Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-01

facts in the OSS, she said, she
learned the OSS had persons para
chuting into Hungary, that Maj
Gen. William ]. Donovan, head Oh
the OSS, was interested In an ex-
change between NKVD RUSSIAN
Secret Police and the OSS" and
that this Government was trying
to enter into secret negotiations
with governments in the Baltic bloc
before the end Of the war.
S. Changing American policy to-
ward China, particularly whether
Chang Kai-shek was in or out Of
! favor. This, too, she attributed to
Mr.. Currie, who was President
Roosevelt's personal envoy to
Chang.
\ Quizzed by Investigator.
Mr.. Currie's name cropped up on
Miss Bentley's list when Chief Com
mittee Investigator Robert Strip
ling asked her If she had any other
names of the "Silvermaster group
She had earlier mentioned Nathan
Gregory Silvermaster as the leader
of a group of Government employees
she contacted for secret informa-
ton.
Just one name),'" Miss Bentley
replied. THE man was not Com
munist but he did give information.
Lauchlin Currie"
What type of information did he
give?" Mr.. STRIPPING asked.
well, being in the position he was
in, he had inside information on
Government policy" the witness re-
sponded.
What information did he fur
nish? What type?" Mr.. Stripping
continued.
Tells About Code Incident.
He furnished inside information
on this Governments attitude to-
ward China, toward other govern
ments, Miss Bentley said. He
once relayed to us the information
that the American Government was
on the verge of breaking the Soviet
code, various things"
But Mr.. Currie was not a men,
Der of the Communist Party to
your knowledge" Mr.. STRIPPING
asked.
Not to my knowledge. ! don't be-
lieve so" she replied.
Mr.. Stripping told the committee
that the Civil Service Commission
had accumulated a voluminous file
OH Silvermaster and from time to
time would hear him on his al
legged Communist, affiliations.
The commission, he said, was re-
ferred to Mr.. Currie to get 1.-The
true facts on Silvermaster." After
the commission conferred with Mr..
Currie, Silvermaster remained in
the Government, Mr.. STRIPPING said
Intervention Charged.
1T was definitely from my own
knowledge due to Mr.. Curries in
fluence that Mr.. Silvermaster was
not ousted from his job at the
Board of Economic Warfare but was
permitted to return to the Agri-
culture Department without any
stigma on him, Miss Bentley vol
unteered.
Later in her full day of testifying,
Miss Bentley referred to Mr.. Currie
as sort of friend at court in the
sense that some members OF the
ring could go to him for transfers to
responsible positions"
She also volunteered that Mr.
White helped get people into
places"
Mr.. Whites name cropped up early
on the list when Mr.. STRIPPING asked
if any other individuals in the
Treasury Department we're working
with the Silvermaster group.
Rankin Interrupts.
! When the witness gave Mr.. Whites
name, Representative Rankin, DEM
ocrat, of Mississippi, wanted to know
if he was a Communist.
II don't know whether Mr.. White
was a ard-carrying Communist or
not" Miss Bentley replied.
What was the extent of his CO.
operation with your group" Mr..
Stripping asked.
HE gave information to Mr.. Sill
vermaster which was relayed on to
me-" Miss Bentley said.
In answer to later questions, Miss
Bentley said from what her direct
informants told her, Mr.. White
knew where the information he gave
was going but preferred not to
mention it,
They cher informantS sus-
pected Mr.. Currie knew, too" she
added.
Former Professor.
! Mr.. White, SIS, a former economics
professor. not only authored the
abandoned Morgenthau plan but
in a large measure wrote the world
financial structures growing out OF
the Breton Woods conference OF
1914.
He became. Secretary Morgen-
thaus assistant in 1945, having
come to the Treasury II years
earlier to head a special survey
Later, he became director of None
tarv Research, title created for
him.
In 1941, he took over manage
ment of the Treasury's $4,000, OOO.-
900 sterilization fund and repre-
sented the department at commit
tee meetings of the Economic De-
Tense Board. He also sat on the
Board of Trustees of the Export
Import Bank.
The Morgenthau plan for postwar
Germany called for prevention OF
German re-armament and CONVEX
sion of the highly industrial people
into a strictly agrarian economy.
The plan met with instant disfavor
among those who commended that
an agricultural Germany could not
support her population and that loss
j of German industry would be a
severe blow to world trade.
Helped to Create Fund.
Mr.. White also played large
part in creation of the International
Currency Sterilization Fund and the
International Bank for Reconstruct
@;o,o o,l Doroyop,,,opf