Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1948-12-09

| Might Be
| Wronq--B But
By
P. G. STROMBERG
This business of having in
formation divulged today by
men who were traitors to Amer
lea ten years ago is more sick
ening as the days roll on. To
have a man like Whitaker
Chambers come forward with
information in 1913 that he was
a Communist underground work
er in 1897 and 1888 and know
that he holds today a prominent
position with a national maya
zine, is shocking. Whether OF not
he is truly contrite is beside the
point. The man who beats his
child into unconsciousness might
be truly contrite the next day
but the child's injuries remain.
The man who
Chambers sold his coun-
and try out ten
Hiss years ago is GER
tainly no hero
today even though some people
feel that his repentance makes
him one. And the reaction of the
average American toward Alger
Hiss is even more unfavorable.
Hiss is the man who is accused
by Chambers of having used his
position in the State Depart
ment to secure secrets and Gov
eminent papers for Chambers
as Russian underground agent.
1t makes one shudder with
righteous indignation and ex-
IRENE embarrassment to feel
that our country's secret codes
were being read by other ma
tons of the world at a time of
the greatest emergency of our
national life. AS testimony I'M
folds other high officials of ten
years ago are becoming impli-
Gated. 1t is stated by officials
that neither the information
given out nor the names of the
men will be released because
such revelation might well en-
danger our national security.
What we can't fathom is
what possible attraction induced
young men like Chambers, Hiss,
ct al, to lend their service
against their country at time
when such action might we'll
have undermined our very ex-
istence as a nation. 1t seems
that our democracy, strong as
we are inclined to believe it to
be, is weak in some respects.
There has been, and there still
is, a great deal of sentiment to
punish Admiral Kimmel and
General Short for their failure
at Pearl Har-
Traitors Dor. Their fail
10 Years ure will forever
Ago remain a blot
on our military
record but at least they cannot
be charged with treason. But
men who deliberately turn
traitor to their country and now
suffer remorse (if such they
possess) should be dealt with as
traitors. No effort should be
spared to uncover the whole rot
ten lot of those implicated in the
conniving effort to steal and sell
our governments secret papers.
Our democratic form of govern
ment insures them the protec-
ton of fair trial. This they
should have. But in giving it to
them no sympathetic hysteria
should be aroused in their he
half.
We cannot fail to note the
Pumpkin affair" of Carroll
County where Chambers had
hidden micro films and "found
them" for government officials.
We all know that the films had
to be placed there this year un-
less Carroll County raises the
type of pumpkins which are
naturally preserved. We should,
however, realize that Chambers
information has been very help
full to government investigators.
We might well hope that the
leads he has given will serve to
expose others who had part in
the reasonable business of
decade ago.
fail to see any logic in con-
sidering the dastardly crimes
of tenfyears ago as being light
ened by virtue of remorse on
the part of those guilty.