Evening star., 1949-01-11
Loyalty Review Boart
Still Seeks Testimony
From Miss Bentley
Choirmon Denies She
Was Never Invited to
Tell Of Remington Cose

Tell Of Remington Cose
The Federal Loyalty Review
Board tried time and again" to
have Miss Elizabeth T. Bentley,
self-styled former Communist
agent, testify on her charges
against William w. Remington,
suspended Commerce Depart
ment official, and has given her
only 10 days more before it must
decide the case, with or without
her help, Chairman Seth Rich
ardson said today.
Mr.. Richardson emphatically de-
MED a statement attributed to Miss
Bentley, published in New York yes
terday, that the board never invited
her to testify. He declared she
agreed to appear on several occa-
sions but asked for postponements.
Miss Bentley told Senate and
House investigating committees last
summer that Mr.. Remington was a
Communist who gave her wartime
secret information. Mr.. Reming-
ton, suspended director of the export
license program of the Bureau OF
Foreign and Domestic Commerce,
denied those assertions.
Decision Delayed Two Months.
The Loyalty Review Board has
held up its decision in the Reming-
oil tf-n he
Miss Bentley has failed to accept
the invitation to tell her story at a
closed session. Mr.. Richardson said.
The board lacks power to subpoena
witnesses.
The fourth regional loyalty board
here ruled against Mr.. Remington
last September. He appealed to the
Loyalty Review Board. If the re-
gional boards decision is upheld
he would be barred from further
Federal employment.
Chairman Richardson indicated
that the review board regards Miss
Bentley as the key witness in the
case and that In many respects it
is a matter Of directly conflicting
testimony between her and Mr..
Remington.
Cross Possible.
Although no announcement as to
procedure has come from the board,
it was understood Mr.. Remington
probably will be given an opportu-
nifty, at least through his attorney,
to confront and crosse examine Miss
Bentley at hearing If she agrees
10 come here within the next 10
days.
Mr.. Richardson declared Miss
Bentley informed him some time
ago that she thought her testimony
before the Senate investigating COM
mittee and the House Committee on
Un-American Activities was "suff1-
cient." She added, he said, that she
did not see why she should have to
"go through it again" for the loyalty
board.
The chairman said he sent several
letters since September to request
Miss Bentley to testify. He said
he also had been in touch with her
attorney in New York City, but had
heard nothing from them recently.
Denies Knowing of Appeal.
Miss Bentley has been in a Catho-
tic retreat in the New York City
area since her conversion to catholi-
cism early in November. Her first
public appearance was November 21
when she lectured at Aquinas In
stitute in Rochester, NJ Y, her girl
hood home.
In an interview with the New York
Post yesterday Miss Bentley was
quoted as saying she never was asked
to testify before the loyalty board.
She said she did not know Mr.. Rem
ington had appealed from the de-
cision of the Fourth Regional Loyal
ty Board.
Mr.. Remington filed a 100000
slander suit last September against
Miss Bentley for radio interview
statements repeatedly repeating her
charges made earlier before the con-
greSsional committees. He attempted
for several months to have the pa
pers served on her. Finally, last No
vember %, she accepted them and
explained she did not know Mr..
Remington was looking for her.