Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-09-24
IA British Author
Presents His View
OF the Hiss Trial
a GENERATION ON TRIAI

BY AliStair Cooke. (Altred A
Knopf, Inc; $780,
Alistair Cooke, able chief cor.
respondent of the Manchester
Guardian, says frankly at the out
set of this story of the Hiss case
that at will profoundly disap-
point people looking for a revival
ist tract or for ammunition for 9
side already chosen"
A Star reporter who covered
both trials recalls that Mr.. Cookies
lucid and literate dispatches were
SO esteemed among the press that
many of his colleagues read them
in cablese carbon as a matter
of daily routine. He also remem-
berS that Mr.. Cooke withheld his
own personal verdict longer than
any other reporter on the scene
It is hard to judge from this bril-
liant book whether he has yet
made up his mind between Hiss
and Chambers.
At any rate he reserves his
editorializing for such enduring
problems as the ambiguous func-
ton of congressional committees
the unconscionable length OF
American trials and the tendency
in certain quarters of the press
to try cases that are in the courts
in the columns of newspapers.
Makes 1t Seem New.
That is not to say that Mr.
Cookies account Is simply a dreary
and academic balancing off of one
bit of battling evidence against
another. He has a fair for dram
atizing the changes In courtroom
atmosphere. for ticking off in
vivid metaphors the major and
minor characters in what Whit
taker Chambers has called "a
tragedy Of history" He has picked
his way with much wit and point
through the maze of minutiae that
make up the corroborating evil
dence. In the reconstruction OF
such moments as the incredible
conformation scene in the New
York hotel room. he is capable OF
making new and startling a thou
sand timeS-told tale,
It Is Mr.. Cookies contention
that while A1ger Hiss was spe-
cif1cally charged with perjury
"the implied charge was espio-
mage" With that in mind, he
has made a trenchant survey OF
New Deal history, which is strict
ly relevant only If Mr.. Hiss is
guilty. since he was indicted, not
for traftlcking with agents of a
foreign power in 1898, but for ly-
ing about it before grand jury
in 1948. But Mr.. Cooke main
tains that "the severe change in
the political weather between 1888
and 1913" must have accounted
for many of the prejudices that
were a decided factor in the "de-
mails of Alger Hiss"
It's in the Record.
Mr.. Cookies is no INSIDE
story of the ordeal of Alger Hiss
He goes strictly by the record
and regrets as much as any mar
that the fantastic choice between
the American gentleman" ano
the repentant renegade rests least
IN part on such petty matters as
a model A Ford car, and q
battered Woodstock typewriter
He gives full weight to the amaz-
ing testimony of the Chamberses
that the Kisses never knew them
by any last name, to the care
full plain mans" demolition OF
the psychiatric evidence by the
numbering, sure-footed Murphy
in the second trial.
OF his book he says he hopes
that what I am putting down is
record Of the trials of Alge,
Hiss from the first accusation to
his conviction, to which I hope
puzzled and fair-minded people
will turn in order to make ur
their own minds about the proper
verdict" Many of his readers
will come away more relieved
than ever that they did not have
to serve on the juries which had
to answer one Of the most puz-
zling questions put to this genera
ton.
MARY McGRoRY.
Tiv~o1e DJnno L.. NJ