Evening star., 1951-12-14

interpret and report events as they
occurred.
On his return to the United
States in October. 1914, as the
first American official to return
after a visit to the Communist
held areas in China, Mr.. Service
was sought after, not only by
Government agencies whose work
related to China. but also by news
paper people and other writers on
Far Eastern affairs. He was in
Ivited, and with the authorization
of his superiors accepted the in
Ivitation, to address an "off-the-
record" meeting of the Institute
of Pacific Relations. For all OF
these conferences he used as
working material the substance OF
his observations in China, the
very matter which was contained
in his classified reports.
1t is apparent to the board that
Mr.. Service, without inquiring into
Mr.. Jaffe's background or creden-
tials, but solely on the basis of
Mr.. Jaffe's connection with
Amerasia. assumed to treat Mr.
Jaffe as a reputable writer, and to
give him the same sort of back
ground information" that he had
oeen accustomed to give news
paper men in China. 1t is also ap-
parent that Mr.. Service was eager
to impart to persons interested
in the Far East his views Of the
Chinese situation.
Mr.. Service clearly committed
two serious indiscretionS with ref
Ierence to these reports. The first
was to communicate any classi-
fed information at all to Mr..
Jaffe without checking on his
reputation. The second. which
was both an indiscretion and a
breach of regulations. was to allow
Mr.. Jaffe to take possession, for
however short a time. of classi-
fed documents. The board takes
note, however. of the fact that the
documents in question contained
nothing that could be considered
harmful to the national security;
they were reports of Mr.. Services
personal observations on the aims
and situation of the Chinese Com
Imunists. The board cannot find
Mr.. Service disloyal to the United
States on the basis of his loan
of these documents to Mr.. Jaffe.
Information From FBI.
The board had before it certain
confidential information from the
FBI regarding conversations be-
tween Mr.. Jaffe and Mr.. Service
in which Mr.. Service referred to
certain military plans in China
as very secret" and to certain
information about the where
aboutS of Gen. Stilwell as very
confidential" 1t has been charged
that Mr.. Service in these con-
versations disclosed classified in
formation to Mr.. Jaffe. 1t ap-
peared on hearing that Mr.. Serv-
ice on his return to the United
States in April, 1945. was not in
possession. nor advised of the
contents of, any classified docu-
Iments regarding military plans or
the whereabouts of Gen. Still
well.
AS a matter of fact. he was not
advised of any secret information
at all concerning + the military
plans of the United States or OF
Gen. Stilwell. He was aware only
of general discussions and specula
itions regarding the possibility o1
a landing in China, and of the
Idesirability of cooperating with
whatever Chinese forces might be
met there. Gen. Stilwell haC
told him that he was looking fol-
a fighting job" in the Pacific. He
did not know the determination
Iof any of these issues. He coulo
] therefore, not have been guilty o1
disclosing secret information as
alleged. for he had none. 1t is
Ito be noted that oral information
of the sort mentioned does not
like a document, bear on it's face
it's classification, and that it is &
mark of prudence, rather than tn,
opposite, for Government official
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