Evening star., 1953-11-17
Bare KnuckIes Only

bare knUckIeS Only
Mr.. Truman's reply to the attack upon him
by Attorney General Brawnell was essentially
political speech. But despite it's errors of
omission and distortion, it was highly effec-
tive political speech.
He said harshly that the Attorney General
had twice lied" to the American people. His
own wanderings from the straight and narrow
factual path were dealt with gently. Immedi-
ately after the Brownen speech, Mr.. Truman
said he had never received any report from
the FB1 on Harry Dexter White. II don't know
what they're talking about" he said, mo such
thing ever happened" Last night he said that
when Mr. Brownell first made his charges 'I
was unable to remember the precise documents
to which he referred" And he added: But
OF course knew of the intensive investigation
of Communist activity which was then going
on and which involved many persons"
This is curiously inconsistent with his
initial comments on the Brownell speech. For
his original statement was not that he was
unable to remember precise documents. He said
that he didn't know what they were talking
about, and that, if true, means that he had
forgotten all about what he now describes as
the carefully laid plan to trap Mr.. White In
discussing this "plan," Mr.. Truman did not
repeat the version put out by some of his
friends-namely, that FBI Director ]. Edgar
Hoover indorSed if he did not actually propose
the plan. Mr.. Truman carefully-and wisely
refrained from mentioning Mr.. Hoover'S name
or even implying that he was party to setting
up the so-called trap.
While calling Mr.. Brownel a liar, the
former President also lightly dismissed his own
inaccurate initial statement that Mr.. White
was Sired" when 1--WE found out that he was
wrong" OF that he said last night: my recent
offhand comment was in error" 1t was, indeed,
In error And this confession of error does not
explain the fulSome letter of praise which Mr..
Truman wrote to Mr. White when the latter
resigned IA months after the former President
became aware of the FBI suspicious concerning
him.
There is one other thing which ought to be
mentioned. Mr.. Truman acknowledged that
"a lengthy FBI report on this matter (of
eSpionage) was sent to the White House in
December, 1945" This report dealt extensively
with Alger Hiss, and also mentioned Mr.. White
and number of other people allegedly engaged
in espionage with him.
Did Mr.. Truman ever read that first report,
or have some one read it for him? If he did
read it, why were those named as conSpiratorS
with Mr.. White-many of whom have since
refused to answer congressional committee
questions on the ground of standardization
permitted to stay on for months before leaving
the Government service quietly and without
exposure? More Importantly, why was Mr..
Truman in December, 1948-three years after
he became aware of the FBIs intensive investi-
cation OF Communist Spying-still calling the
congressional investigation which exposed Alger
Hiss "red herring?" The record on this point
is painfully clear. The FBI report on Alger
Hiss was in the White House in December,
1945. But all that Mr.. Truman ever did was to
try to discredit the congressional committee
which finally turned up the evidence that sent
Hiss to Jail. There is not the slightest reason
to believe that he would ever have gone to Jail,
or that he would even have been exposed, if
the matter had been left to Mr.. Truman. If
Mr.. Truman did not read the December, 1945,
report even after learning the contents of the
second report, and if by December, 1948, he
still did not know the facts concerning Alger
Hiss, there is only one possible concluSion-he
was Shockingly negligent in dealing with Com
munist espionage.
The fact remains, however, that Mr.
Brownell did not accuse Mr. Truman of negli-
gence, although, belatedly, he claimed that this
was what he meant to charge. He said that
the former President knew that Harry Dexter
White was Communist spy when he appointed
him to the most sensitive and important posi-
tion he ever held in the Government service.
This was not an off-the-cuff statement. 1t was
a charge made by the Attorney General in
carefully prepared speech, and therefore is to
be treated all the more seriously.
Mr.. Brownell has his inning today. Perhaps
he will satisfactorily support or explain his
accusation. But if he fails to do so, he will
deserve the censure which Mr.. Truman heaped
upon him in such full measure
Bunin