Evening star., 1950-03-01
Man Called Soviet Spy
By Chambers Refuses
To Answer probers
By Robert K. Walsh


A former California college in
structor. described by investigators
as a one-time Soviet intelligence
agent, today defied efforts OF the
House Committee on Un-Ameri-
can Activities to show a spy link
between Alger Hiss and Whitaker
Chambers.
John L. Sherman. 81. of Los
Angeles, refused to answer prac-
tically all questions including
whether he knew Hiss or had ever
met him at the Chambers house
in Baltimore in 1884.
But" he volunteered II would
regard it as a great privilege to
know Alger Hiss. However, am
confident he would not know me
from Adam"
Would you know him from
Adam?" Committee chief Investi-
gator Louis E. Russell asked.
I'D know him from photog-
raphs." the witness retorted.
Secret Testimony Revealed.
The committee uncorked hither-
to secret testimony it obtained
several months ago from Cham
bers. prewar Communist courier
and principal accuser of Hiss, for
mer State Department Official.
Hiss was convicted in Federal
Court in New York last January
on charges, Of falsely telling a
grand jury he never gave con-
f1dential documents to Chambers
for transmission to Russia.
Mr.. Russell also disclosed, in
questioning Sherman, that a wit
ness in secret session last Mon
day told the committee that Sher-
man once worked for the Soviet
intelligence. Mr.. Russell identi-
fed that witness only as "a for
mer agent of the Soviet intelli-
gence."
Sherman. who said he lost his
job as teacher in a small
California college last June "as
result of FBI activities" refused
to answer all questions about the
Chambers testimony.
Questioned on Passport.
The Chambers story, as read
from the record. was substantially
as follows:
Chambers related that he was
introduced to Sherman in the
1905 by Soviet agent named
Bill" and told that Sherman
was going to Tokyo as head of a |
Soviet underground apparatus.
Chambers said he was asked to or
ganize group in this country to
help Sherman operate in Japan.
He did so. he said, and Sherman
went to Japan in 1884 on q pass
port under the name of Charles
Francis Chase.
In connecvtion with that testi-
mony Sherman refused to answer
questions when Mr.. Russell showed
him a copy of the passport appli-
cation with a photograph resem-
bling Sherman.
The Chambers testimony also
declared that a Japanese -Ameri-
can named Hideo Noda, described
as a onetime apprentice of the
Mexican artist, Diego Rivera,
worked with Sherman both in this
country and in Japan in connec-
ton with the Soviet underground.
Wanted to Get Away.
When Sherman returned to the
United States he went to Moscow
but reappeared Unexpectedly inl
New York in 1887, the Chambers
story continued.
Chambers testified that Sher-
man told him he wanted to break
away from the Soviet underground
because II will not work any
longer for those murderers."
At this point, the Chambers tes-
timony brought in the name "Col.
Bykov." That was the man
named by Chambers at the Hiss
trials. Chambers declared that he
and Col. Bykov obtained an agree
ment from Hiss in the 1930s to
give them State Department doc
uments for transmission to Russia.
Refuses to Answer.
Bykov; according to the Cham
bers testimony disclosed today,
was extremely angered by the ef-
fort Of Sherman to leave the
underground work. He was ap-
peased. however, when Shermanl
showed up in California and con-
tinued his connection with the
Communist Party. the Chambers
testimony added.
Sherman repeatedly refused to
tell the committee whether he
had ever been Communist,
known Chambers or Hiss, or had
taken any Of the trips described
IN the Chambers testimony. At
several points in the questioning
he broke in with q charge, appar-
emily aimed at Chambers. that
these questions are part Of q
pattern of the framework of a |
disordered mind that has already
ruined the reputation of fine
American" When asked who the
fine American" was. he refused
to answer. i
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