disclose
secret data is enough to warrant ar
espionage indictment.
The second case in the spy report
was the committees story of tht
relay of a secret formula to Nelson
by a person named only as "Scientis
X" Mr.. Nixon said there was NJ
doubt the information was trans
mitted, but the committee wants tt
eliminate the possibility of mistaken
identity before naming the man
The scientist questioned by the COM
mittee on this case, according to the
report, has denied he ever knew
Nelson
The third case was the commit
| tees report on Kamen'S overheard
dinner conversation with SoVlel
Vice Consul and his successor. Ka-
men, formerly top scientist at the
University of California Radiation
Laboratories, according to the com.
mittee admitted being indiscreet but
denied he ever gave any secret
information.
| Mr.. Nixon told newsmen the COM
mittee had positive evidence from
Government agents that secret IN
formation passed between Hiskey
and Adams. These agents, he said
witnessed the exchange and coulC
so testify in court.
Concerned Atomic Bomb.
The committee, said Mr.. Nixon
has a pretty good idea OF Wha'
was passed from one man to the
other and knows it had to do with
the atomic bomb.
In releasing the atomic spy story
on which 1t has heard 25 WitneSse;
over a three-week period OF closec
sessions, the committee emphasized
that the report tells "only a very
small part of the complete story O.
Russian espionage activities agains
the United States during the war.
The committee coupled bittel
complaint that the administration
had obstructed its investigation
with a charge that the administra
ton has known all about atomic
espionage efforts for four years ant
has done nothing about it.
1t. Gen. Leslie r. Groves, retired
chief of the atomic bomb projec
was quoted as telling the committe
there was continued and perSisten
and we'll organized espionage agains
the United States. and particular.
against the atom bomb project, b!
a foreign power with which we wer'
not at war. and its misguided anc
traitorous domestic sympathizers. o.
perhaps stooges would be better
word . :"
Reported to President.
During his closed session testl-
mony, the committee reported, Gen
Groves was asked if he ever reported
to the President on the efforts o1
Soviet agents to get information or
atomic develobnent, The retired
Army officer said he had made such
report in 1914.
ut was contained in a report te
the President, which President
Roosevelt read in my presence, anc
the matter was discussed with him
This was just before he left fol
YaIta." Gen. Groves was quoted a.
saving.
| He went on to tell the committee
ut was brought to the attention
of President Truman in the first
report that was made to President
Truman after ne took office, which
was as soon after his taking office
as the Secretary of War could make
an appointment, and on that occa-
sion, the written memorandum was
read by Mr.. Truman"
The committee charged that the
administration silence up to now
as to the existence of Soviet
espionage conspiracy and what it
tried to accomplish has been tanta-
mount to a representation to the
American people that espionage
against the development OF the atom
bomb Just did not exist" Such a
representation. said the committee,
is "un-American."
Ask Immediate Action.
In calling for immediate legal
action to put espionage agents
where they can no longer jeop-
ardize the security of the United
States" the committee warned:
Any further delay in proceeding
with prosecutions Of the members
of these espionage groups could
result in tragic consequences to the
United States and to the world. u
There was no immediate reply
from the Justice Department. At
torney General Clark, who has de-
MED previous committee charges
that his staff was lax in prosecuting
spy cases, is travelling on President
Truman's campaign train.
The proposed prosecutions would
be under the 1917 Espionage Act,
which provides a maximum penalty
of death or up to 80 years imprison-
ment. Since capital punishment
may be involved, the Espionage Act
is not covered by the statute limit
ing prosecutions to three years after
the offense.
Chaplin Hiskey Case.
In its report the committee took
up first what it called the Chaplin
Hiskey case This is the story the
committee told:
Hiskey was working on the
atomic project at the University Of
Chicago when the Manhattan En-.
gineering District became convinced
he was a subversive agent. Al.
though scientists were deferred, i
was found that Hiskey held &
Reserve commission and he wa!
called to active duty on April %
1Q44 Within IN dayS HiSkev wa.