Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-21
Hiss Attorneys
Appear 10 Aim
AT 'Fi|ibuster'
Effort Seen to Prevent
Cross-Exuminution
Until After Christmas
By NewboId Moves, Jr.
Stor StoF Correspondent

sibility of defense "filibuster"
designed to keep Alger Hiss under
direct examination until the holi-
day recess begins arose this after
noon in the former State Depart
ment officials second perjury trial.
The trial will suspend this eve
ming for long Christmas week
end, and Government attorneys
TUNED as the suspicion grew in
their minds that Mr.. Hiss lawyer,
Claude B. Cross. intends to bar
the prosecution from any chance
to destroy. in croSs-eXamination,
the good impression Mr.. Hiss has
made in his direct testimony.
Mr.. Cross lent substance to the
suspicion of a filibuster. as he led
his witness at leisurely pace
through a long series of technical
Lecture on Neutrality Act.
In the course of the morning
session. Mr.. Hiss even leetured the
jury of eight women and four
men on the principle and theory
of the Neutrality Act Of 1885. and
the history of the famous Rubens-
case, which involved two
Americans who were arrested and
in Russia in 1887.
The Rubens- Robinson case is
in one of the secret
State Department documents
which Mr.. Hiss is accused of Civ
ing to Whitaker Chambers in
1888. and Mr.. Cross sought to show
that other documents in the case
involved the question of American
neutrality in the Sino-Japanese
Robert Won Mehren, assistant
defense attorney. insisted that he
thought Mr.. Hiss would be released
for cross-examination this after
noon.
But" he added. "You never
can tell"
Hiss Shows to Advantage.
Mr.. Murphy and his assist
ants were anxious to start ask
ing their own questions. They
seemed to sense that the boyish-
looking Mr.. Hiss was showing to
good advantage and scoring a
number of telling points. 1t was,
n fact, undeniable that his per-
Torrance so far has been superior
n form and substance to that of
MS first trial. which ended with
4 hung jury last July 8.
Mr.. Hiss made a bold frontal
assault yesterday on the most i'm
portant piece of new evidence in
PRODUCED by the prosecution in the
trial.
He charged Mrs. Hede Massing,
ex-Wife of the Communist under
ground leader Gerhard Eisler, with
her story about a con-
versation sshe says she had with
him in 1885.
Says Story of FBI Differed.
Mrs. Massing has testified she
and Mr.. Hiss argued as to whether
Noel Field belonged in Mr.. Hiss
Communist apparatus. or in hers.
But, according to Mr.. Hiss, she
described that alleged incident in
different terms when he
spoke with her at the FBI Office
here on December 10, 1948, in
he presence of his attorney and
agents.
With the circumstantial aid of
an old letter to his wife, Mr.. Hiss
also was able to cast grave doubt
On the truth of an assertion by
Mrs. Whitaker Chambers, wife
Of the chief prosecution witness,
that she and her husband cele-
GRATED New Year eve, 1896, with
Mr.. and Mrs. Hiss at the latters'
Georgetown home.
This is a point far removed
from the main issue of the trial,
which is whether Mr.. Hiss slipped
secret State Department docu-
ments in 1887 and 1888 to Mr..
Chambers, an admitted ex-Com-
munist agent. But it bears on
the general credibility of Mr.. and
Mrs. Chambers. both of whom
have spiced their account of the
Hiss Chambers association with
convincing sounding details.
(Mrs. Chambers, for in
stance, remembered this par
ticular party well. because Mr..
Chambers drank too much port
wine and became ILL.,
Mrs. Musings Testimony.
Mrs. Massing had told of meet
ing Mr.. Hiss at the home of Noel
Field, former State Department
official who recently disappeared
behind the iron curtain. Her
testimony was: Il said, Mr.. Hiss,
T understand you're trying to get
Noel Field away from my organi-
zation into yours And he said,
SO you're the famous girl who is
Continued on Page A-10, Col. A.
Garry Davis Barred
From Entering Reich
BY the A.soeioted Press