Evening star., 1953-11-14
Story Of 'DeoI'
To Aid Spy Hunt
Called False
By james (. Roper

A high authority today cate
gorically denied reports that FBI
Director j. Edgar Hoover ap-
proved a plan to keep Harry
Dexter White in the Government
in the hope that he would acci-
dentally betray members of a
Soviet espionage ring.
This source said Mr.. Hoover
staunchly opposed Whites 1946
appointment as Executive Di-
rector of the international Mon
etary Fund
Attorney General Brownell al
most certainly will make this
clear when he testifies Tuesday
before the Senate Internal Sc
curity subcommittee.
Representative Walter, Demo-
crat, of Pennsylvania, a mem
ber of the House Un-American
Activities Committee, said yes
terday he had reliable informa-
ton that the White case was
discussed at a 1916 conference
among these officials: President
Truman, Attorney General Tom
c. Clark. Secretary of the Treas
ury Fred Vinson and Mr.. Hoover
Says Decision Was Made.
Mr.. Walter said this confer
ence led to a mutually agreeable
decision to let White go into the
Monetary Fund, partly because
surveillance would be easy.
Other Democrats have re-
ported a similar explanation for
Mr.. Truman's decision to let
White take the job at the None
tary Fund despite FBI reports
indicating White was a Soviet
spy.
Mr.. Walter proposed that the
Un- Activities Commit
tee question Mr.. Hoover about
the reported IDEAL" to let White
stay in the Government-under
observation. Senator Welker,
Republican, Of Idaho, a member
of the Senate Internal Security
Committee. also proposed that
Mr.. Hoover be called to the wit
ness stand.
A source whose integrity is
not questioned told The Star.
that Mr.. Hoover could not sup
port the reported scheme.
In a conference such as the
one Mr.. Walter mentioned, Mr..
Clark-not Mr.. Hoover-would
have had authority to speak for
the Justice Department.
Followed Confirmation.
There was evidence that the
reported conference followed
Senate confirmation of White
to be executive director of the
Monetary Fund. This left the
Truman administration with the
problem of how to get rid of
White.
The decision to let him remain
in the post need not have been
motivated by politics. A public
dismissal of the newly confirmed
White. along with his denuncia-
ton as a spy, presumably would
have revealed to White and all
Soviet espionage agents in the
United States how far the FBI
watch on White had progressed.
Mr.. Brownell ally ar
ranged to detail his charges
against the old Truman admins
tration during a Tuesday hear
ing before the Internal Security
subcommittee of Senator Jenner,
Republican, of Indiana.
He continued to duck report
ers' questions on the White row.
Justice Department sources, how
ever, promised that his statement
on Tuesday will be "comprehen-
sive," and go far toward filling
in some Of the missing segments
Of the White story.
The subcommittee has asked
Mr.. Brownell for a full statement
or perhaps a summary of the
report which the FBI sent to
the White House in February
1916, about White.
Witness in Canada Sought.
Subcommittee Chairman Jen-
ner today started another at
tempt to question Igor Gouzen-
ko. the code clerk who quit the
Soviet Embassy in Ottawa in
1945 and exposed the Russian
spy ring in Canada.
Senator Jenner wrote the
State Department requesting
that it again ask Canada to give
the subcommittee permission to
question Gouzenko, now living
in Canada. The Ottawa govern
ment turned down a previous re-
quest, explaining that Mr.. Gou-
zenko already had told the pre-
vious request. explaining that
Mr.. Gouzenko already had tolo
the FBI everything he knew
about spies.
The Senate subcommittee
however. was looking into the
cases of a whole list of persons
who, like White, at one time
worked for the American Gov
ernment even though the FB1
was investigating them for es-
pionage. Senator Jenner believes
Mr.. Gouzenko can explain some
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