Evening star., 1948-08-29

AuUCQH Y. NOOCfL L.
Lee. Miller.
Miss Bentley asserted these
men were not attached to
spy rings but co-operated in
obtaining information from
Government files.
its earnest desire to protect the in
nocent and to expose the guilty.
1t is the established policy of this
committee 10 protect in every feaS-
ible manner the regulations and the
SenSibilities of innocent citizens.
1t is also an established fact that in
conducting public hearings-and
this committee deplores the use of
star-chanber. secret sessions unless
public necessity requires them-an
occasional mention Of some innocent
citizen in connection with ne
fariouS practice will inevitably oc-
cur. When 1t does. we provide every
opportunity for those mentioned to
clear themselves Of all suspicion in
The same forum before the same
publicity media as i'll the case Of
the original allegations. IN addi-
ton, we have frequently inserted
memoranda in our files TO protect
those innocently accused elsewhere
from unjust attack OF suspicion.
AT times, however your commit
tee is confronted with the necessity
IA nj he t.,
cent people may be temporarily em-
DaIraSSed or the risk that l40 UOU.-
900 innocent Americans may be
permanently enSlaved. When neceS-
Sary to resolve the relative merits
OF two Strh risks as that. your conf
mittee holds to the position that its
primary responsibility is to that
great bulk of our American popula-
ton whose patriotic devotion to our
free institutions deserves the great
est diligence in being protected
against those who would utilize our
Bill of Rights and our American
freedoms to destroy permanently
these great safeguards OF personal
liberty and human dignity.
New Information Disclosed.
There is another very vital and
important reason why public hear
lngs such as are held by this COM
mlttee provide an indispensable
supplement to the Off -the-I ecord
investigations and activities of such
institutions as the FBI and the
grand juy. 1t is illustrated most
recently by the controversial fea-
lures of the Chambers Hiss testi-
mony. Despite the fact that Alser
Hiss had been interrogated as TO
his connections with communism
and Communists by at least two
outstanding Americans, Secretary
OF State Byrnes and John Foster
Dulles. acting independently, and
by other Government officials, none
OF these lnterrogatories had estab-
ilShed the relationship of Hiss and
chambers until our committee held
Its public hearings on this case.
In fact, 1t was not until our pub
lie hearings had proceeded for some
Tune that it was definitely estab-
llShed that Alger Hiss and Whit
taker Chambers knew each other
personally and rather intimately
during the precise period of time
that Whitaker Chambers testified
that their associations took place
Mr. Hiss testified that he knew
Whitaker Chambers by the name
t OF George Crosley" but he posi-
lively Identified the man known to-
I,day as Whitaker Chambers as the
man he knew. He testified un-
eQuiVocally that he not only knew
Chambers (by name OF Crosley, but
that he let him use his apartment
without ever receiving payment fol
1t. that he loaned Chambers money
that he loaned or gave him an
automobile. and that he had even
kept Mr.. and Mrs. Chambers and
their baby in his own home over
night on one or more occasions
Thus the connection between Algel