Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-21
Judge Acquits
F. Y. Field in
Case
Standardization
Plea Properly Made
At Senate Hearing
By John w. Stepp

ny SoHu w. StSPP
Frederick Vanderbilt Field to-
day was cleared of a 32-count
contempt of Congress indictment
by District Judge T. Alan Colds
borough, who firmly declared the
court had not the slightest doubt
that it could reach no other con-
clusion."
While freeing the balding. be-
specialized defen dant, Judge
Goldsborough offered a pithy aside
on Communism and recited a
limerick to illustrate his point.
Fields acquittal was the sixth
in 10 contempt-of Congress trials
here this year. There have been
two convictions. Decisions are
pending in two other cases.
Despite the setbacks, Govern
ment prosecutors said they Intent
to go ahead with IA other pending
contempt cases.
In granting a defense motion
for an acquittal judgment, Judge
Goldsborough ruled that Field
New York millionaire and great
grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt
had properly claimed his constitu-
tional privilege against possible
self determination when he re-
fused to answer questions about
his knowledge of Communist in
dividuals and organizations.
The questions were asked him
last April by a Senate subcom-
mittee investigating charges OF
Communist influences in the State
Department.
Had Been Called Communist.
The judge pointed out that be-
fore calling Field before it as a
witness. the subcommittee had
aired charges that the defendant
himself was a Communist and
rich organizer" of Communist
activities.
1T was in that atmosphere he
was called before the subcommit-
tee" the judge recalled. He
knew-if he had any common
senSe-that he wasn't being called
to be asked some simple ques-
ton. He knew he WAS called tr
be grilled.
IF he had answered all these
80 questions in the affirmative, .
the judge added, sit would have
taken very little available evidence
to put him in a penitentiary."
Judge Sees Propaganda.
Commenting that he did not
want to seem "facetious" the
judge said he wanted to state his
view of the honest Communist,
the naive Communist, who goes
into communism thinking that by
so doing he is taking a step to
benefit humanity.
I've always felt that that hon
est Communist is the same as the
young lady from Niger:
" There Das a young lady from
Niger
Who smiled as she rode on tiger
They came back from the ride
With the lady inside
And smile on the face of the
tiger"
The judge further observed that
to have convicted Field of refus-
ing to answer the 80 questions
selected for the indictment with
a feeling they could catch him
somewhere along the line" could
have been used by the Commu-
nists as "flrst-class propaganda
against the United States
The juryless trial in District
Court lasted four days, with day.
long arguments by defense and
prosecution winding up yesterday
lat 3 pm.
Silent on Communists.
About two-thirds of the 80 cues
tons concerned Fields knowledge
If any OF a number of known and
lreputed Communists and individ-
uals connected with the State
Department. Field refused to &C
knowledge whether he knew such
persons as Louis Budenz, Whit
taker Chambers, Elizabeth Bent
ley, any staff members of Amer
asia magazine, John S. Service.
Haldore Hanson and John C. Vim
cent.
The 46-year-old defendant also
refused to tell the subcommittee
whether he ever used his home
for Embarrassing meetings for "any
type OF organization, whether he
contributed to a defense fund fol
espionage suspects arrested in the
Amerasia case, or whether he con-
tributed funds to certain maya
zines, including Amerasia, which
were devoted to Asiatic affairs.
In each instance. Field con-
tended he was privileged to refuse
answers on the ground of pos
sible standardization. Assistant
United States Attorney William
Hitz argued that Field made this
claim in bad faith" since he had
no reason to fear his answers to
each specific question at issue
might expose him to possible
criminal prosecution.
Slum Clearance Plans
Described to East Central