Evening star., 1949-06-12
Condor Demands FBI Apology
For Informant's Report on Wife

! DR.. Edward U. Condor, direc-
| tor of the National Bureau Of
Standards. last night called for
personal apology" from FB1
Director J. Edgar Hoover to Mrs.
Condor.
In a formal statement, DR.. Con-
don defended his wife and at
tackled the FBI for an informant's S
report on Mrs. Condor made pub
lie at the espionage trial of Judith
Coplon. The statement was ac-
companied by one from Mrs. Con-
don.
The report criticized by DR..
Condor said his wife. Emile. had
put Morton E. Kent in touch with
a suspected Soviet intelligence
agent. MIR. Kent was found float
ing near Three Sisters Islands in
the Potomac River a week ago
with his throat slashed. His death
was ruled suicide.
DR.. Condon's statement follows:
"Since early this morning news
papermen have been asking me
for comment on the fact that my
wife's name is mentioned in one
of the FBI reports that were in
troduced in evidence yesterday in
the trial of Miss Judith Coplon.
Serious errors are easily made in
reporting telephone interviews and
several have been made on this
occasion. The following on the
record statement is intended to
lreplace any and All reports based
on informal telephone interviews
81. The facts concerning Mrs.
Condon's acquaintance with Mr..
@. D. Sotirov and with the late
Mr.. Morton Kent are given in an
attached statement written by
Mrs. Condor this afternoon.
%. believe, my ,wife's state
ment but can not confirm her
description of the meeting because
instead of going with her at
tended Meeting for Divine Wor-
ship at Friends Meeting in COM
pany with two friends who are
faculty members Of Bryn Mawr
College.
"3. Nobody who knows Mrs.
Condon's deep Christian concern
and untiring efforts on various re-
lief programs In aid Of people of
war devastated countries Is going
to see anything very sinister in
the real facts.
a. But think millions Of
Americans will be ashamed and
disguised at the way in which a
perfectly decent American wife
and mother has been subjected
to annoyance because of the in
nuendoes and slanted writing con-
tanned in this FBI report. Who
attacks my wife. must take me
on. Mr.. J. Edgar Hoover owes
her personal apology. hope
he is man enough to deliver.
rs. My opinion is that Ameri-
cans should be revolted by the
revelations of the kind Of ma
licious gossip, false accusations
and petty neighborhood slander
which is contained in the files
of the Federal Bureau Of Investi-
CATION. This is not to say that
every item which is now a matter
of public record in the Coplon
trial is of this kind. But I do say
that enough of 1t Is to Justify
the opinion I hold Of 1t.
"6. AS to statements attributed
to me in this connection. (a) I
expressed the opinion based on
this and other data In my pos
session that my wife's telephone
conversations have been listened
to by wire-tappers. and I think
this Is immoral, silly. inefficient
and unfair, since no opportunity
is ever given to correct the stupid
miSapprehensions obtained In this
way: (b) I expressed the personal
opinion that Mr.. Kent's despond-
ency leading to his suicide may
have been due to his employers
having learned that he was under
FBI investigation: Co I did not
say that I had seen my own FBI
file. What I did say was that I
had considerable knowledge OF its
contents as a result of my own
hearing before a loyalty board OF
the Department of Commerce.
"7. I am strongly of the opinion
that the material is now Of public
record In the trial Of Miss Coplon
goes far to destroy the idea that
the FBI is merelysa a fact-finding
agency, unless we mean by facts
the uncorroborated statements OF
anonymous informants. I believe
that if this sort of thing keeps UP
le.n.u.uzs..a1a1zz