Evening star., 1950-12-29
Mrs. Remington Says
Ex-Husband Tried 10
Stop Her Testimony
BY the Assoeioied Press


NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-William
W, Remington wanted his former
wife to get herself declared men
tally unfit to testify at his perjury
trial. she told a Federal jury yes
terday.
Mrs. Ann Moos Remington said
that the former Government econ
omist appeared anxious for me
not to testify"
He suggested that I ask my
doctor and get proof that I was
mentally incompetent.
Remington, 33, who is accused
OF falsely swearing he never was a
Communist, quit his $10,000-a-
year Commerce Department post
after he was indicted by a grand
Jury last July.
Third Day of Testimony.
His trim, brunette, former wife,
who has testified that he was
party member and that he gave
confidential Government informa-
tion to a spy courier, concluded
her third day of testimony before
the trial adjourned until next
Tuesday.
Under cross-examination she
said she had been receiving
psychiatric treatment since 1915
at the original suggestion of Rem
1ngton-and that 1T has done me
good" She said he also had con-
suited alienists
Our marriage was running into
difficulties and he thought 1t
might save our marriage" she
said The couple were separated
In 1947. Their divorce decree
became final a year ago.
During her direct examination,
Mrs. Remington testified Rem
ington once asked professor at
Harvard who is now a Supreme
Court Justice" advice about his
career
Didn't Name Justice.
She did not name the Justice.
However, the only former Har-
ward professor now on the Su-
preme Court bench is Felix
Frankfurter.
Justice Frankfurter was a char
acter witness in the first trial of
Alger Hiss, former State Depart
ment official and presidential ad-
wiser later convicted of perjury in
denying he passed State secrets
to Whitaker Chambers, admitted
eX-Communist agent.
Mrs. Remington said Reming-
ton didn't know whether to study
law OF economics in his college
days when, she said, he belonged
to the Young Communist League. /
She said he consulted with COM
munists and was told the party
needed persons trained in eco
nomicS!~
Also Consulted Laski.
She said he also consulted with
Harold Laski, late British Labor |
Party leader.
Mrs. Remington, who claims
that both she and her former hus-
band were Communists during
their marriage, conceded under
defense questioning that they were
mot orthodox Communists.
She said that neither she nor
Remington ever had party dues
book. or party membership card,
as provided under the party con-
stitution, and that Remington
never attended regular party
meetings.
I'VE were not orthodox Com
munists in that sense who followed
the rules" she said. But there
were lots of others who were Com
munists like us in a loose sense"
Says They Were Independent.
She added that she and her hus-
band were perhaps intellectual
Communists" rather than mem
bers of the party under it's pro-
visions.
I'VE were rather independent.
We followed the Communist posi-
ton on our own" she said. I'VE
didn't like the petty bureaucrats
In the New York party"
Although she had testified
previously that she and Reming-
ton paid party dues, Defense
Counsel William C. Chanler
brought out that she was un-
familiar with the party method
of computing dues.
Mrs. Remington, who says she
quit the party in 1916, was asked
about her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth
Moos, whom she last saw in the
spring. Il don't like her. the
witness said. Il don't care for her
political views. She's a radical and
I'm not. Mostly it's her person.
ality."
Mrs. Remington said that at
first she planned to support her