Evening star., 1949-07-31
Senate Group Reveals
Testimony Of EisIer's S
Sister on U. n. Spies
By the Associofed Press

USER on U. N. 9pIeS
BY the Assoeioted Press
Testimony of a self-described
former Communist that Russia
has used the United Nations to
reinforce" her spies in this coun-
try was made public last night by
a Senate Judiciary subcommittee
The statement was made by
Mrs. Ruth Fischer of New York,
sister of Gerhard Eisler, the
Communist leader who jumped
bond and skipped the country aft
er being convicted of passport
fraud.
Mrs. Fischer testified behind
closed doors at a meeting Of the
Senate committee on May 10.
She said she once was leading
member Of the German Com
munist Party but broke with the
Communists in 1925 and became
United States citizen in 1947.
She testified against Eisler at
his trial.
In her hitherto secret testi-
mony, she said that Soviet intel
ligence agents are hidden In the
various Russian diplomatic. trade
and other delegations that come
to this country.
Functions Outlined.
Ostensibly, she said, they are
assigned to some routine function
but their real job is to report
on various phases of American
society to Moscow headquarters. y
Recently this corps has been
reinforced by the U. N. delegations
Of Russia and her satellites" Mrs.
Fischer said.
She also testified that a French
woman whom she described as
highly dangerous" had gained
admittance to the United States
because her organization was
recognized by Trygve Lie" secre-
tary-general of the United Ma
tionS.
Only a week ago the Senate
committee made public secret tes-
timony of an unidentified wit
ness No. 8" charging that the
U. N. secretariat headed by Mr.
Lie is terrorized by Communist
agents.
Byron Price. acting secretary
general of the U. N. in the absence
of Mr.. Lie, called the anonymous
testimony "the nuttiest story" he
had heard and filed an official
protest with Secretary of State
AcheSon.
The committee. under the
craftsmanship of Senator McCar-
ran. Democrat. of Nevada, is hold
ing hearings on a bill of his that
would arm the government with
new powers to block the entry OF
'subversive aliens or force their
deportation.
Woman Is Identified.
Mrs. Fischer identified the
French woman to whom she re-
ferred as Marie Claude Valiant
Couturier, general secretary of the
Women's International Demo
cratic Federation. with headquar.
ters in Paris.
The organization is "the prin-
|cipal Stalinist front in the wom-
ems field" Mrs. Fischer testified
and in the United States "has
links to not only its affiliate, the
Congress OF American Women
but the Progressive Youth OF
America"
Mrs. Fischer: Propaganda
against the United States. and Or
ganization of cells"
Staff member: Communist
cells?" o,.
Mrs. Fischer: Communist cells
in all of the 48 States for affilia-
ton with the Communist Party
Staff member: "What is the
nature of the visa which she re-
ceived to be admitted to this coun-
try in the course of the last 10
days?"
Mrs. Fischer: "B status of
United Nations Organization. She
came here in a semidiplomatic,
not an official diplomatic. but semi
diplomatic y"
Staff member: "As an invitee,
or guest, of the U. N.?"
Mrs. Fischer: Yes"
Called Highly Dangerous.
The witness then went on to say
that IF I would set up a table of
the single priority emergencies,
would regard her as highly dam
gerous but not No. l. if I may add
that"
Mrs. Fischer also testified that
Soviet agents had wormed their
way into the International Refu-
gee Organization and the super
secret ONCE of Strategic Services
set up by the United States during
the war.
Mrs. Fischer told the committee
that every Soviet organization In
this country, whether the Embassy,
or the trading company, Amtorg,
or the news agency, Tass, has a
Russian secret police cell.
But she said a small group of
intelligence agents-of three to
five men-"directs the whole net
work in this part of the world;
it filters the information that
comes in and. making use of the
diplomatic pouches, passes on
what is new and useful to Mos
cow"
But she said that despite its
very clear and open record, the
women's federation was granted
by Mr.. Lie 'B" status, meaning
that 1t is consultative organiza-
to- NJ