Evening star., 1952-05-21

NeWUVtu iNUyeS, IT,
"HTTTAKER CHAMBERS ''Wit-
w ness" is not the kind Of book which
can be read with detached, imperSonal
enjoyment. This autobiography Of the
man who put the finger on Alger Hiss
combines exciting narrative, intensely
provocative thinking and profound
emotion. It is superbly written. But
Mr.. Chambers is out to put his finger,
here. on lot more than one Soviet
spy. or even a group Of them. He is out
to tell all of us what is wrong with us.
How much right he has to do this. and
how well he succeeds in doing it-these
questions will be debated by a great
many readers for long time to come.
The opinion of this reviewer is that
Mr.. Chambers is on much solder ground
case and the things which led up to it
than he is when he undertakes to
philosophize on the meaning of the
story. Perhaps Mr. Chambers wrote this
book too soon. In any event, there Is
an overwrought feverishness to his
thinking which seems to make him fail
precisely where he wants most to
succeed.
LA u CdSC 14hO t4llos J11C xCV1CWC1 10
duty bound to identify himself in rela-
ton to the events about which Mr..
Chambers writes. This one covered
both Hiss trials. Having read the record
of the congressional hearings which pre-
ceded the court action. he believed be-
fore the first trial began that Mr..
Chambers was telling the truth and that
Hiss was lying. The trials convinced him
that this was so. Nothing has hap
pened since to alter that conviction.
Mr.. Chambers, wisely, does not retell
the story of the trials in this book. He
does narrate in detail, along with all
that led up to it, the incredible series
of events which transpired between his
denunciation of Hiss and Hiss indict-
ment for perjury. Wherever possible, he
lets the record speak for itself. Some
questions still are left unanswered-for
example, though MIR. Chambers devotes
considerable space to trying. he never
really makes the reader understand why
he began by Withholding the evidence
that Hiss was spy. A combination Of
pity. lethargy and just plain forgetful-
ness, 1t appears. Yet, when all is said
and done, I do not see how any one can
possibly put down this book without feel
ing perfectly certain Of Hiss guilt.
To Mr.. Chambers, however. this is q
purely secondary consideration. He
assumes that most people by now are
convinced not only that Hiss was q
Communist spy in 1888. but also that
he still was one In 1948. He is not par
ticularly interested in pursuing the
question.
He is more interested, for one thing.
In making the world understand Whit
taker Chambers. He wants us to know
he is not the moral leper" the Hiss
forces tried to make him out to be; that.
in fact. he is by nature humble. sincere.
gentle, brave and right. Many readers
will conclude that he does not go about
this in the best way. He is not content.
by recounting what he did and what
he thought. to let his audience simply
feel these things. He says them him.
self, over and over, in hundred diff
ferent ways throughout the book. The
effect is disconcerting-a little like
watching q man preen himself in front
of spiritual mirror. Mr.. Chambers is
not conceited. But he gives one the
impression that he is so terribly pre-
occupied with the state of his soul that
his sense Of proportion Is adversely
affected.
The basic thesis of witness" lies in
this spiritual field. Communism Is "the
focus of the concentrated evil of our
time" Yet. says Mr.. Chambers. If man
is going to put faith in himself-in his
rational power to work out his own deS-
tiny-then the Communist position is
the only one he can logically take. One
force, and one force alone, stands against
communism: Faith in God.
Mr.. Chambers. today, is an undoubted
genuine mystic. His religious experience
is of q more imminent variety than that
of most people. In moments of crisis.
voices speak to him with perfect dis
tinctness: EFF you will fight for free
dom. all will be well with you." He finds
that man without mysticism Is q mon
ster." All that Is rational, in the philo-
sophical sense, he rejects with horror.
For he is certain that reason. per Sc, can
lead only to the totalitarian bestiality OF
communism on earth, and to damnation
beyond.
Mr.. Chambers does not say so ex-
plicitly, but the clear effect of his argu-
ment is that, given his frames Of refer
ence, he has been right in both the
crucial decisions of his nfe-the decision
to fight for communism and the decision
to fight against it. For, as he sees 1t.
there is no tenable middle ground OF
ideas between communism, on the one
hand. and his present sort Of religion on
the other.
It is not the purpose here to argue this
point, one way or the other. But it Is
an unfortunate fact that Mr.. Chambers,
in taking the position that he does take.
considerably narrows the fraternity OF
anti-communism.
The goth century being what 1t Is.
there are good many people who have
never been either Communists or myst1cs.
Many of them would be happy to accept
Mr.. Chambers as an ally in the struggle
to stay free.
They hnd themselves spurned by him.
X
Communism, Mr.. Chambers explains.
has vision Of future heaven on earth.
It also has faith that man, by using his
brain and his hands, can make that
vision q reality. Communism asks man
whether he has the moral strength to do
whatever must be done to fulfill the
vision. 1.-THE answer man makes TO TINS
question" says MIR. Chambers. is the
difference between the Communist and
those miscellaneous socialists. liberals.