Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-30

commentator that the United
States ought not to take the
initiative at that time in a
thermometer program. Now.
however, under croSs-examina-
ton. DR.. Oppenheimer testified
that he did not know how DR..
ISeaborg Zone of the nine mem
berS Of DR.. Oppenheimer's COM
mittee) then felt about the pro-
gram because DR.. Seaborg was
in Sweden. and there was no
communication with him." On
being confronted with q letter
from DR.. Seaborg to him dated
October IA, 1949-a letter which
had been in DR.. Oppenheimer's
flleS-Dr. Oppenheimer admitted
having received the letter prior
to the General Advisory Commit
tee meeting in 1919. In that
letter DR.. Seaborg said: cal
though I deplore the prospects
of our country putting q ire
mendouS effort into this, I must
confess that I have been unable
to come to the conclusion that
we should not" Yet DR.. Sea-
borg's view was not mentioned
in DR.. Oppenheimer's report for
the General Advisory Committee
to the commission in october.
1949. In fact, the existence of
this letter remained unknown to
the commission until it was dis
closed during the hearings.
co In 1850, DR.. Oppenheimer
told an agent Of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation that he
had not known Joseph Weinberg
to be a member of the Commu-
mist Party until that fact became
public knowledge. Yet on Sep
TENDER IL, 1943, DR.. Oppenheimer
told Col. Lansdale that Vein
berg was a Communist Party
member.
"EvasiOnS, Misrepresentation"
The catalog does not end with
these six examples. The work
of military intelligence, the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation and
the Atomic Energy Commission
all, at one time or another
have felt the effect of his false
hoods. evasions and miSrepre-
sensations.
DR.. Oppenheimer's persistent
and willful disregard for the
obligations of security is evil
denced by his obstruction Of in
quiries by security officials. In
the Chevalier incident, DR.. OPP
penheimer was questioned in
1943 by Col. PaSh, Col. LanSdale
and Gen. Groves about the
attempt to obtain information
from him on the atomic bomb
project in the interest of the
Soviet government. He had
waited eight months before men,
tioning the occurrence to the
proper authorities. Thereafter
for almost four months DR..
Oppenheimer refused to name
the individual who had APP
preached him. Under oath he
now admits that his refusal to
name the individual impeded the
Governments investigation of
espionage. The record shows
other instances where DR.. Open
heimer has refused to answer
inquiries of Federal officials on
security matters or has been de-
liberately misleading.
Question Of Associations"
AS to associations:
Associations" is a factor
which. under the law, must be
considered by the commission.
DR.. Oppenheimer's close associa-
ton with Communists is another
part of the pattern of his disre-
gard of the obligations of secu-
rity.
DR.. Oppenheimer, under oath,
admitted to the Gray board that
from 1887 to at least 1912 he
made regular and substantial
contributions in cash to the
Communist Party. He has adj
mitted that he was a fellow
traveller" at least until 1912. He
admits that he attended small
evening meetings at private
homes at which most, II not all,
of the others present were
Communist Party members. He
was in contact with officials of
the Communist Party. some OF
whom had been engaged IN
espionage. His activities were
of such a nature that these
Communists looked upon him as
one of their number.
However, DR.. Oppenheimer's
early Communist associations
are not in themselves a control
ling reason for our decision.
They take on Importance in
the context of his persistent and
continuing association wit h
Communists. including his adj
mitted meetings with Haakon
Chevalier in Paris, as recently as
last December-the same indi-
vidual who had been intermedi-
airy for the Soviet Consulate in
1943.
Wrote to Chevalier.
On February Is, 1850. DR..
Oppenheimer wrote a letter to
Chevalier attempting ito clear
the record with regard to your
alleged involvement in the atom
business" Chevalier used this
letter in connection with his APP
plication to the State Depart
ment for a United States pass
port. Later that year Chevalier
came and stayed with DR.. OPP
penheimer for several days at
the latter'S home. In December.
1858, DR.. Oppenheimer visited
with Chevalier privately on two
occasions in Paris. and lent his
name to Chevalier's dealings
with the United States Embassy
in Paris on q problem which.
according to DR.. Oppenheimer,
involved Chevaaier's clearance.