Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-11

not j. Robert Oppenheimer is an
agent of the Soviet Union" The
letter started the most celebrated
of all the security cases that have
arisen under the Eisenhower ad-
ministration.
DR.. Oppenheimer. a man OF
extraordinary intellect and per-
sonality, waS-and still is-the
director Of the Institute for Ad-
vanced Study at Princeton Uni
versity. A former professor at
the University of California. he
directed the laboratory at Los
Alamos that produced the first
atomic bomb.
After the war DR.. Oppenheimer
became chairman of the Gen.
eral Advisory Committee of the
Atomic Energy Commission. In
1858. when the case broke wide
open, he was a consultant to the
commission, but the use of his
services had dwindled almost to
zero.
Background Long Known
The Borden letter set forth a
number of statements about DR..
Oppenheimer's background that
had long been familiar to the
Government. For instance: HE
was contributing substantial
monthly sums to the Communist
Party Ibefore May, 1921.
His wife and younger brother
were Communists. He had
no close friends except Commu-
nists. :" Among the allega-
tons in the letter was this: HE
has worked tirelessly from jan
uary 81, 1850, onward to retard
the United States H-bomb pro-
gram
After Mr.. Borden'S letter ar
rived. the FBI prepared an inch
thick summary report on DR.
Oppenheimer. It is said that the
full Oppenheimer dossier, when
stacked up, rises 4 feet 6 inches
above the floor. (Such a dossier
of course, includes all material
received, and is not evaluated.)
The FBI summary went to the
White House on November 80
and to Government departments,
including Lewis L. Strauss, chair
man of the Atomic Energy CON-
mission. He has since been vio-
lently attacked by DR.. Open
heimer's friends for his role in
the case.
Mr.. Strauss had been gener-
ally familiar with the material
contained in the FBI summary
since 1947. At that time, as a
commissioner of the Acc, he
had Joined in the unanimous
vote to clear DR.. Oppenheimer
for the General Advisory Com
mittee.
Wilson Shocked
At the Pentagon, the FBI sum-
mary shocked Secretary of De-
Tense Wilson, who had not been
familiar with the old allegations.
He asked the Presidents permits
sion to terminate Oppenheimer's
clearance to military installa-
tions.
Mr.. Eisenhower called a meet
ing December 8, summoning Sec
rotary Wilson, Mr.. Strauss, At
torney General Brownell ano
Robert Cutler. Had there beer
a formal hearing on DR.. Open
heimer. the President asked. No
In that case. said Mr.. Eisenhower
a hearing must be ordered. Ant
in the meanwhile, he continued
a blank wall" should be placed
between DR.. Oppenheimer anc
government secrets.
Accordingly, on December 10
the Acc voted unanimously tt
institute its regular procedure tt
determine the truth or falsehooc
of the charges. Soon after tina
Mr.. Strauss invited DR.. Open.
heimer to his office for a talk
Gen. Kenneth D. Nichols, ther
general manager of the Acc wa
present. Strauss told Oppenhime
about President Eisenhower
order.
During the conversation, tn,
question arose as to whether Dr.
Oppenheimer might quiet tn
whole matter down by resigning
instead of going through the or
deal of a hearing.
Unpublished Minutes Cited
Who preached the question:
In the argument that fiarec
afterward it would appear tina
Mr.. Strauss sought that rela,
lively easy solution to the prob.
lem of getting rid of his long
time acquaintance. On tn,
public record is the followinI
letter from Mr.. Oppenheimer t
Mr.. Strauss dated December %
which was the day after tn,
meeting:
You put to me a possibly de-
sirable alternative that 1 reques
termination of my contract
and thereby avoid explicit con,
sideration Of the charges.
Under the circumstances thil
course Of action would NEAR
that I am not fit to serve thi
Government, that I have nov
served for some IL years. Thi
cannot do"
Not on the public record unit
now is a bit Of unpublished ma,
terial that strongly suggest,
that Mr.. Oppenheimer himsel
mot Mr.. Straiiss-first hrouOh