Evening star., 1952-07-13
Key Role in HissC Chambers Case Brought Nixon Fame
By Miriam Gutenberg

| Breaking the Alger Hiss case
was cited in Chicago as one of the
main accomplishments of the
man chosen as Gen. Eisenhower's
running mate.
Here's the part played by Sen
ator Nixon in the serial story of
Whitaker Chambers, the accuser.
and Hiss, the accused:
Senator Nixon, then q Repre-
sentative. was a member Of the
House Committee on Un-American
| lActivities-a freshman member
in August, 1948. when Chambers
listed Hiss as one of six leaders of
a Communist apparatus" in Gov
eminent.
Chambers was then q senior
editor Of Time Magazine and
avowed ex-Communist. Hiss. a
former State Department official
who had taken a leading part in
organizing the United Nations.
was then president of the Car
negie Endowmen for Internation-
al Peace.
Argued Against Switch.
Two days after Chambers ac-
cused, Hiss appeared before the
committee to deny. He not only
said flatly he had never been a
member of the Communist Party,
he also said he had never before
laid eyes on Chambers.
It was a tough moment for the
committee. Elections were a few
months off. The committees tao
tics had long been under criti-
cism and some members felt they
had pulled a major boner in kick
ing around the name Of Alger
Hiss.
Chambers in his best-selling
account of the Hiss case, "Wit-
ness" called that the first de-
cisive moment in the Hiss case.
Richard Nixon" wrote. Cham
bers, argued quietly but firmly
against switch from the Hiss
investigation to any other sub
ject. He pied the necessity of
reaching the truth in the Hiss
Chambers deadlock. BY his action,
then and later, he became the
man of decision Of the first phase
of the Hiss Case Richard
Nixon made the Hiss case pos
Sible."
No Blast or Name Calling.
Reporters who covered the
Congressional phase of the Hiss
Chambers case recall the question
in the then Representatives.
mind that kept him from accept
ing Hiss statements at face
value: Why would Chambers, a
man who had gained respecta-
bility as a magazine executive,
suddenly volunteer to perjure
himself?
There was no blast of baseless
name-calling then or later on the
part of Representative Nixon.
incidentally. he has since dis
avowed any inclination toward
McCarthyism."
Instead. acting on a staff mem
ber's suggestion. he proposed this
procedure to the committee: The
question was to determine which
man was lying. Therefore, there
should be sessions to find out how
much Chambers knew about the
details of Hiss life and then ses-
sions with Hiss to determine If
Chambers answers were accurate.
Mr.. Nixon was appointed chair
man of subcommittee to see
this through.
In New York on August T.,
Chambers went under barrage
of subcommittee questioning. Mr..
Nixon asked at a closed session
about the intimate details of the
Hiss household-what nickname
Hiss called his wife, how and
where they lived. his habits and
hobbies and the cars he drove.
Arranged First Meeting.
It was out of the questioning on
cars that a major source of later
controversy arose. Chambers said
Hiss gave his 1929 Ford to the
Communist Party. It was also at
this session that Mr.. Nixon, who
had been studying the mechanics
of lie detector tests, asked Cham
bers if he would agree to take one
and Chambers agreed.
On August 16, Hiss underwent
questioning on the same points