Evening star., 1948-08-31
Probe
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Continued From First Page.)
the committee, Mr.. Hiss was in ar
unimportant position.
Kent Codes in Own HandS

unimportant position.
Kept Codes in Own Hands.
Mr. Mcdowell said Mr.. Berle told
the subcommittee that he had re-
layed Mr.. Chambers story to Mr.
Acheson and that Mr. AcheSon hao
told him he had known Alger ano
Donald Hiss all their lives and that
they were all right.
Mr.. Mcdowell also said Mr.. Berle
had told the committee that ''ir
view of the situation at the State
Department" he never let the State
Department codes out of his owr
hands but always delivered them
personally when ranking officials
needed to consult them.
Mr.. Berle told reporters in New
York that I'VE tightened up all along
the line" on security, but that this
Tightening up was not due directly
to the Chambers story.
Mr.. Mcdowell said he had gotten
the impression from, Mr.. Berle that
| it was Mr.. Chambers story which
led to the setup of new security
organization.
Peters Faces Court Test.
Mr.. Mcdowell also told reporters
today that:
. l. The $6,000-a-year "boondog-
Cling job" which Mr.. Chambers tes-
titled he got in the Government in
1887 through Communist influence
has turned out to be a $2,000-a-
year job.
2. In deciding to recommend a
contempt citation against J. v.
Peters. described by Mr.. Chambers
as head of the underground, the
subcommittee wanted to make a
court test of the refusal of wit
nesses to answer questions on
grounds of the fifth amendment to
the Constitution.
3. Although Earl Browder, for
mer head of the Communist Party,
fatty refused to answer the COM
mittee's questions in New York
earlier this month, the committee
will not cite him for contempt be-
cause he is "a lonesome old man."
and ito put him in Jail again is not
going to accomplish anything
Mr.. Chambers testified in New
York yesterday that he landed a
research job in the Railroad Re-
tirement Board in 1887 while he
was still a paid underground agent
for the Communists,
Cites Fifth Amendment.
Mr.. Mcdowell said today that Mr.
Chambers was very vague about
the job," and had said he might be
in error on the salary.
Government records, Mr.. Nc
DoWell said, show that j. v. Cham
bers had $4,000 year WPA writ
ing job from October, 1897, to
January, 1888.
Peters reused the committees ire
in New York yesterday when he cited
the Fifth Amendment to the Con-
stitution in refusing the answer to
the committees questions. This
amendment provides that witnesses
cannot be compelled to testify
against themselves in criminal cases.
Durng the August hearings of the
committee, 10 other witnesses cited
the Fifth Amendment in refusing to
answer questions, but Mr.. Mcdowell
said the committee has been watt
ing for IAN important hotshot" be-
fore making their case. Mr.. NC
Dowell siad the committee feels that
use of the Fifth Amendment to
evade questions is "going to be the
party line"
Reported Seen in Moscow.
Meanwhile a witness at Peters
deportation hearing in New York
testified today that Peters preached
that the United States must be
destroyed" the Associated Press re-
ported.
George Hewitt, Negro, who said
he renounced communism four years
ago, testified that from the first
day I was in the party I was in
structed that the United States
was a citadel of capitalism, the
main obstacle to Marxist feminist
success, and this obstacle must be
destroyed, including schools, gov
ernment and churches, which re-
fleet sleepiness.'
The instruction was given, he said,
by the section organizer, the State
organizer. Mr.. Peters himself. and
various officials of the party"
Mr.. Hewitt testified he was a
student in the Lenin School in Mos
Fcow for American Communists and
saw Peters there several times be-
tween 1880 and 1882.
Peters took charge of underground
work in New York after his return
to America, the witness said.
Mr.. Mcdowell and Representative
Nixon, Republican, of California,
agreed Peters should be cited for
contempt. They said the proposed
contempt citation cannot be for
mally presented before September 7.
when the next meeting Of the full
committee is scheduld.
Mr.. Mcdowell said he was warn
ing the Communists of America,
those present and those not present,