Evening star., 1948-09-29
The Atomic Spy Report


1t is difficult, in the absence of access
to all the facts, to know just how much
Importance should be attached to the
disclosures made by the House Committee
on Un-American Activities in its atomic
espionage" report. In the larger picture
of the efforts of the Russians to buy or
steal our atomic secrets. the cases on which
the committee reports may be relatively
unimportant. But they are important
enough, assuming that the facts have been
correctly reported by the committee, to
warrant prosecution of the offenders. And
most Americans, reading this report and
lacking any explanation OF the admins
trations failure to take action, will share
the committees view that this Is dere-
liction that is completely inexcusable."
The report should convince any reason
able person that the matter which the
committee has been investigating is neither
red herring" nor just another spy
scare"
General Leslie r. Groves, former head
of the Manhattan Engineering District
which developed the atomic bomb, told
the committee three weeks ago: II have
NO HCslLahCy III saying eltAb tAtEiE was
continued and persistent and we'll organ
lied espionage against the United States,
and particularly against the atom bomb
project, by foreign power RUSSIA, with
which we were not at war, and its mis-
guided and traitorous domestic sympa
thizers, or perhaps stooges would be a
better word
That does not leave much room for
doubt that Soviet agents, assisted by
Americans, were trying hard by every
means to obtain secret atomic information.
How successful they may have been re-
mains an unanswered question. General
Groves told the committee that he was
prevented by President Truman's order of
last August S, as amplified by order of the
Secretary of the Army on August II, from
giving the committee any information
bearing on the loyalty of any present or
former Government employe, or any in
vestgative data OF any type. When asked
whether the Russian espionage effort had
answer: Il don't know; I imagine that 1t
was successful to certain degree"
Instances in which this effort may have
been successful are set out in the report.
The case which seems strongest involved
two scientists, John Hitchcock Chaplin and
Clarence Hiskey; Hiskeys former wife,
Marcia Sand. and the mysterious Soviet
agent, Arthur Adams. Chaplin, In his
appearance before the committee in secret
session, made significant admissions in
volving himself, and directly implicated
HiskaU nd i,,o
secret information. Hiskey refused to
answer questions on the ground that he
might degrade or incriminate himself
Adams has disappeared.
On the facts of this case as reported
by the committee, 1t Is astonishing that
there has been no prosecution of any one
involved. Two other cases, while perhaps
not quite so strong, also raise serious
questions as to why no action has been
taken.
The administration has had in it's pos
session for several years all of the in
formation divulged by the committee, and
probably a great deal more. The essential
facts pertaining to Russian espionage
efforts were known to President Truman,
In view of this his repeated efforts to
diScredit the House commttee-although
the partisan political interest of the latter
Is obvious-add up to discreditable per-
tormance. AS the committee points out,
although the com plant may be bit on
the demagogic side, American enlisted men
have been arrested for making off with
souvenir photographs of secret projects to
which they were assigned during the war.
This Is one among a number of reasons
why the people of this country are entitled
to frank explanation as to why the really
serious Offenders have been permitted to
60 Scot-free.
Scribes with the Wallace troune remark