Evening star., 1950-01-23
issConviction Raises
Question OF Effect on
1rumanAdministration
Case Cannot Prevail
AS Issue in National
Politics, Writer Says
By David Laurence

Politics, Writer Says
By David Laurence
Now that Alger Hiss has beer
convicted has the Truman ad.
ministration been contaminated
by the verdict?
This is a contingent question
that has been In the minds of the
politicians for a long time. Mr.
Truman accused the House Un-
American Activities Committee OF
playing politics when it uncov.
cred the whole Hiss Chambers
scandal In the first place. He
said the purpose was to drag g
"red herring" across the presi.
Dental campaign Of 1948.
II the opponents Of the admin.
istration now attempt to make
political capital out Of the His.
trial, they simply will be confirm.
ing Mr.. Truman's viewpoint. Fol
on the record there is nothing
that in the slightest degree in.
eliminates the Truman admins.
tration. It was the Justice De.
partment under the direction o.
Attorney General Clark and now
under Attorney General McGratf
which has been prosecuting the
case SO vigorously.
If there had been any politics
in 1t, the department could have
adopted dilatory tactics after the
hung jury in the first trial
Prosecution, except for a chance
indictment for perjury, could not
have been made earlier because
the statute of limitations on acts
committed in the sos had run
out.
FBI Not Impeded.
The Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation, which has done a remark
ably efficient job in uncovering
evidence in the Hiss Chambers
case. has not been impeded in
any way in presenting the facts
for use by the attorneys for the
Justice Department.
1t might be asked then whether
the verdict tends to smear the
Roosevelt administration which
was In power when the events
referred to In the trial took place
AS a piece Of loose handling OF
State Department documents
there is room for severe censure
AS an example of how foreign
spies and agents burrow into on,
Government, 1t proves how read
lily some of our officials were
duped at least before 1899.
But 1t is to be remembered
that the attitude in Washington
toward Russia today and what il
was in 1887 or 1888 is not the
same thing. If one substituted
for example, the name of Britain
or France for that of Russia, II
would be found that important
documents In international rela.
tions have been exchanged at the
lower levels in both governments
or even among persons high in
the councils Of such governments
Intimacy Among Allies.
1t is. to be sure, not novel for
Government papers to travel out
side Of Government offices. Be-
tween allies it sometimes happens
that there is a very great inti-
macy. The only explanation for
the Hiss-Chambers case is that
persons In Government absorbed
In theological viewpoints actually
rationalized their relationship to
the Communist cause and did not
hesitate to communicate freely
with known sympathizers of O,
members Of the Communist Party
This may explain but does not
excuse the delivery of Govern
ment data to spies.
The verdict, however, doesn't
clear up the mystery. The statute
OF limitations has now run on
anything that happened in the
way of traitorous conduct in the
1s30's but the existing espionage
law still holds good for any acts
committed In wartime. The per-
jury verdict merely says that Hiss
lied when he said he didn't give
any papers to unauthorized per.
sons.
Did he by chance feel a chival.
rous impulse to protect someone
else or was he himself under
strange influence at the time O.
the episode? Nobody here in tn,
Government feels that any fur.
ther proceeding or prosecution
will ever take place that coule
clear up the mystery. All of tht
truth perhaps will never be known
unless there's a confession some.
where.
Meanwhile, the case can only
be called a tragedy involving the
persons Immediately concerned
The case cannot prevail as an
issue in national politics.
Reproduction Rights Reserved.)