Evening star., 1948-08-08

they might document the case
against the men she accused.
She attempted to do that, but was
able to produce not one scrap OF
paper, not one of the microfilms she
told of transporting from Washing
ton to New York to turn over to
Russian agents. She had an ex.
planation for that. She didn't 60 to
The FBI until after the Russians
had decided to put her on ice"-
a Communist expression which
meant she was to withdraw from
espionage activities to avoid at
tracing suspicion to herself.
Budenz, former managing editor
of the Daily Worker, and now
associate professor of economies at
Fordham University, told the
Thomas Committee he knew Miss
Bentley, while he was Communist.
as q courier between New York and
washington Communists. That was
her story and there was little reason
to doubt 1t.
But pudgy, moon-faced Chambers,
senior editor of Time Magazine, In
his melodramatic narrative Of the
Communists he said he had known
in Government before the war.
named among others, Alger Hiss.
formerly highly placed oficial IN
the State Department, now presi-
dent of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace.
And when Hiss got his chance, 70
testify under oath that he was not
and never had been q Communist
and didn't even know Chambers,
he was so convincing the acting
chairman of the House Un-Amer-
ican Affairs Committee suggested
the possibility Chambers might
have been deceived by q case OF
mistaken identity.
No Question of Spy Ring
When everything has been said
that needs to be said to indicate
that the Bentley story should b
received with cautious scrutiny.
there remains the inescapable fact
our national security can be jeop-
ardized by the sort Of espionage she
described.
And the pattern OF Soviet opera
ton she outlined has . ring Of ver-
isimiiitude, however nin1sy may be
the evidence she offers against par
ticular individuals.
One would have to be as naively
gullible as Miss Bentley is by her
own account to dismiss as pre-
posterous the existence of a Soviet
wartime espionage ring in WASH
ington. The Russians have given
too many illustrations of their
ability to penetrate and infiltrate
the governments of other nations
to hold that they did not make the
effort in Washington and did not, In
some degree, succeed.
A trial jury would be instructed
by a Judge to disregard the circum-
stance that defendant chooses
not to testify in his own behalf. But
in the court of public opinion, where
this matter now rests, other rules
may apply.
Case of Silvermaster
Take the case Of Gregory Silver
master, named by Miss Bentley as
the leader Of one Of two spy rings
in Washington with whom she dealt.
silvermaster, who held various Gov
ernment posts in Washington since
1885 when he was with the Reset
tlement Administration, was, during
the war, with the Board Of Economic
Warfare.
Before the Thomas Committee last
week he denied vehemently that he
was or ever had been an agent or
spy for any foreign government.
But when he was asked whether he
was a Communist, or whether he
knew others whom Miss Bentley
had described as members OF the
"Silvermaster ring" he declined to
answer on the ground that he might
Iincriminate himself.
Miss Bentley had testified the
basement of Silvermaster's WASH
iington home had been turned into
a Photographic studio where secret
documents procured by the ring
were microfilmed SO that she could
take them to Russian agents IN
New York. She described herself
as a courier operating between
New York headquarters Of the Conn
munists and the washington espio-
mage rings. This account Silver
master described as false and fam
tastic"
But Miss Bentley had also told
how, when Silvermaster's Job was
in jeopardy, Lauchlin Currie, for
six years administrative assistant to
President Roosevelt and briefly to
President Truman, had interyened
to save 1t.
Committee Proceedings Differ
Silvermaster himself added . few
details to that. He said Currie had
indeed intervened in his behalf.
Naval intelligence of1cers had
sought his removal on the ground
that he was not to be trusted. 1t
was through Currie's influence that
obtained q letter from
former Secretary Of War Robert
Patterson expressing confidence in
his loyalty, q letter which had the
effect of nullifying the efforts OF
Navy intelligence. Also helpful In
this connection, Silvermaster said.
was C. B. Baldwin, then his superior
In the Board of Economic Warfare.
and now campaign manager for the
dominated Progressive
Party Of Henry Wallace.
Then there is william w, RENE