Evening star., 1955-07-14
Times Reporter Testifies
HeWos q Red in 1899

! The testimony brought out
differences Of opinion between
Mr.. Lewis and William r. Helm
Itch over the operation Of the
Berlin radio station RIAS. which
Mr.. Lewis said he set up after
the war to broadcast into the
Soviet sector OF Germany.
Mr.. Heimlich was Army chief
of intelligence in Berlin after
the war and later became di-
rector of RIAS. He indicated he
felt that Mr.. Meyer had tipped
the Russians to q propaganda
show the station was planning
i'm 1945 Of the 10th anniversary
of the Hitler-Stalin pact.
Originally from Columbus,
Ohio, but now Washington rep
Iresentative of the Gray Manu-
featuring Co., of Hartford, Conn,
Mr.. Heimlich told 'newsmen Mr..
Meyer was born in Germany but
had become a United States citi-
zen in 1945 and was a nephew
fof Albert Einstein.
Mr.. Lewis testified he recon-
mended that Mr.. Heimlich be
fired in 1949 as director of the
radio station. saying Mr.. Helm
Itch had refused to put certain
economies into effect.
| He said he did not know of
any protests that RIAS was
"pro-C Communist" but Mr.. Heinz
Itch told the subcommittee that
at the time he became station
director there were complaints
that "a soft line was being pur-
sued in the guise of OBJ
jectivity."
Besides Mr.. Lewis, the sub
committee yesterday questioned
two other former Brooklyn
Eagle newsmen whom Mr.. Bur-
dett named as one-time Com
munists.
They were David A. Gordon, a
reporter on the New York Daily
News. and Melvin L. Barnet,
who has been a copy reader for
the New York Times. Both
testified they are not now Com
munists. Both refused, under
their Fifth Amendment protec-
tion against possible self
Iincrimination, to say whether
they once had been.
The New York Daily News
said it had no statement on Mr..
Gordon.
Fired by Times
Arthur Hays Sulzberger, pub
Usher Of the New York, Times.
promptly advised Senator East
land that Mr.. Barnet had been
fired. In a separate letter to Mr..
Barnet, Mr.. Sulzberger wrote:
THE course of conduct which
you have followed since your
name was first mentioned in this
connection eliminating in your
action today has caused The
Times to lose confidence in you
as a member of its news staff.
A Accordingly, this will serve as
notice of termination of your
employment"
In New York, the local of
the CIO American Newspaper
Guild, bargaining agent for the
Times editorial employees, said
it would "do its utmost" to have
Mr.. Barnet reinstated.
M. Michael Potoker, the locals
Isecretary-treasurer, said:
Barnet testified he had not
been a Communist for the past
l3 years. What he may have
done before is an event so re-
mote in time that it does not
seem to have sufficient force to
be used as a cause for firing"
A statement also was issued
by Joseph F. Coils, president of
the American Newspaper Guild,
saying:
There is no Communist prob
lem in the Guild today. There
has been none for a long time /"
Both statements drew atten-
ton to Guild policy adopted at
the national body's recent con-
vention in Albany. Under this
policy the Guild agreed not to
resist the dismissal of an en-
ploye who testified in an open
hearing or was adjudged by a
court of competent Jurisdiction
to have been a member of the
Communist Party in the six
month period preceding the dis
misSal.