Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1950-01-26
/ Might Be Wrone-BUT
BY P. G. sTROMBERG-

-By p. G..
IF EVER A verdict gave hope t
i the American people it is tn
pronouncement of Guilty" agains
Alger Hiss in New York last Sat
urday.
Since the charge was first mad
in 1948 there has been in my Who'll
being a deep resentment (not of al
individually against the possibilit,
of a man or a group of men hold
ing responsible jobs in our Govern
ment and using these positions t.
help destroy US. could neve
have served on the Hiss jury be
cause of that feeling. In Decem
Der, 1913 / wrote in this same col
umn q bitter denunciation of thi
very case. Quoting from tina
article / said:
"This business of having in
formation divulged today by.
men who were traitors to Amer
lea ten years ago is more sick
ening as the days roll on. To
have a man like Whitaker
Chambers come forward with
information in 1948 that he was
a Communist underground work.
er in 1887 and 1888 and know
that he holds today a prominent
position with a national maya
zine, is shocking. Whether or not
he is truly contrite is beside the
point. The man who beats his
child into Inconsistencies might
be truly contrite the next day
but the child's injuries remain.
The man who
Chambers sold his coun-
and try out tel
Hiss years ago is GER
tainly no hero
today even though some people
feel that his repentance makes
him one. And the reaction of the
average American toward Alger
Hiss is even more unfavorable.
Hiss is the man who is accused
by Chambers of having used his
position in the State Depart
ment to secure secrets and Gov
eminent papers for Chambers
as a Russian underground agent.
at makes one shudder with
righteous indignation and ex-
IRENE embarrassment to feel
that our country's secret codes
were being read by other ma
tions of the world at time of
the greatest emergency of our
national life. AS testimony I'M
folds other high officials of ten
years ago are becoming impli-
Gated. It is stated by officials
that neither the information
given out nor the names of the
men will be released because
SUCH revelation might well en-
danger our national security.
"What we can't fathom is
what possible attraction induced
young men like Chambers, Hiss,
ct al, to lend their service
against their country at a time
when such action might well
have undermined our very exist
ence as a nation
81 fail to see any logic in con-
sidering the dastardly crimes of
ten years ago as being ightened
by virtue of remorse on the part
of those guilty"
Now let's see how far the His
supporters will go in an effort T.
thwart American justice. Havinl
had the lengthy and expensive
trials and having twenty out o
twenty-four men and women sa,
guilty" they still will try ever
device kAown to undo what ha
been done. Probably now that His
has, been stamped for what he !
the Communists (if they dare) will
take an open part in his defense.
There is one phase of the case
which doesn't satisfy me. 1t i
that Hiss, having been foun'
Guilty" of perjury for lying abou
stealing Government papers, wa
convicted Of Treason
and yet the time of his treasonabl
acts goes beyond the statutor,
and he cannot be deal
with on this count. That seem
preposterous. Treason in 1896
1887 or 1888 is just as reprehensi
BILE as treason in 1947 or 1915
There should be no statutory limi
tations in cases of treason. An,
the limit of the sentence which cal
be imposed is 5 years on each o
two counts o4 a total of 10 years
(He was found guilty on tw'