Evening star., 1952-06-21
u. ). Order Bars
baltimore From
Leaving Country
State Department Acts
On Tip; He Denies
Plan to Visit Russia

on a Federal agency's tip that
Owen baltimore planned a trip
behind the iron curtain, has
asked customs officials to halt any
attempt he makes to leave this
country.
Department officials refused to
identify the source of the tip. ex-
lcept to say it did not come from
Capitol Hill. They said they did
not know whether it was correct,
and that it is still under investiga-
Ition.
Breaking a day-long silence. the
department disclosed early last
night that the halt request to GUS
toms was issued June 3.
The announcement followed q
newspaper report yesterday that
such action had been taken
against any trip planned by the
Far Eastern expert and former
State Department consultant.
Nonsense, baltimore Says.
Mr.. baltimore, now a Johns
Hopkins University professor, said
in Baltimore that charges he
planned a trip to Russia or a
satellite nation were nonsense"
He said he had no idea why the
allegation was made and that he
had no plans for going anywhere
out of the country"
Mr.. baltimore has been the tar
get of repeated attacks by Sena-
tor Mccarthy, Republican, of Wis
consin, who has charged that the
Baltimorean was the chief archi-
tect" Of the Democratic adminis-
tration's heavily-criticized Far
Eastern policy.
Earlier this year, he went
through a gruelling 12-day ques-
tioning by the Senate Internal
Security subcommittee, which
probed his participation in the
Institute of Pacific Relations. The
group has tried to find whether
the IPR exerted subversive influ-
ences on this Nations foreign
lpolicies.
Doesn't Act on Fantasies.
Under insistent questioning,
State Department Press Officer
Michael McDermott would say
only this about the source of the
official tip" on Mr.. baltimore:
"The department doesn't take
action on fantasies or inanities."
Asked if Mr.. baltimore is under
surveillance, he replied:
mot to my knowledge"
A department statement recalled
that on May /, it was announced
that all passports were being
stamped mot valid for travel in
the U. S. S. r. and it's satellites"
unless such travel were specifically
authorized. It added:
Pending further investigation
Of the problems that would be pre-.
sented under this change of pro-
cedure, the department decided on
an individual case basis to ask the
Customs Bureau not to permit the
departure of American citizens
proposing to leave the United
States bound for such destinations
if they do not have in their pos
session passports duly validated
for such travel.
Tipped OFF on Plan.
"An allegation was made recent.
ly to the department that Mr..
Owen baltimore was making ar
rangements for possible visit to
the U. S. S. r. and or it's satellites.
The department Immediately be-
gan an investigation of this allega.
ton.
Pending the results of this in
Ivestigation, the Customs Bureau
was notified that Mr.. baltimore
(who was not in possession of a
passport duly validated for such
traveD should not be permitted
to leave the United States. MIR.
baltimore last year applied for
and was granted a passport to
visit Great Britain. This pass
port is no longer in effect and
Mr.. baltimore has not since ap-
piled for passport"
Mrs. Ruth B. Shipley, chief Of
the departments Passport Divis-
ion. was asked why such an order
was necessary since CD Mr.. Lat
timore did not have a valid pass
port and (2) it is illegal to leave
the country without one.
She gave these two reasons:
l. While such passage is illegal.
some transportation facilities have
been known to carry passengers
without valid papers.
2. On hurried examination, the
temporary passport issued to Mr..
baltimore for his England trip
last December might be accepted
as an ordinary passport" which
(See LATTIMORE, Page A-3D