Evening star., 1950-03-01
Mr.. Acheson Gets in Deeper

Some people see things under the bed
Others hear voices. There may be those who
really doubt that Secretary Of State Acheson
is loyal to this country. But it is hard to believe
that anyone who entertains such a doubt should
be taken seriously.
Yet Mr. Acheson has taken them seriously
enough to proclaim his own loyalty in his latest
statement on the case of Alger Hiss. He would
have been better advised to have ignored the
unsupported insinuations which seem to trouble
him.
Mr. Acheson has made three public state
ments on the Hiss case. And each one seems
to have gotten him into deeper and hotter
water The first one came after Hiss had been
indicted, but before his trial. Mr.. Acheson told
a Senate committee that Hiss had been and
continued to be his friend His second state
ment was volunteered at press conference IN
January, after Hiss had been convicted. He SAID
that he did not intend to turn his back on Alger
Hiss, and referred reporters to the Bible for
amplification of his sentiment. The third COM
ment came yesterday, in a rather lengthy pre-
pared statement submitted to another Senate
committee. Mr.. Acheson concluded this state
ment by hitting back at his detractors. He said
that he does not "condone in any way" the
offenses charged against Hiss. Presumably the
quoted words were chosen carefully. They mean
that Mr. Acheson does not forgive or pardon
the offenses charged to Hiss He would have
been on stronger ground, and probably would
have spared himself future headaches, 1t he
had gone all the way and said that he con-
demned those alleged offenses.
In the main, however this third statement
was an attempt by Mr.. Acheson to put into
words the dictates of his conscience with respect
to his attitude toward Hiss. 1t was not notably
successful effort For while saying, in effect
il not in express words, that matter OF con-
science is private, personal matter, Mr. Acheson
proceeded to stage kind OF public wrestling
match with his own conscience. The reader OF
the statement is left with two impressions. one
is that while Mr.. Acheson undoubtedly knows
what it is that he is talking about he finds it
very difficult to convey his innermost thoughts
to others and the torrent of words unloosed IN
the attempt tends to obscure them. The other Is
conviction that Mr.. Acheson does not make an
appropriate distinction between his obligations
as Secretary of State and what HIS obligations
would be as private individual
In the latter capacity, he would be entirely
free to speak his mind. If he thought Hiss
was innocent he could shout that belief from
the housetops, provided he did not interfere
with the functioning of the courts. Il ne
believed him to be guilty, but still desired to
retain his friendship, he would have right
to say so.
AS Secretary of State however, these rights
are crcumscribed In that capacity he does
not enjoy all of the freedoms of private
citizen. Mr.. Acheson alludes disparagingly to
"the counsels of discretion and cowardice." But
there are many matters in which Secretary
of State has to be discreet and it is not cowardy
for him to be so.
Mr. Acheson, the Secretary Of State, has
made too many statements with reference to his
personal feelings about Alger Hiss. Certainly
this third one should be the last.