Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-09
PerIo Refuses to Answer Queries
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PerIo Refuses to
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cused before the committee of help
ing to keep Soviet agents informed
while he was legal adviser to the
Office of Strategic Services during
World War II.
A slight man with gray hair ana
thick glasses, Mr.. Koral appeared
at the hearing with Joseph Forer,
member of a Washington law firm.
1t was the latter who told the COM
mittee that Attorney Prayer had
taken the wrong plane out of New
York and landed in Boston.
Born In New York.
At the start of his testimony Perlo
agreed that yeah" he was present
under subpoena. He took an oath
to tell the truth. He was excused
from giving his home address, but
said his business address is 80 Park
avenue, New YORK, Progressive
Party headquarters.
He said he was born in New York
in 1912 of parents who were natives
of Poland. Both his folks came here
at an early age and ARE honored
and respected citizens he said.
When he began his testimony with
description of Federal jobs he has
held, Mr.. Stripping Immediately
asked him:
Are you member Of the Com
munist party?'
Refuses to Answer.
ON advice of counsel" Perlo re-
piled. Il refuse to answer on the
grounds it might infringe my rights
under the First Amendment and
under the Fifth Amendment on
grounds it might tend to incriminate
or degrade me-
He gave the same answer to
questions about past membership in
the party and whether he was in
the party at the time he was en-
ployed by the Government.
Mr. Stripping asked Miss Bentley
to stand. Then he asked Perlo if
he knew her.
Stares at Miss Bentley.
Perlo turned from the witness
stand. folded his arms and stared
at her. Then he refused to answer
on the ground it might incriminate
him.
The same answer came when Rep
resentative Nixon asked him If he
ever gave Miss Bentley any conf
dental information.
Mr.. STRIPPING then went through
long list of names, most of which
has previously come out in the
testimony. He asked Perlo if he
knew any of those listed. To all OF
them Perlo stood on his consti-
tutional rights and refused to
answer
Rebuffs Other Questions.
He also refused to answer these
questions:
Were you ever in Henry Collins
apartment in st. Matthews Court?"
Were you ever at the home OF
Alger Hiss on P street in George
town in l945 or 1882"
Both Henry Collins and Alger
Hiss were described in previous teS-
timony as leaders in Communist
underground operating here before
the war. Mr.. Hiss has made his
denial under oath. Mr.. Collins has
not been heard yet.
In answer to further questions,
Perlo admitted that he was inveSti-
gated as a security risk while he
was in the Government and was
asked to resign. 1t was not brought
out who asked him to resign. He
said he resigned few months after /
this request of my own volition.'
Gould you get another Govern
ment job?" he was asked.
4 don't want to and l don't know !.
what would happen if l tried" he
said
Started in 1888 with NRA.
Earlier in describing his Govern
ment employment in detail, Perlo
had brought out that he started !
in statistical and economic research !
for the National Recovery Admin |
istra ton in 1888
He told of subsequent moves to
the Home Owners Loan Corp, the |
Brookings Institution, Commerce
OPA, War Production
Board early in 1913, and the Treas
ury Department in September, 1945. |
At WPB, Perlo testified, his
special responsibility was to
analyze problems in the production
of aircraft and to prepare reports
which I hope were successful in
some small way in accelerating pro-
ductfon of airplaneS."
Denies Passport Rejection.
Perlo denied that he was ever
turned down for passport, but
said that he withdrew his passport
application when he found that he
could not get the job he had been
offered in England on refuge
committee"
Just once Perlo wasn't sure just
how to answer the question He
was asked if he knew a Charles
Kramer. He refused to answer.
Then he was asked if he recon-
mended Kramer for an OPA job
Perlo asked permission to consult