Evening star., 1949-06-22
TempersFIare
AS AsFrankfurter
Testifies for Hiss
Cross Examination
Brings Hot Exehonee.
Reed Also Witness
By kewboId Noyes. Jr.,
and Robert K. Welsh
Ssor SteH Cosrsspondsnss

S,er SseH Correspondent.
NEW YORK. June 22-Supreme
Court Justice Felix Frankfurter
testified at the Alger Hiss perjury
trial today that he was the man
who launched Mr.. Hiss on q Gov
ernment career.
An angry exchange ensued as
Assistant United States Attorney
Thomas r. Murphy sought to as
certain who else Mr.. Frankfurter
might have sponsored in Wash
ington in the New Deal period.
Justice Frankfurter's appear
ance as q character witness for
the defense, together with Sup
RENE Court Justice Stanley Reed
and Judge Calvert Magruder of
the First Federal Circuit Court of
Appeals in Boston. caused a con-
siderable stir this morning in the
Foley Square courthouse.
Justice Frankfurter said that as
Q Harvard Law School professor,
1t was his privilege and duty" for
many years to recommend q suit
able graduate Of the law school to
serve as q clerk TO the late Su-
preme Court Justice Oliver Wen
dell Holmes.
In 1929. he said. he gave Justice
Holmes Mr.. Hiss name.
"Of all the men In that class,
Alger Hiss was the man l could
most confidently recommend. "
Justice Frankfurter said.
Relationship Confidential.
The jurist added that the rela-
tionship between o judge and
his clerk. on the Nations top
bench, is deeply confidential p"
The clerk, he added. must know
secrets as important as any in the
d1ldlIS Vi N1OtcIIlfuCut.
Asked about Mr.. Hiss reputa-
ton for integrity. loyalty and YER
acity. Mr.. Frankfurter declared:
IT have never heard it called to
question -" I would say 1t was
excellent"
Attention fiared quickly in the
courtroom as Prosecutor Murphy
hoisted himself to his full 6 feet
4 inches and began to cross-ex-
anime the famous jurist.
Mr.. Murphy asked If 1t was not
q fact that In 1884 Justice Frank
furter heard some doubt cast on
Mr.. Hiss reputation by Judge
Jerome Frank. then general coun-
sci Of the old National Labor Re-
'lations Board. where Mr.. Hiss was
then employed.
Protests ''Mincing."
Justice Frankfurter said he did
not think the year was 1884. He
said there had been a conversation
with Judge Frank. but that 1t did
not bear on the question Of loyalty
and integrity"
= "At any rate" said Mr.. Murphy.
you talked with Judge Frank"
He talked to me-" Justice
Frankfurter replied.
The prosecutor said he presumed
that If Judge Frank talked to
Justice Frankfurter, Justice Frank
furter also talked to Judge Frank.
Let's not mince," Justice
Frankfurter snapped.
You were the one who was
mincing with me. weren't you
Judge?" Mr.. Murphy said.
The witness went on to explain
that he had only q vague recol-
lection Of his conversation with
Judge Frank about MIR. Hiss.
IF you pin me down as to what
I heard I would be unable to
answer" he said. adding again
that the conversation certainly
did not involve the question Of
Mr.. Hiss loyalty.
Made Many Recommendations.
The prosecutor wanted to know
whether Justice Frankfurter had
recommended Mr.. Hiss to Judge
Frank for the Labor Board job.
Justice Frankfurter said he was
not sure about this: that he had
made many recommendations Of
Harvard students In those days.
He was consulted in these mat
ters. Justice Frankfurter said.
mot because they liked my pretty
eyes" but because he had o repu-
tation for knowing what type Of
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