Evening star., 1952-10-20
8 Stevenson Backers
Attack Eisenhower's
Association With Hiss
By the Associated Pres.

or the ASSoc1dfeo PfeSS
SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, Oct. 20.-
Eight prominent supporters OF
Gov. Stevenson deplore as unfair
and unwarranted" the use of the
Alger Hiss case in the presiden-
tial campaign and contend Gen.
Eisenhower is more vulnerable"
on this issue.
Answering attacks on the Gov
ernor for what has been called his
association with the convicted for
mer State Department employe,
these supporters say Gen. Eisen-
hover, the Republican candidate.
had given "a far greater and more
personal Endorsement" of Hiss
than had Stevenson.
In statement yesterday they
said:
Criticism in neither case is fair
or warranted. But If there is to
be criticism, Gen. Eisenhower is
more vulnerable than Gov. Ste
venson."
Resignation Declined.
The Stevenson supporters noted
that Gen. Eisenhower had become
a member of the board of trustees
of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace in 1948 while
Hiss was president of the organ
ization.
They added that in December,
1948. the board, with Gen. Eisen-
hover a member, declined Hiss
proffered resignation in the face
of charges questioning his loyalty
and voted Hiss three months leave
of absence with full pay while he
defended himself against the
charges. The statement said Gen.
Eisenhower never publicly ex-
pressed disapproval of that action.
Supporters of the general have
said he did not participate in
that action of the board.
Convicted of Lying.
Hiss was convicted of lying to
Jury in denying that he ever
passed State Department secrets
to a Communist courier. Gov.
Stevenson made a deposition in
Hiss first trial, saying that so far
as he had heard Hiss reputation
was good.
Senator Nixon of California.
the Republican vice presidential
nominee, has attacked what he
called Gov Stevenson'S "associa-
tion" with Hiss. Senator Mccarthy
of Wisconsin also has made an is
sue Of the Hiss case in criticizing
the Democratic nominee.
In Winnetka, ILL.,, last week,
Senator Nixon charged in a cam
paign speech that Gov. Stevenson
was "a man who was duped by
Communist Alger Hiss and who
has apparently never regretted his
action in defending him (and)
who has never uttered a public
word of indignation at Hiss in
famous deeds.
AiSHt SlSH Statcmcnts
The eight who signed yesterdays
statement said that Eisenhower.
OF all people. should understand
how unjust and unwarranted are
the current attacks on Gov. Ste
venson for his deposition in the
first trial of Alger Hiss
In New York, James Hagerty,
Gen. Eisenhower's press secretary.
commented:
To paraphrase Shakespeare :,
methlnks the gentlemans friends
protest too much"
The eight included Herman
Dunlap Smith and Mrs. Edison
Dick, co-chairmen of the Ma
tional Volunteers for Stevenson.
as well as Publisher Mark Eth
ridge of Louisville. KY: Ernest
Angel, New York attorney; Writer
John Hersey, New Haven, Conn;
DR.. Reinhold Niebuhr. New York
theologian. and Mrs. Edith Samp-
son. Chicago attorney, and Will
Rogers, jr., Beverly Hills (Calif.)
publisher.
They declared that similar un-
fair and sinister interpretations
could be placed with better cause
upon Gen. Eisenhower's connec-
tion with Hiss"
Recalls Dulles Role.
Reciting Gen. Eisenhower's ac-
ceptance Of membership on the
Carnegie endowment board, the
eight said:
"He. too, must have believed
that Hiss reputation for integ-
rity. loyalty and veracity was
good, for surely he would not have
joined the Board of Trustees If
he had believed the reputation of
its president to be otherwise"
The statement noted that John
Foster Dulles, described as Gen.
Eisenhower's principal foreign af-
fairs adviser. was serving as
chairman of the board when it
rejected Hiss resignation and
voted him leave with pay to de-
fend himself.
Call Attack Unfair.
Observing that Gen. Eisenhower
hadn't objected to the boards
action, the statement continued:
Surely the refusal to accept
Hiss resignation constituted a far
greater and more personal in
dorsement of Alger Hiss than did
Gov. Stevenson's report"