Evening star., 1948-08-12

knew Silvermaster, whose home
Miss Bentley has said was the head
quarters for an espionage ring.
Or whether he had ever visited
Silvermaster's home or carried
packages there.
Says She Saw Silverman.
Miss Bentley has testified previ-
ously that she saw Silverman at
Silvermaster' home and that Sill
verman was prolific source OF
war secrets and that it was from
Silverman, she said, that she learned
this country was about to break a
Russian code. Silverman, she has
said, was told about the code by
Lauchlin Currie.
Mr.. Silverman refused to say
whether he knew Mr.. Currie, but in
his prepared statement, he referred
to Mr.. Currie as man whose
high minded attachment to the
principles of our Constitution, self
less devotion to duty, outstanding
loyalty and service in a critical
period of our Nations history are
matters of public record"
Miss Bentley and Mr. Silverman
were asked to face each other.
While they stared at each other, Mr..
Hebert said to Mr.. Silverman:
You are facing her. Is she tell
ing the truth?"
In my opinion. she is telling a
huge web of lies" the witness said.
Stands on Rights Again.
But when Mr.. Silverman was told
this was his chance to tell Miss
Bentley that he never gave any
documents to any unauthorized per-
son to transmit to any other un-
authorized person, he stood on his
constitutional rights and refused to
talk.
Mr.. Silverman also refused on
constitutional, grounds to say
whether he was recommended for
his Air Forces job by Bennett E.
Meyers, convicted former A. R. F.
major general. He testified, how
ever, that in his last Federal job as
an economic adviser in the Office of
the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, his
immediate superior was Gen. Mey-
erS.
Mr.. ,Silverman said he was 48
years old, native of Poland, and
now unemployed" in New Yorf
City.
Will Continue Hearings.
When the morning session ended,
Mr.. Thomas said he wanted to coun-
teract the impression that this in
vestigation and the public hearings
may end soon.
I'VE will continue until we are
able to prove or disprove that an
espionage ring operated here Mr..
Thomas declared. Many persons
whose names have not yet been
neutrality-suspicious. high in Gov
ernment and high in the military
will be called before this committee
at an early date"
Mr.. Fay drew praise from several
of the committee members after
Mr.. Thomas announced that he had
voluntarily visited the committee
Offices to get the hearing records.
Mr.. Thomas said he wanted tC
take this opportunity to compli-
ment Mr.. Fay mot only on his
alertness and energy in coming tc
us. but also for the splendid re-
suits he and his office have achieved
over the past years in bringing
these Communists to trial and
bringing about a perhaps unani-
nous record of convictions"
His record stands out in the
Government, and certainly we car
be very proud of it," Mr.. Thomas
said.
Hebert Commends Fay.
Mr.. Hebert also commended Mr.
Fay and said that his visit repre-
sented a new Development in the
Justice Department.
Meanwhile, it was learned that
the House committee hopes to con-
suit with Canadian Prime Minister
w. L. Mackenzie King in an effort to
tie up the exposed Canadian spy
ring with espionage here.
If a subcommittee goes to Ottawa.
as is now planned. the object will
be an interview with Mr.. King and
not Igor Gouzenko, the one-time
Russian code clerk, whose testimony
cracked the Canadian case.
1t was recalled that Miss Bentley
told of receiving letters from Canada
for the late Jacob Golas, described
as the ranking Soviet go-5etween
It WAS also pointed out that some