Evening star., 1953-11-13
By Crosby S. Moves

more sensitive job in 1945, aftel
the FBI report on his activities
was sent to the White House?
This question lies at the heart
of the controversy raging in the
headlines today.
Attorney General BroWnell
and other Republican spokes-
men have stated fatty that he
was.
In his Chicago speech last Fri
day, Mr.. Brownell said:
Harry Dexter White was
known to be Communist spy
by the very people who appointed
him to the most sensitive ano
important position he ever held
in the Government service"
Later, he spoke of the nomina-
ton of White who was then
Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury, for the even more i'm
portant position of executive
director for the United States
on the International Monetay
Fund"
Democrats View Opposed.
Democratic sources, on the
other hand, have limited that
just the opposite was true. White,
they say was put on ice" by
the adminiStration-moved from
a critical position in the Treas
ury to one where he could do no
harm and be kept under obServa-
ton.
What is the truth of these
contradictory assertions?
In one, perhaps somewhat su-
perfcial sense, Mr.. Brownell is
on firm ground in describing
Whites transfer to the None
tary Fund as a promotion y
His salary as Assistant Secre-
tary was $4,000 a year. AS a
director of the fund, he received
$4,000 a year, a fixed salary
paid by the fund to all of its
directors.
The question of whether one
Job was more important" or
more sensitive" than the other,
however, depends largely on
other considerations.
Description of Duties.
Here is the best description
of Mr. Whites duties at the
Treasury and at the fund that
can be gathered at this point:
Starting on June 20, 1884,
White was appointed as an eco
nomic analyst in the Office of the
Secretary of the Treasury. His
duties at the time are unclear
now, except it is believed that
he served as a technician on
matters connected with the
country's new gold policy. The
United States had gone off the
gold standard" the previous year.
In November of the same year,
he became the principal econo-
mic analyst in the Treasury
division of research and statis-
tics. AS such, he prepared ana
lyseS and reports for the Sec
retary covering financial markets
and economic affairs generally
He prepared the estimates
of revenues and expenditures OF
the Government; analysed tax
problems and proposals.
At the same time he prepared
drafts of statements by the Sec
rotary and other Treasury Of
flcials-including statements for
Congress White became assistant
director of the division in Octo-
ber, 1886.
Headed New Division.
On March 25. 1898. he was
named director of the Treasury s
new Division of Monetary Re-
search. The division was re-
sponsible for the staff work in
formulating and carrying out
monetary policies in connection
with the Sterilization Fund anc
other operations under the Cole
Reserve, and Silver Purchase
Whites division studied gold anc
silver problems, came up with
recommendations concerning the
flow of capital funds into and
out of the United States, the
fiscal policies of other countries,
international trade and SO on.
When war came, the division;
work extended to the f1nancia,
and monetary problems con-
nected with military operations
such as the invasion and occupa-
tion of enemy-held countries. Ac-
cording to one informed source
the information handled would
have been considered "of the
highest military Importance to
the United States"
The division also colIaborated
with the Foreign Funds Control
which administered the so-called
freezing controls" the major
weapon in the financial warfare
arsenal. On August 5, 1941,
Whites title was changed to AS
sistant to the Secretary-appar-
emily without a change of duties
Became Assistant Secretary.
On January "a, 1945. he be-
came Assistant Secretary, as
signed to supervision of the divi-
sion of monetary research and
foreign funds control. His most
important assignment was un-
doubtedly his work on the prep
aration of the Breton Woods
Plan for setting up the Interna-
tional Bank and the Monetary
Fund.
In addition to Whites assigned
duties in the Treasury Depart
ment, the extent of his impor-
tance must also be measured in
terms of his influence on the
Secretary of the Treasury. The
Widely-held opinion that White
was extremely close to Secretary
Morgenthau is borne out by the
SecretaryS letter to Whites sis
ter at the time Of Whites deo r.,