Evening star., 1950-04-21
Probers Consider Call
For Witnesses Urqed
In Budenz Testimony
By Cecil HoIlond

Lne OLdLe DepaI tIueQL IdO DeIOre
it today proposals for pursuing
disputed accusations that Owen
baltimore, Far Eastern expert,
was a member of "a Communist
cell"
Louis Francis Budenz. SO, for
mer Communist. who has often
appeared as a witness here. testi-
fled yesterday he had been told
officially by high party officials
that Mr.. baltimore was a Commu-
mist who was known by the code
letters IL" and "XL."
This was disputed by Brig. Gen.
Elliott r. Thorpe, retired. who
appeared as a volunteer witness
and testified late yesterday that
Mr.. Lattinore is a loyal American
"and is in no way an agent of
the Communist Party nor of the
u. s. S. r." Gen. Thorpe. who
was chief Of counterintelligence
under Gen. Macarthur in Japan,
said he had investigated Mr.. Lat
timore three times.
Testifies for Four Hours.
In more than four hours of
testimony before the Senate For
eign Relations subcommittee in
vestigating the charges made by
Senator Mccarthy. Republican,
of Wisconsin, Mr.. Budenz &C
knowledged that he based his ac-
cusation on what he had been
told by party officials. He said
he had no personal and direct
evidence to show that Mr.. Lat
timore was a Communist.
But he insisted "corroborative
evidence was in existence" and
urged the investigating committee
to subpoena men he said were
high in the party while he was a
Communicated Browder, Fred
erick Vanderbilt Field, Jack
Stachel and Philip Jaffe.
Attorney Abe Fortas. who rep
resents Mr.. baltimore, also asked
that Mr.. Field be called.
baltimore WithholdS Comment.
Mr.. baltimore, a Johns Hopkins
University professor, withheld
comment on the Budenz testimony
pending a formal reply he is ex-
pected to make before the sub
committee next week. He already
has denied the accusations made
by Senator Mccarthy and was
present yesterday while Mr.
Budenz, a key Mccarthy witness.
was testifying.
Senator Mccarthy also sug-
gested the men named by Mr.
Budenz as having told him that
Mr.. baltimore was a Communist
subject to party discipline should
be called for questioning.
II think the investigating COM
mittee ought to subpoena those
men and get their story" Senator
Mccarthy told reporters. II want
to say, however. that calling then
would be meaningless and waste
of time If the Democrats Of the
committee continue to follow their
policy of really cross-examinine
witnesses who go after Commies. >
Accuses Democrats.
He made it clear that he
thought the Democratic men,
bers of the five-man investigating
committee tried to discredit the
testimony given by Mr.. Budenz.
The former Communist, now a
professor at Fordham University,
backed Senator McCarthy's
charges that Mr.. baltimore is or
was a Communist.
But he disagreed with Senator
McCarthy's charges that Mr.. Lat
timore is Russia's top spy in this
country.
That statement" Mr.. Budenz
said. "is not technically accurate.
I would not say he is the top So
Wet agent"
When Mr.. Budenz had finished
testifying in the public hearing, he
was asked to return next Tuesday
for further questioning in a closed
meeting.
On or before that time the COM
mittee is also expected to reach
q decision on whether to sub
poena Mr.. Browder, Mr.. Field and
others suggested by Mr. Budenz.
Mr.. Budenz testified that Mr.
Browder, former head of the
Communist Party in the United
States, had referred to Nj. Lat
timore "aS a Communist"
In New York, Mr.. Browder re-
piled that he had never made such
reference to Mr.. baltimore and
added:
II don't think I ever discussed
Mr.. baltimore in my life with
anyone"
Mr.. Field also issued a state
ment in New York calling Mr.
Budenz's accusations against him
"a shameless and Slanderous lie
He added that it was now clear
why he (Budenz) stated last week
that he would not speak except
under the shield of immunity"
In his testimony Mr.. Buden2
said that Mr.. Field was a Com
munist leader and a Soviet agent
He also said Mr.. Field was closely
associated with Mr.. baltimore and
the two called each other by their
first names.
StacheI Unavailable.
Stachel, named by Mr.. Budenz
as one of the sources of his in
formation on Mr.. baltimore, was
reported by Communist Party
headquarters in New York to be
recovering from a heart attack
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