Evening star., 1952-03-01
baltimore Tells
OF Inviting Hiss
To Home in 1948
Asserts ut Hearing
Action Was Gesture
Of Confidence
By Robert K. Molsh

ne invited Alger Hiss to his Balti-
more home in 1948 when Hiss went
to that city to file a libel suit
against Whitaker Chambers.
He testified that Hiss, former
State Department official now in
prison, politely" rejected the in
vitation because he stayed with
relatives in Baltimore.
Under persistent questioning by
Internal Security subcommittee
members on his fifth day of testi-
mony. Mr.. baltimore explained
that he knew Hiss only as a casual
acquaintance. He sent the in
vitation letter merely as a courtesy
and a gesture" that friends and
acquaintanceS Of Hiss should have
confidence in Hiss, because all
sides Of the story had not been
heard.
Memory Hazy.
Mr.. baltimore insisted, however.
that he could not remember hav-
ing known at the time of the in
that Hiss had been &C.
cused of having been a Com
munist and Of having given State
Department secret information to
Mr.. Chambers, q former Com
agent.
Mr.. Chambers had made those
charges to the House Committee
on Un-American Activities only Q
short time previous to the invita-
ton. When he repeated the
charges in radio interview he
was sued for libel by Hiss in
Baltimore. Hiss later was indicted
and convicted on charges Of per-
Jury concerning the same state.
ments before Federal grand Jury,
In other fast moving develop.
ments today:
/. The subcommittee produced
. statement by Stanley Hornbeck,
former State Department official.
that Laughlin Currie, then an as
sistant to President Roosevelt, had
recommended in 1941 that Mr..
baltimore be appointed an adviser
to Chang Kai-Shek. Mr.. Latti-
more testified that he first knew
OF the prospective appointment
when Mr.. Currie asked him to
visit the White House for an in
terview with him and later with
President Roosevelt.
Currie WIN be Called.
The subcommittee has been told
by previous witnesses that Mr..
Currie was involved in activities
OF q Soviet spy ring. Mr.. Latti.
more told the subcommittee yes.
terday that he did not believe
such charges.
2. Mr.. Currie will be asked to
appear before the subcommittee.
Chairman McCarran, Democrat.
of Nevada announced. The chair
nan said a subpoena could not
De issued because Mr.. Currie is
n South America on business, but
hat a written request would be
'ent to him Immediately.
3. Subcommittee Counsel Rob-
'rt Morris introduced a CODY Of
cable dated August "a, 1899.
rom Edward Carter, then secre-
AIRY general of the Institute of
Pacific Relations, to Mr.. Latti-
more, who was in Europe. That
vas the date of the announcement
u the Hitler-Stalin pact shortly
before the outbreak of World
Var II.
The telegram asked Mr.. Latti-
more whether he cared to make
short visit to Moscow and have
lis expenses paid by IPR.
Gable Delivery Delayed.
Mr.. baltimore testified that he
urned down Mr.. Carter's sugges-
ion, principally because he was
N his way home and wanted to
pend a few days in Norway. He
llso recalled that the cable, al
hough dated August "a, was not
lelivered to him until several
weeks later in 1899.
Mr.. Morris then produced CODY
Il a letter written in February.
$40, by Mr.. baltimore to a friend.
harrison Forman, In New York.
1T was interesting enough being
n Sweden on the eve Of war and
t must have been even more In.
eresttng to be in Moscow when
he dam was beginning to crack"
he letter stated. "As q matter
Il fact I'd have been in Moscow
myself when the @ rm q ms
into Poland II It hadn't
.een that a cable from my New
FORK office was not delivered until
Ve reached our boat In Norway"
Meaning Explained.
Mr.. baltimore explained to the
ubcommittee that this letter did
ot mean he would have gone to
doscow II he had received the
able on August "a, 1889. He COM
1ented that 1T would have been
Interesting for anybody to be In
Ioscow at that time"
At the start Of today's hearing
frs. Freda Utley gave the sub
ommittee a letter protesting that
fr. baltimore. In his testimony
arlier this week, had falsely .ac-
used her Of "a record Of pro-
'azi utteranceS. Mrs. Utley, who
as asserted that Mr.. baltimore
ad Communist sympathies, indi.
ated her attorneys might sue Mr..
attimore for libel because OF
about her In his pre-
ared statement which. she said,
as released to the press several
ours before the open hearings
egan last Tuesday.