Evening star., 1952-10-13

/
ties Committee which had sub
|poenaed him to explain testimony
he gave on September 20 at the
McCarthy-B Benton slander ano
libel hearing that he believed
Communists "are so adroit and
Iadept they have infiltrated every
security agency of the Govern
Iment."
Based on Theory.
Gen. Smith said today that his
statement was "predicated on
pure theory and past perform
ance." He added under cross
examination by committee coun-
Isel:
Il would be extremely complac-
ent If I believed that there was
no Communist infiltration in the
Government"
Representative Walter. Demo-
crat. of Pennsylvania asked the
general fatty:
do you know positively that
there are Communists in your or
|ganization (the CIA)?"
Il am morally certain that there
may be Communists in the Gen.
trail Intelligence Agency" Gen.
Smith replied.
Mr.. Walter asked: do you
know who they are?"
Gen. Smith replied: mo"
Courtroom Packed.
The courtroom in the Federal
Building was filled to capacity
about 125 persons. A dozen po-
licemen patrolled outside. No one
was allowed to stand in the hear
ing room.
Mr.. Walter, Committee Chair
man Wood, Democrat, of Georgia,
land Representative velde. Repub-
lican, of Illinois, aided by Counsel
Frank S. Tavenner, jr.. questioned
Gen. Smith repeatedly on his Sep
tember % statement.
Mr.. Walter said such a state
ment is disturbing to the entire
country"
"One of the reasons I came
here today was to alleviate that
disturbance" Gen. Smith replied
Certainty Questioned.
But Mr.. Walter and Mr.. Wood
asserted that Gen. Smith should
state fatty whether he was GER
tain" there was Communist in
filtration in every Government
security agency.
The general, however, said that
he could not make such a state
|ment, that the work of the CIA
was devoted entirely to operations
outside the United States. But he
did say this:
II have found no penetration
OF Communists in my organiza-
tion in the United States. No
American Communists and none
within the scope or interests of
this committee"
Il believe that there are Com
munists in my organization out
side Of the United States because
in the past we have from time to
time discovered one or two in our
ranks"
Expects Distortion.
Gen. Smith noted that this is
IA presidential election year and
said that every statement made
by an officer of the administration
lis going to be seized upon and
quoted out of context"
He added:
Il have no political leanings or
affiliations. Any future President.
Republican or Democrat, is going
to have to work with the same
security agencies now in existence
Both will have the same difficult
ties that we now encounter today.
If either one of them, the Demo-
crat or the Republican, does as
well as President Truman in CO.
operation with the security agen-
|cies in ferreting out subversives.
the American people can con-
|gratulate each other and will have
little to worry about"
Mr.. Walter asked Gen. Smith
whether in making his statement
about the Communists in the
Federal security agencies he had
any f1rst-hand knowledge or facts.
MY responsibilities are all
abroad" Gen. Smith answered.
my knowledge concerns only ac-
tivities abroad. Remember when
I talk I refer only to those &C
(See SMITH, Page A-5.)