Evening star., 1953-11-10
The Time Is Riqht Now

Former President Truman is reported to
have said in New York that when "the right
time comes" he may have something to say
about the case of Harry Dexter White. If that
is the way he feels, there will never be better
time than right now
The chronology of the White affair follows:
On December 4, 1945, the FBI sent report to
the White House and to various other officials.
This report, according to Attorney General
Brownell, reported in detail" the spying activ-
tiles of Mr.. White and other persons On
January %, 1896 Mr. White, then Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury was nominated by
the President as executive director for the
United States in the International Monetary
Fund. On February A. 1946, a second FBI report
dealing specifically with Mr.. Whites activities
was handed to General Harry Vaughan for the
attention of the President. On February g.
1946 the Senate, knowing nothing of all this
voted to confirm Mr.. White, and on May of
that year the President signed his commission
When Mr.. Brownell told this story in a
speech last Friday, Mr.. Truman reacted in two
ways. First, he said he had never seen the
reports on Mr.. White. And second, he said in
substance that the whole story was a political
lie cooked up by the Republicans to divert
attention from their defeats at the polls in
New York and New Jersey.
The former President, however, was wrong
on both counts. There is considerable evidence
to show this. But the most devastating testi-
mony is that which comes from James F.
ByrneS, then Secretary of State. He says that
on the day prior to Mr.. Whites confirmation
he received copy of the FBI report, pre-
Sumably the second one. He was Shocked"
when he read it, and made an appointment
to see Mr.. Truman. They met the next day
aY1I lf1,,~ . ARu
stated he had read the report and that he
also was surprised" They discussed ways and
means of preventing confirmation, but phone
call to the Senate revealed that Mr.. White had
been confirmed that afternoon. The President,
Mr.. Byrnes says, apparently was as disap-
pointed as I was"
In the face of this it is impossible to
believe that Mr.. Truman never saw either FBI
report He must have had memory lapse
when he said he had not seen the report or
reports. 1t is equally impossible to believe,
however, that MIR. Truman would have know
ingly appointed spy to any post. He wrangled
with congressional committees investigating
Communist activities, but he certainly had no
sympathy himself for Communists.
What, then, did happen in the White case?
Perhaps Mr. Truman did not read the first FBI
report, which, if so would explain the nomina-
ton on January %, 1916. The second report
was delivered to General Vaughan only two
days before the White confirmation 1t is quite
conceivable that this is the report which he
told Mr.. Byrnes he had read, but upon which
he had not had time to act
In any event, whatever the explanation
may be- it ought to be spread upon the record.
Mr.. Truman's recollection must have been re-
freshed by now, and if he is going to make
statement he ought to make it promptly. To
permit this affair to drag on, to be hashed and
rehashed, can serve only to damage Mr.. Tru-
mans personal reputation and the reputation
of his administration.