Evening star., 1950-05-31
Recent Events Prove
Ex-Reds' Testimony oi
High Value 10 U. 5.
FBl Found information
By Chambers or Budenz
Aided in Netting Spies
By David Laurence


proved in rather sensational
fashion that the testimony Of
former Communists who have
turned states evidence" has been
Of inestimable value to the Gov
ernment Of the United States.
There has been a tendency re-
Gently to belittle Bentley. Cham
bers or Budenz as having them
selves been Communists and
hence not to be trusted. 1t is
natural for observers to feel deep
contempt for those persons who
forgot their Americanism and
played ball with the Communists.
This, however. has nothing to do
with the larger problem of law
enforcement. There is scarcely
anywhere in this country a pros
ecuting attorney who would not
gladly make use of evidence OBJ
tanned from a confessed criminal.
For the law often can get evi-
dence that way which would
otherwise be completely unobtain-
able. It's a case of using all evi-
dence, irrespective of source, to
catch more criminals.
Now it is revealed, for instance,
that Miss Bentley gave the Federal
D,,raoV ~ Toyocfi fioo finvn a 1;cf of
contacts which they painstakingly
checked, and, while she did not
know Klaus Fuchs or anything
about him. she did put her finger
on various names out of which
came the lead that brought about
the arrest Of Harry Gold. 1t was
Gold who transmitted to Russia
the biggest secret of modern
times-how to make an atomic
bomb.
Information Reliable.
It can be stated authoritatively
that whenever the FBI has
checked up on anything suscept-
ible of being checked, it has found
absolutely reliable the informa-
ton furnished by Miss Bentley,
Chambers and Budenz, respec-
lively. Where each expressed an
opinion or gave an impression
about another individual or where
it was a mere matter of one
persons word against another's,
and there was no verification pos
sible, the FBI in some cases is
just as much in the dark as it
ever was and must wait for
further evidence to be uncovered
some day. if it ever can be. There
are some riddles no doubt which
will never be solved.
The FBI worked up the case
against Gold from information
available on this side of the At
lantic. When Fuchs, in London,
was confronted not only with data
collected here but with moving
pictures taken by FBI operatives.
it would appear that he became
cooperative to the extent of
furnishing more leads himself. He
saw what the FBI had. Some of
this information acquired mean
ing to the FBI only when woven
together by interrogating a con-
fessed spy.
Detective work usually requires
q long, painstaking follow-up, but
it can be speeded by a confession
here and there or by new informa-
ton elected from some one who
has decided to turn states evil
sdence."
The FBI is in an awkward posi-
ton today because it cannot, of
course. discuss publicly the details
Of its cases. Its job is only to fer
ret out wrongdoing. The Attorney
General or his assistants make all
the important decisions as to
whether a prosecution in court
should be undertaken and what
prosecutions-like the Amerasia
case, for instance-Should not be
pursued. This case is one that will
bear watching. The explanation
now being made that evidence was
obtained illegally, because of a
raid without a warrant, is only a
partial explanation. 1t doesn't go
to the root of a matter of that
kind. There are all sorts of tech
nicalities that bar evidence OBJ
tanned by raids from being used
in court against a person whose
Office was ransacked, but there are
occasions when the same evidence
can be used against other persons
involved. The Amerasia case
should never have been dropped.
Can Be Political Decision.
It is important that the public
bear in mind the political nature
of our system of law-enforcement.
The right to press or drop case
can be a political decision, or it
can be the result of being duped.
A department head in government,
moreover, can concur in loyalty
boards report and dismiss an en-
ploye, or reverse such a board and
keep the employe in his job. Again,
this can be a political decision or
it can be based upon bad judg-
ment.
To check up against such a
possible abuse of power, the legis-
1ative branch of the Government
uses it's searching power OF in
vestigation. But where committees
are controlled politically by the
party in power, as is the case with
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee today. the words OF the
politicians in the majority carry
no more weight in defense OF a
person accused than do the words
of the opposing politicians in the
minority crying operation white
wash" That is why the investiga-
tive process in Congress, painful
as it is, must run its course.
The best way to deal with any
demagogue is to give him a dose
of full publicity, so that the public
can decide whether any charge
hos haey, ,,roved or diSprOved. Lit