Evening star., 1949-06-06
ey Robert K. Welsh
Ssos Sans3 { Earreaa~an.ms

NEW YORK, June s.-Trae con-
trass between AlgeT Hiss and
Whitaker Chambers. whether
personally as men or legally ax
accused and accuser. is matched
by one thing. That Is the dif-
ference between the current coar.
trial and the House COMMITTEE
on Un-American Activities inquiry
last year.
Reporters who saw the per
sonahle Mr.. Hiss and the PLACID
Mr.. Chambers confront eacn
other in New York during The
last week and in Washington last
August, believe the difference :
more than a matter Of legislative
and Judicial procedure
They make allowance for the
committee S inPeSt!gatiye function
and the court S role as q tribunal
bound by far stricter rules OF eyi-
dence and examination. But now
they are watching the two main
characters night on exactly equal
terms-so equal 10 date that il Is
difficult 10 realize that only one
OF them is the defendant on per
jury charges.
Trappings Are Absent.
Absent are the Klieg lights. tel
eyision and movie machinery.
popping fiaShbulbs OF still cam
eras. voice amplifiers and the
pushing spectators who jammed
into the House ONCE Building
caucus room and lined the mar
BILE walls. Absent. too. are the
repeated gasel pounding, catch
as-catch-can news conferences
with committee members or wit
nesses. and many other alarms
and excursions of the hurly -burly
hearings.
The trial In Federal Court on
Foley Square near City Hall
nevertheless has lust as much
drama and excitement OF another
sort.
1t already has confounded Gym
les who thought Mr.. Chambers
had nothing new to tell about Nj
Hiss. 1t has shown that Mr.. Hiss
and his attorneys did not neglect
TO do some digging on their own
account since the pumpkins
papers" were dug out OF a pump
kin on the Chambers farm near
Westminster. Nd, one night last
November.
Grist for Feature Writers.
The decorum OF the trial and
the skyScraper surroundings in
which 1t is being conducted have
not taken all the JOY out OF the
life of feature writers.
When Mr.. Hiss. for instance.
steps of the subway each morn
ing at the courthouse he can't
help seeing the sign: "Chamoers
street" Enterprising photoera-
pliers are yet TO catch him in
range at that spot.
AS Mr. Chambers returns to
what is aptly called the hot seat"
on the witness stand tocay. he as
well as Mr.. Hiss find themselves,
unluckily for one of them on the
18th fioor. The trial has been
moved from the third floor.
Judge, Jury and witnesses enter
by rear entrance. Daily there
have been long lines Of would
be spectators but only about a
hundred get in at one time. Re-
porters fill spectator benches on
one side of the main aisle and ad-
mission and assisnmeu! is by
pass.
Hiss Was stopped.
1t is so hard to get in that
Mr.. Hiss himself was stopped one
day far down the corridor and
asked to identify himself as some
one more or less essential to the
proceedings.
Judge Samuel H. Kaufman. ap-
pointed to the Federal bench last
year by President Truman, has
made an obvious effort TO see that
order Is maintained. that Mr..
Chambers and other witnesses
make legally and reasonably loud
responsive answers. and that at
torneys keep squabbles and shout
ing to the minimum.
At the outset Judge Kaufman
indicated he would insist on order
ly operation not merely as con-
trast to the House committee show
but. even more pointedly. in con-
traSt to another trial that has
been erupting for weeks In the
same court house. That is the
trial of II Communist leaders on
conspiracy charges.
Sharpest of all the contrasts
thus far, however. is the cross
examination Of Mr.. Chambers by
Lloyd Paul Stryker. attorney for
Mr.. Hiss. Except for a few inn
promptu questions supplied by
Mr.. Hiss and read to Mr.. Cham
bers by committee members,
there was no real attack on the
Chambers story last August.
Admits Committing Perjury.
Mr.. Stryker's blistering oues-
tions have made Mr.. Chambers
say he committed perjury before
the grand jury. as well as the