Evening star., 1950-06-18

reply 70 QueSLlOnS ABOUT MS 1S4o
testimony before the House COM
mittee that Mr.. Acheson was the
leader Of a pro-Communist group.
Challenging the accuracy of the
House committees record, Larsen
told the Senate group: IT never
said he (Acheson) was the leader
of the pro-Communist policy in
the State Department. I may
have said he was the leader of
that group in there that favored
collaboration with the Commu-
nists."
Janitor Told of FBI Wiretap.
3. That o bottle of liquor put
the, janitor of his Garsen's)
apartment in the right mood to
conf1de to him that FBI agents
had "wire-tapped on me for many
months" during their investiga-
ton of the Amerasia case. That
information, and other data sup
piled by the janitor about the
FBI's activities. prompted Lar
sen to file a motion to suppress
the Governments evidence, which
Justice Department officials have
said was obtained without search
warrants.
Larsen's action, department Of
ficials have testified, yanked the
props from under the Govern
ment's court case.
Larsen, Mr.. Service, 1t. Roth and
three others were arrested five
years ago after Federal agents
turned up more than 900 conf
Dental Federal documents in the
New York headquarters, of the
now -defunct Amerasia magazine
and in Larsen's Washington
apartment.
ESpionage Charge Reduced.
The H others arrested were
Amerasia editors Philip Jaffe and
Kate Mitchell, and Mark Gayn, q
magazine writer. AL six origi-
nally were charged with con-
Spiracy to commit espionage
Later the charge was reduced to
conspiracy to obtain illegal pos
session Of Government documents
Jaffe pleaded guilty and was
fined $4,000. Larsen pleaded no
defense and paid a $500 fine. A
grand jury refused to indict Mr..
Service, Miss Mitchell and MIR.
Gayn. Exonerated, Mr.. Service re-
turned to his State Department
post, 1t. Roth was indicted but
the charge against him eventually
was dropped.
The Senate committees inquiry
into the Amerasia case is part of
its general investigation of
charges by Senator Mccarthy
that the State Department har-
bors Communists and Red SYM
Ipathizers.
Senator Mccarthy has accused
Mr.. Service Of prot Communist ac-
tivities, and has said a thorough
inquiry into the secret documents
episode would disclose a Red net
work In the State Department.
Mr.. Service has denied Senator
McCarthy's accusations. He Is
scheduled to make a formal reply
at a closed meeting of the COM
mittee next Thursday.
In regard to his talk with Mr..
Peurifoy. the transcript of Lar
sens testimony to the Senate COM
mittee runs like this:
Robert Morris assistant coun-
sci to the committee) ION how
many occasions have you discussed
these (Amerasia) matters with Mr.
Peurifoy?"
Larsen: ION only one occasion. ("
Morris: What was that in
stance?"
Suspected Some Slanting.
Larsen: That is when I went
to see Mr.. Peurifoy 0ast March
20) and told him that I could not
testify against Mr.. Service that he
was a Communist or pro-Commu-
mist, but that I could not hold
back testimony that I did suspect
him Of slanting his reports in IA
vor Of the Chinese Communists
who were then our allies. And he
(Mr. Peurifoy) did not reproach
me and did not make any re-
marks"
cat another point in his testi-
mony, Larsen testified, "It is
purely my opinion that his (Mr.
Service's) reports had a Com
munist slant"
Edward p. Morgan, the com.
mittee'S chief counsel, then asked
Larsen whether MIR. Peurifoy ''in-
dicated any fear that you woulc
isuruz