Evening star., 1948-03-10
Foster 1estifies
On DR.. Condor
Secret Hearing on
Scientist Expected
To End Today
By Chris Mothisen


Undersecretary of Commerce
William c. Foster was to be
heard today as subcommittee
of the House Committee on I'm
American Activities continued
its closed-door check on the
loyalty of DR.. Edward U. Condor,
director of the National Bureau
of Standards.
Robert E. Stripping. chief investi-
gator for the House group, said the
subcommittee will issue a statement
on completion of its secret hearing,
probably this afternoon.
In addition to Mr.. Foster, wit.
nesses today were to include Isaac
N. P. Stokes, solicitor of the Com
merce Department, and Walter r.
Swank and Thomas Scanlon. at
taches of the departments Loyalty
Board, which cleared DR.. Condor.
Subcommittee Chairman Nixon
reported, meanwhile. that the COM
mittee will hold public hearings
on the Condor case. but probably
not very soon. He said the timing
hinges partly on when a Federal
grand jury In New York completes
its investigation Of spy activities.
"On many phases Of the Condor
case, the committee could 60 ahead
without waiting for the grand jury"
Mr.. Nixon told reporters. But there
a ro ro l1ol nS
1T simply would be prejudicial
to every one, including DR.. Condor.
to have facts brought out In public
here while they are also being con-
sidered by grand jury in secret"
Z 100000 More Voted.
The House committee has an
additional 100000, voted by the
House yesterday, to spend on It's
work during the balance of the cur
rent fiscal year. The money was
voted, 337 to 81, despite. vigorous
attacks on the committee by several
members of the House.
Opponents of the fund grant
called the case of DR.. Condor a
propaganda measure in behalf Of
the appropriation.
Representative SABBATH, Democrat,
of Illinois, charged "a new propa-
ganda Is started to rile the Amer
lean people" whenever the group
needs more money.
Representative Celler, Democrat,
OF New York called the committee
very unjust and unfair" Other
objections were raised by Represent
atives Morris, Democrat, of Okla.
homa and Isacson and Marcantonio,
American Laborites, of New York.
The committee was defended
strongly, however, by Representa-
tiyes Rankin, Democrat, of Missis-
sippi. member, and Busbey, Repub-
lican, Of Illinois.
Mr.. Busbey said the group was
"the only committee that has done a
constructive job for the House of
Representatives and the people Of
this country" in detecting COM
munism.
The subcommittee studying the
case of DR.. Condor heard yesterday
from q member and a former chair
man ex off1cio of the loyalty board
which passed on his fitness, as well
as from the secretary Of that board,
They we're Oliver Short, department.
personnel director; John L. Towne,
the board secretary, and Adrian
Fisher, ex off1cio head Of the board
until recently, when he became gen.
eral counsel of the Atomic Energy
Commission.
Move by EVIL Forces" Suggested.
Representative Holifield, Demo-
crat, of California, accused the COM
mittee of bringing forward old and
already exploded charges against
DR.. Condor.
In an hour-long speech, Mr.. Holi-
field charged the subcommittee with
repeatedly denying DR.. Condor an
opportunity to answer the accusa-
tions and of using "a cheap means
of securing publicity for certain in
dividuals.'
There is no evidence that DR..
Condor has ever been anything hllt
completely and totally discreet in
all his dealings with Americans,
with foreigners, with every one, Mr..
Holifield said.
Behind the committee" he
added, were "evil forces" which are
seeking a means to return atomic
energy to military control.
II wonder" Mr.. Holifield asked,
'if a certain clique of the military
is working closely with the chair
man of the House Committee on
Un- American Activities in an effort
to so discredit civilian control that
the Army will be handed back the
atomic energy project on a platter
, appropriately stained with the sac
rif1ced blood of the lopped-of heads
of our scientists who advocated
civilian control?"