Evening star., 1948-08-29

regard to partisan or political con-
siderations because the very secu-
rity of the Nation is at stake"
Mr.. Clark was reminded that he
told the legislative subcommittee OF
the Committee on Un-Americar
Activities last February that
changes in the espionage laws were
needed to cope with new techniques
Despite repeated requests from the
committee, the report said, Mr.
Clark never has told the committee
what changes are needed.
The report said Mr.. Clark had in
dieated present laws were made
quate to prosecute members of a
Well-organized and dangerous es-
pionage ring operated in the Gov
ernment during the war"
If the laws are inadequate, the
committee contended, lit is the SOL
emn responsibility of the Attorney
General to forward to the Congress
Immediately his recommendations
for needed changes in the espionage
laws so that the national security
can be protected"
Hits Back at President.
The committee also indirectly hit
back at the President, in connection
with his repeated statement that
the committees hearings have
turned up nothing which was not
already known to the FBI and to
the Federal grand jury which has
been meeting in New York.
The relationship between Mr.. Hiss
and Mr.. Chambers, the committee
said, never was definitely established
until the committee held its hear
ings and made its investigation.
The Hiss Chambers controversy
rated a separate section in the
report Mr.. Hiss at first told the
committee he never had laid eyes
on Mr.. Chambers as far as he could
recall. Mr. Chambers, ih accusing
Mr.. Hiss of prewar participation In
a Communist underground, de-
scribed his efforts to make Mr.. Hiss
break with the party.
Later, Mr.. Hiss said he knew Mr.
Chambers as George Crosley," but
didn't know he was a Communist
Last week, after the committee had
devoted many hours to digging up
details of the two mems lives Is
years ago, Mr.. Hiss and Mr.. Cham
bers confronted each other in pub
lie session.
Each Hurled Liar" Charged.
They called each other liars, while
Mr.. Chambers stuck to his original
charges and Mr.. Hiss fatty denied
he had ever been a Communist. Mr..
Chambers said he had been known
to Mr.. Hiss as a Communist func-
tionary under the party name of
Carl"
The committee noted that the
stark fact that Alger Hiss and
Whitaker Chambers, a self-con-
fessed paid functionary and espion-
age agent, were acquainted with
each other and did have numerous
transactions and associations to-
gether, is of far greater significance
under the circumstances than
whether Chambers was known to
Hiss by the name of Carl or of
George CroSley :"
This fact" the committee added,
has been established without chal-
lenge for the record by the public
hearings of this committee, although
through the years it had been es-
tablished by no other investiga-
tion."
The committee said the burden
of proof" in resolving the conflict
ing testimony has definitely shifted
from Mr.. Chambers to Mr.. Hiss.
Hiss Testimony Called Vague"
/ In reviewing the controversy, the
committee termed vague and eva
sive" Mr. Hiss testimony on what
happened to his 1929 Ford. The
committee said Mr.. Hiss testified
in executive session that he gave
the car to Mr.. Chambers when he
leased his apartment to Mr.. Cham
bers. Mr. Hiss, the committee
charged, changed his position
when confronted with documentary
evidence
Mr.. Hiss testimony on the car
transaction, said the report. raises
a doubt as to other portions of his
testimony"
The committee noted that on 1873
L. E-