Evening star., 1955-11-20

sing TO remember Wnefe Cney
( had seen him before. Some
plainly did recognize him and
spoke to him.
Only One Unsympathetic.
OF these. all but one were
sympathetic. The exception was
q woman who walked up. stared
him in the eye, said. II think
Whitaker Chambers is great
man." and walked Of.
This information comes from
Hiss friends and associates, who
also reported that since his re-
lease from the Federal peniten-
tiary at Lewisburg. Pa. last Mo-
Vember 81. Hiss has received
about $50 letters from strangers.
All but about q dozen Of these
were described as friendly and.
Of the dozen, "all but one were
obviously from cranks or
fanatics.
The friendly letters included
financial contributions ranging
from 81 to $50. Hiss kept the
money to help meet his family's
living expenses.
Neither Hiss wife, who works
for O Manhattan publisher. nor
his 14-year-old son, who at
tends prep school In Vermont.
have been subjected to any
public hostility or made to feel
like outcasts.
Fears Unfounded
And the worst fears Of Hiss
friends, who were concerned forl
his physical safety when he left
prison. have proved unfounded
There have been no threats
against the former State De-
partment ofiicial who was con-
vieted Of perjury for denying
that he passed secret State docu-
ments to Chambers, then an adj
mitted Russian agent. Cham-I
bers was the principal witness
against Hiss.
It is Hiss contention that hisI
trial was accompanied by publicI
hysteria, and he takes the ab-I
sence of unpleasant incidentl
since his release as evidence that
such an attitude has subsidized.
Hiss, who Is 81, saw this rel
porter in his Greenwich Village
apartment, q third-hoor walkupl
with four rooms. He was event
thinner than usual, as the rel
suit of q recent gall bladder op-l
Grafton. His manner was friend
IL, polite, buoyant. But, seem
tr1g to shrink from any more
personal publicity. Hiss stipulat-
ed IN advance that parts OF theI
interview must remain on thel
record.
AS it turned out, the whole in |
terview remained on the record.
Hiss answered each question all
length, carefully and precisely
70 each. he responded first with
some background for hts answer,
then premise followed premisel
and finally this conclusion. Each
answer was carefully hewn and
measured and each remained on
the record.
Plans to Write
From other sources 1t wasI
learned that Hiss now hopes TO
make a living as q writer and
possibly lecturer In the future.
He cannot return to his original
profession, law, since he has
been disbarred.
Hiss received $500 for Q re-
cent article on Yalta publishedI
Ii q pocket magazine. He also
has received an advance on aI
book from q British publisher.
This money represents his firstI
earned income since i949.
The book, 1t Is said, will deal
with the civil liberty aspects Of
his case, with the mood. pres-I
sures and atmosphere Of the time
which he believes made an OBJ
iective trial impossible.
After that, Hiss Hopes to write
irnpersonally and possibly lec-l
ture on foreign affairs, using his
experience In the State DEPART
nient, as an adviser to President
Roosevelt at Yalta and as sec-I
retary Of the San Francisco con-
ference which founded the
United Nations.
Has he had any indicationl
there will be a market for his
foreign affairs books and lee
taires? He hopes So" q friend
said.
Almost on Radio Discussion.
On the 10th anniversary Of
the United Nations. Hiss was In
vited to discuss the U. N. on q
local radio program. He agreed,
providing the discussion re-I
manned irnpersonal and that am
other authority on the U. NJ.
would be present. His conditions
were met.
But at the last moment, AI
friend reported, the station man
agement Cancelled the interview
presumably because of fears that
sponsors would be offended.
Is Hiss bitter, toward his coun-I
try, toward people In general,
toward Chambers, his principal
antagonist?
HE definitely shows no bit-
terness toward his country" said
Chester Lane, Hiss attorney
and friend. "In general, I'd say
he is not q bitter person. OF
course, that Is not to say that
he would be able to talk civilly|
to Chambers If they met"
Hiss and his attorney still be-
lieve that some day he viii be-
vindicated. Admittedly, most Of
that hope rests on the possibil-
ity that Chambers could recantI
and say that he accused Hiss
wrongfully.
But the hope does not end
there said Mr.. Lane. I'VE
think the whole case represented
q vast conspiracy against Hiss.
We think the documents we're