Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-17
New Spy Ring
To Be Revealed,
Thomas Says
US. Employees Involved
But Not Miss Bentley,
Chairman Asserts
By Miriom Ottenbero

undisclosed espionage ring in
volving Government employees
will be brought into full focus"
when the House Committee on
Un-American Activities resumes
its public hearings September
7, Chairman Thomas announced
after an executive session today.
Mr.. Thomas, in long statement,
renewed the Republican attack on
President Truman because of his ad-
ministration's refusal to open it's
files to congressional investigating
committees.
Mr.. Thomas charged that the
complete story and full facts of
this sordid chapter in our history"
are locked in the files of the execu-
tive branch of the Government"
In answer to questions, he said
that positive information on this
other espionage ring is also in the
executive files"
Miss Bentley Not Involved.
The chairman would not enlarge
on his reference to another espio-
mage ring other than to say it re-
volved around Government en-
ployeS and obtained some of our
most vital information"
Mr.. Thomas said Miss Elizabeth
T. Bentley, avowed eX-spy vino has
testified to the existence of two
other espionage rings here, had
nothing to do with this other ring.
The committee, Mr.. Thomas said,
still plans to go ahead with the
face-to-face meeting of Alger Hiss
and Whitaker Chambers on Au-
gust Is.
When reporters protested to Mr.
Thomas that the details of Mr.. Hiss
appearance before the committee in
closed session yesterday afternoon.
had leaked" to some of the press,
Mr.. Thomas insisted that it had not
come from any of the committee
members or investigators who at
tended the session.
He refused to say whether or not
those in the room had taken an
oath of secrecy, but it was reported
from other quarters that members
and investigators had sworn not to
reveal what went on when Mr. Hiss
faced the committee for a three
hour grilling.
Disclosures Called Shocking.
Mr.. Thomas gave the following
statement to the press after emery
ing from a Commute executive ses-
sion today:
For the past two weeks, the
Committee on Un-American Ac-
tivities has been conducting hear
ings into Communist espionage
within the Federal Government.
The disclosures before the COM
mittee have been Smoking to the
American people-so shocking, in
fact, that they are entitled to the
full facts concerning the activities
of Communist agents who have
been funneling vital and secret in
formation of our Government to
Moscow for the benefit and advan-
tage of a foreign power.
why the people have not been
Informed of these espionage activi-
ties can be answered only by Presi-
dent Truman For I happen to know
that there is locked in the files Of
the executive branch of the Gov
eminent the complete story and full
facts of this sordid chapter in our
history.
why the President has seen fit
to attempt to conceal this informa-
ton from the public can only be
answered by himself. The lack of
cooperation on the part of the ad-
ministration has been so complete
that the effect has been actually to
obstruct the committee in its eff
forts to learn the truth about es-
pionage in the United States.
81 will say, however, that our COM
mittee is determined to bring these
facts to the American people inSo-
far as possible, whether or not we
receive any cooperation from the
administration
Facts Being Organized.
THE facts can be obtained, how
ever, by time and painstaking inves-
tigation. In order to thoroughly
check the many matters which have
come to the committees attention
during these hearings, we are re-
cessing until September 7 in order
to give the investigative staff of
the committee and special subcom-
mittees an opportunity to tie the
loose ends together.
During these hearings (begin-
ming September . we expect to COM
plete the present espionage case and
to bring into full focus the opera
tions of still another espionage ring
which secured some of our most
vital information
1T is unfortunate that it re-
manned for congressional commit
tees to unearth this kind of thing.
The facts should have been be-