Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-06-10
Young Atom Physicist
Refuses 10 Tell House
Group if He Is a Red

Group if He Is a Red
A young atomic physicist re-
fused to tell the House Un-Ameri-
can Committee today whether he
holds. or ever held, membership
In the Communist Party.
A few minutes later, a one-time
associate at the University Of CAL
ffornia radiation laboratory testi-
fed he had attended Communist
Party meetings with the scientist.
Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz.
While refusing to answer all
questions concerning the possible
Communist leanings of himself or
persons with whom he was &C
qpainted. Mr.. Lomanitz declared:
"Under no conditions have I
ever been disloyal in any way to
the United States, nor have I ever
transmitted any restricted infor-
nation to any one, foreign or do
nestle"
Was mt Radiation Laboratory.
Mr.. Lomanitz, now an assistant
professor at Fisk University,
Nashville, Tenn. said he was en-
gagged In teaching and research
at the radiation laboratory, Berke-
ley, Calf, from August, 1910.
until September, 1943.
During the latter part OF this
period, the laboratory was engaged
in work connected with the Man
haitian Project"-which produced
the atomic bomb.
Robert R.. Davis. who followed
Mr.. Lomanitz to the committee
witness chair, said that late in
1912 or early in 1943" he began
attending Communist Party meet
ings in Berkeley and, to the best
of his recollection, Mr.. Lomanitz,
whom he had met in his work at
the laboratory. took him to the
first of these.
MIR. Davis said he couldn't be
certain the physicist first accom-
panied him to a meeting, but he
testified positively that Mr.. Lo-
manitz was present at several of
them and that he had talked with
him about communism.
j.. Bought Party Card.
Mr.. Davis said he had bought
q card for so cents which said I
was a member of the Communist
Party" at one of the sessions. held
in a private home.
Mr.. Davis testified he later
dropped all connection with the
Communist Party.
Earlier, Mr.. Lomanitz had re-
fused to answer a long series of
questions put to him by Commit
tee Investigator Louis Russell ION
the grounds that to do SO might
possibly tend to incriminate me. -
Among these were queries as to
whether he had attended Com
munist gatherings with Mr.. Davis
or others. 'o1 E..
MIR. Lomanitz did admit. how
ever, that he knew "a Robert
Davis" at the laboratory! rt- -sel
Committee members have been
seeking to show the existence OF
a wartime espionage effort aimed
at the radiation laboratory.
Meanwhile, Representative Nixon,
Republican, of California said the
committee will urge that Philip
O. Keeney be prosecuted for try
ing to leave the country without
o passport. .-,,-.
1.-The committee is dead serious
about pressing this matter with
the Justice Department" Mr.
Nixon told reporters. 1T ap-
pears to me that Keeney's at
tempt to leave without passport
was a criminal violation.
Mr.. Nixon said. too, there should
be a full-scale investigation OF
operations of the Polish liner
Batory, the ship on which Mr.
Keeney booked passage. Com
munist Gerhard Eisler fed the
country on the same ship.
His name and that of his wife
appeared in the Justice Depart
ment's secret, counterespionage
reports revealed in the trial Of
Judith Coplon here yesterday. Ont
of the Justice Departments con.
fidentia1 informantS declared Mr.
and Mrs. Kenney were member!
of the Communist Party"
Wife Denies She's Red.
Mr.. Keeney is a 58-year-old New
York librarian who testified yes.
terday he had been unemployed
since the Army fired him in Japar
in 1947 for reasons he never ha.
learned.
MIR. Keeney's wife. Mary Jane
also appeared before the commit.
tee. She said she once had Ger
hard and Mrs. Eisler to dinner
She added that she herself is NJ
Communist.
Open House Planned