Evening star., 1955-07-01
Bs ths Associated Pres,

day they nave subpoenas out Iol
two persons named as onetimt
Communists and newsmen and
are looking for others in an in.
quiry into Red influences datini
back to the late ls3os.
The Senate Internal Securit,
Subcommittee, in two days o.
public hearings. heard Charlie,
Grutzner. a New York Time.
reporter. and Winston M. Bur.
dett, b Columbia Broadcastinf
System newsman, acknowledge
they were Communists some Il
or more years ago.
Mr.. Grutzner yesterday an6
Mr.. Burdett on Wednesday tes-
titled they had joined the Com
munist Party while they wert
reporters on the now-defunci
Brooklyn Eagle in 1887 and had
quit 1t before they went to work
for their present employers-Mr
Grutzner In 1910 and Mr.. Bur-
dett in 1912.
Two stories which Mr.. Grutz-
ner filed from Korea as q wal
correspondent were questioned BY
Subcommittee Chairman. East
land, Democrat, of Mississippi
and the groups chief counsel
j. G. Sourwine.
Recall Sought
Senator Eastland said that
Maj. Gen. L. C. craigie had rec.
on1mended that Mr.. Grutzner bs
denied correspondents accredita.
tion for filing a story in Decem.
ber, 1850, which reported thai
the United States Air Force hac
put F86 Sabrejets into action
against the enemy.
Mr.. Grutzner said he never
heard of that. He testified that
the story had been cleared by the
Pentagon in Washington before
1t was published by the Times.
You were not told the Ali
Force did not want the enemy
to know we were using the F86
In Korea?" Senator Eastland
asked him.
i was told nothing like that, "
Mr.. Grutzner said.
He challenged as mot a fact
a suggestion by Senator Eastland
that the disclosure had cost the
United States a tactical advan-
tage in Korea.
Defended by Editor
= Turner Catledge, managing ed
itor Of the Times, said in state
ment issued in New York:
THE Times rejects any impli-
cation that national security was
jeopardized by its publication Of
Charles Grutzner's dispatch re-
garding the F86 Sabrejet."
Mr.. Catledge said Mr.. Grutz-
ner had filed the story with a
preceding note asking that it be
cleared by the Pentagon. Mr..
Catledge said a member of the
Times Washington staff read the
story to civilian member of
the Air Forces press section, and
that this official said "go ahead
and publish this story"
AS for Mr.. Grutzner's accred-
itation as a correspondent. the
Pentagon said its records show
a recommendation for revocation
was received January 10, 1851,
from Gen. Craigie. then vice
commander of the Far East Air
Force.
Blocked in Pentagon
The Pentagon said the request
to revoke the accreditation as
a correspondent in the Far East
was relayed by the Army to Clay
ton Fritchey, then the Defense
Departments director of public
information.
1t said Mr.. Fritchey advised
the Army on January Is, 1851.
that the Defense Department did
not concur in the recommended
ton for revocation of Mr.. Grutz-
ner's accreditation.
Mrs. Catledge said that by
that time Mr.. Grutzner, who
had previously asked for a re-
gturn to his regular assignment,
had returned home. He Is now
a general assignment reporter.
After yesterdays session, the
hearings were recessed indefi-
nitely. Mr.. Sourwine. the sub
committee counsel, said sub
poenas had been issued for
David Gordon and Hyman
Charniak, both named by Mr..
Burdett as former Brooklyn
Eagle reporters who. had be-
longed to q Communist unit in
1937-l940.
Hyman Charniak Is now in
Munich, Germany, as a liaison
officer of the American-financed
Crusade for Freedom at Radio
Free Europe, one Of the Vests
biggest anti Communist stations.
Mr.. Charniak said he would
prefer not to comment" on Mr..
Burdett's testimony, adding:
"A smear of this kind cannot be
wiped out, no matter what you
do or what you say" He said
he had received no word of q
subpoena.
Denies Press Probe
Senator EaStland said the
hearings are not an investiga-
ton of the press. that I'VE are
hunting for communism wher-
ever we find it." Talking with
neSsmen later, Mr.. Sourwine
said the subcommittee will hear
from any former Communist
who will come and tell an
honest story"
Mr.. Burdett, who was praised
by Senator Eastland for his tes-
timony, had named a dozen for