Evening star., 1948-08-25
Hiss and Chambers Face to Face
At Hearing Warned That One Of
Them Will Be Tried for Periurv
Probers Question
Ex-OfficiuI About
Apartment, Auto
Partial TeTt OF Hiss Letter on
Page A-7.J
By Miriom Gutenberg

Alger Hiss and Whitaker
Chambers stared at each other
across a crowded hearing room
today and promptly admitted
knowing each other after hear
ing Chairman Thomas of the
House Committee on Un-Ameri-
can Activities declare that Ger
tainly" one of them will be tried
for perjury" as a result of to-
days hearing.
Within a minute of their long
awaited meeting, the two men dis
agreed on when, before the present
investigation, they last saw each
other.
Mr.. Hiss, first of the two men to
take the witness stand before an
overflow crowd in the caucus room
of the old House Office Building,
charged at the outset that records
dealing with the sale of a car by
Mr.. Hiss in 1885 we're missing from
their normal official location" and
that he was informed they ARE in
Chief Committee Investigator
Robert E. Stripping retorted that
is absolutely untrue" Later it was
learned that the records had been
subpoenaed by the committee and
returned some time after the request
for them by Mr. Hiss representative
Before Mr.. Hiss was sworn in, Mr..
Thomas gave an opening statement
reviewing the controversy between
Mr.. Hiss, former State Department
official, and Mr.. Chambers, repentant
Communist and now senior editor
of Time Magazine.
Charges Denied by Hiss.
He recalled that Mr.. Chambers.
on August 3, told the committee that
MI Hiss was a member of an un-
derground group whose primary
purpose was Communist infiltration
of the Government before the war
He also recalled that two days
later Mr.. Hiss denied the charges
made by Mr.. Chambers and could
not identify Mr.. Chambers from a
photograph.
At an executive session August 7,
Mr. Thomas continued, Mr. Cham
bers gave the committee such de-
tailed information on Mr.. Hiss that
the committee came to the con-
clusion that it was impossible for
these two persons not to have been
closely associated" Mr.. Thomas
then went on to tell that at an
August 16 executive session Mr.. Hiss
again failed to identify Mr.. Cham
bers' photograph, but did mention
that person named George Crosley
had been known to him at that
time.
Asks to Read Letter.
The chairman then recalled that
On August II, when the two men
were brought together in a New
York hotel room, Mr. Hiss positively
identified Mr. Chambers as a man
he had known as George Crosley.
Mr.. Thomas completed his review
of the case with these words:
AS a result of this hearing, GER
tainly one of these witnesses will
be tried for perjury"
AS soon as he was sworn in, Mr.
Hiss asked permission to read into
the record letter he had sent to
Chairman Thomas last night and
offer some additional comment. The
committee decided that he would be
asked questions first. At that point,
Mr.. Stripping asked Mr.. Hiss to
stand up. Mr.. Chambers, sitting Is
feet away in a chair before the
committee rostrum, also was asked
to stand.
Have you ever seen the individual
who is standing?' Mr.. Stripping
asked Mr.. Hiss.
Il have Mr.. Hiss replied, staring
at Mr. Chambers.
Mr.. Stripping then asked him to
Identify Mr.. Chambers.
I identify him as George Crosley,"
Mr. Hiss said.
When Mr.. Stripping asked him
when he knew MI Chambers as
Crosley, Mr.. Hiss replied that he had
not had an opportunity to consult
his records, but that it was some
time in the winter of 1884 or in 1885.
When did you last see him?"
Mr. Stripping asked.
Il would think sometime in 1885"
Continued on Page A-3, Col. u