Evening star., 1949-12-09
Wad|eigh Admits He
Might Have Seen IS
OF Hiss Documents
By NewboId koyes, Jr.
Star Sfcff Correspondent

NEW YORK, Dec. g. Henry
Julian Wadleigh testified today he
might" have seen Is of the Al
secret documents involved in the
Alger Hiss case, while he was
working for the State Department
in the 1930s.
Defense Attorney Claude B. Cross,
who is out to prove that Mr.. Wad-
leigh was the source of these doc
uments, father than Mr.. Hiss, got
the witness to admit that since he
had seen the papers it was CON
ceivable" that he might have
given them. to Mr.. Chambers or
another Communist agent.
This is the highwater mark so
far of the. defense lawyers care
full ross-examination of Mr..
Wadleigh, who admits to having
turned over between 400 and 500
documents to the Russian pre-
war spy machine, but insists that
he does not believe they include
any of the papers that have been
produced in evidence against Mr..
Hiss.
Qualities Statement.
Repeatedly, as Mr.. Wadleigh
said he might" have been the
source of certain of the papers.
he qualified that statement with
such phrases as most improb-
able" and remotely possible"
The 45-year-o old witness. who
now raises bees near Vienna, Va.
had been on the witness stand
since yesterday morning, most OF
the time under questioning by
Mr.. Cross.
Did you take all the papers
that you thought would be Of
interest to your contact. provided
that you could get them without
being caught?" Mr.. Cross asked
today.
The witness said he did.
Murphy Straightens Record. =
Mr.. Cross finished with Mr..
Wadleigh before the luncheon
recess. Thomas F. Murphy, as
sistant United States attorney,
quickly moved to straighten out
the record as to the meaning Of
terms used by the witness in the
cross-examination.
Mr.. Wadleigh said that his
statement that he might" have
turned over some of the docu-
ments to Mr.. Chambers meant
that this was humanity possible"
He said his statement that he
was quite sure" that he had not
been the source of the rest OF
the documents means he was
"completely sure" This terminol-
ogy, the witness observed. accords
with the dictionary definition OF
these words.
It was learned that Mrs. Hedy
Massing, former wife of Gerhard
Eisler, the fugitive Communist
leader, is in the courthouse wait
ing to testify for the prosecution.
She was not allowed to take the
stand at Mr.. Hiss first trial.
At Mr.. Hiss first trial, which
ended with a hung jury last July
8. Defense Attorney Lloyd Paul
Stryker brushed Mr.. Wadleigh of
with a mere half-hour's perfume
tory questioning. But this time.
Mr.. Cross has questioned the Wit
ness closely. /
After three hours Of fencing |
with Mr.. Wadleigh, Mr.. Cross was
Just getting down to the main
point when the trial recessed last
night.
Had 400 Documents.
Mr.. Hiss, who is also IS, served
two years as president Of the
Carnegie Endowment for Interna-
tional Peace after leaving the
State Department in 1916. He is
accused of lying to a Federal grand
jury last December Is, when he
denied ever giving secret papers
to Mr.. Chambers, an admitted ex-
Communist agent, and said he did
not see his accuser after 1896.
Mr.. Wadleigh admitted yester-
day he had turned over 400 or 500
secret documents between 1896
and 1888 to Mr.. Chambers and to
David Carpenter, another alleged
agent.
Under Mr.. Cross probing ques-
tions, he said he knew he was
committing espionage. but he in
sisted he did not then consider,
and still does not consider. that
he was q traitor.
Not Party Member.
"I felt was doing the right
thing" he said. II was acting in
accordance with my convictions
at the time"
Mr.. Wadleigh said he had no
reason to suppose that any Of the
material he made available to the
Russian spy machine was for use
against the United States. since
9S&@@.