Evening star., 1948-08-05
Hiss Testifies
He Has Never
Been Communist
By Miriom Gutenberg

partment official. denied today
charges that he was leader in
a Communist underground Or
ganiZation here.
Il am NOT and never have been
a member of the Communist Party,
Mr.. Hiss declared in testifying at
his own request before the House
Committee on Un-American Ac-
tivities.
Other Session HighlightS.
Before Mr.. Hiss began his denial
under oath, these were the high
lights of the morning session:
l. A committee member. Repre-
sentative Mcdowell, Republican, of
Pennsylvania, disclosed that he had
taken secret testimony which re-
vealed that two shipments of uran-
ium compound we're flown to Russia
at the height of this Governments S
atomic research in 1943. He said
the shipments were the result of
tremendous pressure by Russian
agents known and acknowledged
and others who had established
themselves in high positions in
Government"
2. A demand by Representative
Rankin, Democrat, of Mississippi
that Henry A. Wallace, now Pro-
gressive Party candidate for Presi-
dent. be subpoenaed to explain why
Communists were placed in key po-
sitions in the Commerce Depart
ment while he headed it.
3. Acting Chairman Mundt of
South Dakota, said the committee
has good reason to believe a Com
munist spy ring is operating in
Washington right now" At his press
conference today, President Truman
laughed off Mr. Mundt's assertion
and said he thought it was only in
the South Dakotan's mind.
Mr.. Hiss appeared to answer
charges made before the committee
last Tuesday by Whitaker Cham
bers, avowed former espionage agent
and now q senior editor of Time
Magazine. Mr.. Chambers listed
Mr.. Hiss as a leader of an under
ground organization here seeking
infiltration OF the Government.
Hiss Denial Categorical.
Mr.. Hiss made his categorical
denial of Mr.. Chambers charges in
these words:
II am not and never have been
member of the Communist Party.
Il do not and never have adhered
to the tenets of the Communist
Party.
Il am not and never have been
member of any Communist front
organization.
Il have never followed the Com
munist Party line directly or in
directly.
ITO the best of my knowledge
none of my friends is a Commu-
MIST"
He also said his wife was not
Communist.
Has Never Seen Chambers.
In a short prepared statement,
which he was allowed to read as
soon as he took the witness stand,
Mr.. Hiss anticipated many OF the
committees questions.
He said he had never laid eyes on
Mr.. Chambers and I should like to
have the opportunity to do So"
He then proceeded to tell the
committee the circumstances under
which he knew the seven other men
listed by Mr.. Chambers as members
of the pre-war Communist under
ground here.
He said he had known Henry
Collins since we were boys in camp
together. I knew him again when
he was at the Harvard Business
School while I was at Harvard Law
School and have seen him from time
to time since I came to Washington
in 1888" Mr.. Collins was described
by Mr.. Chambers as an Agriculture
Department employe who was treas
urer of the underground group.
Pressman in Same Class.
Lee Pressman, former CIO general
counsel who quit to support Mr..
Wallace, was in Mr.. Hiss class at
Harvard Law School land we both
were on the Harvard Law Review
at the same time" the witness said.
They were both assistant to Judge
Jerome Frank on the legal staff of
the Agricultural Adjustment Ad-
ministration. the witness added. but
since I left the Department of
Agriculture I have seen him only
casually and infrequently."
He said he knew both Nathan
Witt, former secretary of the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board, and
John Abt, now employed by Mr.
Wallace, when Mr.. Witt and Mr..
(See SPIES, Page A-5.)