Evening star., 1949-12-07
Wallace and Hopkins
Sought No Secret Data,
Groves Testifies
Continued From First Page. }

From me directly no."
Gen. Groves replied.
He said that he could not find
any members of his staff who re-
membered being asked for maps
by Mr.. Hopkins.
Il know Mr.. Hopkins knew
about this. project" he added
But as far as any dealings with
me or my staff they didn't occur" "
He volunteered that his officers
wouldn't send something to the
President without calling me to
find out if it was all right"
He was asked if he had had
any report of any secret docu-
ments being removed from the
files at Oak Ridge, Tenn.
He replied in the negative and
added that he would have known
if even one paper was found to be
missing because such matters were
reported directly to him.
No Pressure From Top Officials.
WAS there any time that any
high official attempted to use
pressure on you in the delivery of
documents or the shipping of
uranium" the witness was asked.
Gen. Groves replied that there
was no pressure except from the
subordinates in lend-lease who re-
peatedly harassed him to get ship
ments for Russia.
Gen. Groves repeatedly COM
planned of the preferential treat
ment given Russia in getting sup
plies, but he made it clear that
outside of the first shipment of
uranium supplies to Russia the
Russians got no preferential
treatment for atomic materials.
He recalled how victorious he
felt on one occasion when plant
parts bound for Russia were ac-
tually pulled off the docks because
they were needed to build a plant
at Oak Ridge.
When he emphasized the pres
sure being put on him by lend.
lease subordinates, Gen. Groves
was asked who was eXerting the
pressure.
II don't know" he said, "but
we saw every evidence of that
pressure. It was quite evident we
did not want this material shipped
but they kept coming back"
Didn't Think 1t Was Available.
In connection with Russian
efforts to get atomic materials
he told of approving two 500
pound shipments of uranium OK
ide and uranium nitrate, and ex-
planned:
1--WE did not think there was
such material available in the
country. We had no expectation
Of ever permitting the material
Of leaving the country. But If
the Russian agents were able to
locate any supplies. we wanted to
know about them"
The idea, he explained. was to
smoke them out and to see If
they could get it," which the Rus
SLAMS were unable to do.
AS for the Is pounds of uranium
metal, Gen. Groves approved for
Russian shipment, Gen. Groves
explained the metal was not doc
tored, but that it was mot well
made and it would not indicate to
the Russians what we were trying
to get"
# the. Russians had considered
the few pounds of uranium metal
they got as the type this country
was using, he added, the Russians
would have been delayed in their
own atomic experiments.
Doubts Any Got Through.
AFTER approving this shipment
OF Is pounds he added with a
grin, II was told they got little
of it and I remembered comment
from somebody that they would
like to see Russia when they tried
to make that work in a pile"
He was referring to an atomic
pile.
Gen. Groves was asked if it
would have been possible for any
shipments of uranium materials to
60 to Russia in 1914. as MIR. Jor-
ran had said in his testimony.
Gen. Groves said any such ship
ment would have had to be COM
pletely secret" and Il don't believe
anything got through" the block
y ade imposed on the shipment of
uranium materials early in 1913
Gen. Groves early in his testi-
mony linked the shipments OF
uranium with Russia's efforts to
find out atom bomb secrets.
He testified that he knew the
Russians were engaged in atomic
espionage before they started try
ing to get uranium compound in
about. February, 1943.
eve had enough evidence of
espionage" Gen. Groves told the
committee, "to convince any intel
ligent, prudent man that espion-
age was going on, that it was be-
ing carried on by direction of Off
cials of the Russian Embassy, and
that everything would be done by
them to find out what we were
doing"
Cites Presidential Directive.
Asked to be more specific, Gen.
Groves called attention to an Au-
gust, 1948, presidential directive
which banned revealing investiga-
tive data of any type regarding
the loyalty of Government en-
ployes.
With the reservation that he
would have to abide by this di-
rective, he said he could tell the
committee that there were very
serious efforts" at espionage at
Berkeley, Calf, certain efforts at
Chicago and efforts about which