Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-01
Security Rejects
Now Hold High Posts,
Voice Witness Says

men rejected for posts with the
Voice of America for security
reasons held high positions"
under the United States High
Commission to Germany, a wit
ness said today.
Senator McCarthy'S Senate
subcommittee investigating pos
Slble Subversion and waste in
Voice operations heard the testi-
mony on a nationally televised
hearing.
The witness, James F. Thomp-
son, facilities manager for the
Voice. said the men were Ed
Schechter, now chief of the
United States radio branch in
Bonn, and Theodore Kaghan,
who was chief of the press Sec
ton in Germany until one year
ago.
Mr.. Thompson said his own
Office had to work with the men
and that his department suf-
fered ''inordinate delays" in de-
veloping a radio plant in Munich
during the past four years.
Told of Mr.. Thompson'S
testimony, Mr.. Kaghan said in
Bonn he did not recall ever
having been turned down by
the Voice for security reasons.
He added that he had been
cleared several times land I
have letter to that effect"
Mr.. Kaghan said he formerly
was chief of the Information
Division which included all
press and radio operations.
Mr. Shechter who was away
from Bonn, could not be
reached for comment immedi-
ately.)
Earlier, two Voice officials
testified that the State Depart
ment ordered suspension of anti
Communist broadcasts to Israel
last December-just two weeks
after the Prague anti-Semitic
trials.
These witnesses were Gerald
Dooher. chief of the Voices Near
East and Asia service, and his
subordinate. Sidney Glazer, chief
Of the Voices Hebrew service.
Mr.. Dooher said the order
came on December from Reed
Harris, then acting administra-
tor of the international Infor-
nation Administration QIA) in
the absence of DR. Wilson NJ.
Compton.
Mr.. Glazer said the Voice per-
sonnet in New York Immediately
protested the order, which was
to have gone in effect January
5. The order was suspended, he
said, and the broadcasts to Israel
continued and proved very eff
3ective.
Harris To Testify.
Senator Mccarthy announced
that Mr.. Harris would be asked
to testify in Washington on
Tuesday at 1890 am. (EST)
before the next public hearing
Of the committee. -
Both Mr.. Glazer and Mr.. Doo-
her said the suspension was or
dered to effect a $4,000 saving.
Mr.. Dooher said he considered
the savings minor particularly
at that crucial time"
Mr.. Thompson said he COM
planned to Mr.. Harris about the
delays his department encount-
cred in Germany and about the
presence there, of Mr.. Schech-
ter and Mr.. Kaghan.
Mr.. Thompson said he told
Mr.. Harris his department would
get nowhere if it continued to
fool around with a bunch of
pseudo-Americans."
Mr. Thompson said also that
certain persons rejected for en-
ployment by the Voice for
security reasons later sold scripts
10 Ine voice.
Mr.. Thompson said he named
James Fisher Northrup as an en-
forcement agent to restrict the
number of such scripts and that
Mr.. Fisher Northrup held the
post from August 1851 to last
September or October.
Mr.. Fisher Northrup, said ME-.
Thompson, was discharged from
this job for security reasons"
At a closed session of the COM
mittee here this morning, Troup
Mathews, editor of the Voices
French section, was among the
witnesses.
Prior to appearing today Mr.
Mathews said he was ready to
deny under oath statements
made before the committee by
Nancy Lenkeith, a discharged
employe OF the Voices French
section.
She had testified that Mr..
Mathews told her he wanted to
start collective" living COM
munity, dispensing with mar
riage.
Reminded of Pledge.
When Senator Mccarthy said
Mr. Mathews would be a wit
ness, the Senator remarked:
ANY witness against whom adj
verse testimony has been given
will have a full opportunity to
appear in a public session and
refute it,
AS Mr.. Mathews was leaving
however, newsmen asked McCar-
thy whether he would be granted
a future public hearing, since his
testimony today was not dis
closed.
The Senator asked the depart
ing Mr.. Mathews whether he
would appear and Mr.. Mathews
replied. II will"
Senator Mccarthy then told
neWSmen, "I'll think about it."
Other witnesses at the Chased
session were: Raymond Gram
Swing, chief commentator of the
Voice; Arthur Kaufman and
Norman Jacobs, Voice officials;
and F'ernand Auberjonois, special
assistant in charge of nnlicv