Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-28

maries of reports. Or it can be a
report turned over by apother exec
utive agency which received it from
the FBI.
The Won Fosson Cose
The much-publicized Van Fosson
case was an example Of the latter
situation. Capt. Rea S. Van Fosson,
the Air Force Office of Special In
vestigations liaison officer with the
Un-American Activities Committee.
turned over photostated FBI secu-
rity report to committee staff in
vestigators.
All would have gone smoothly,
but the Central Intelligence Agency
learned Of IT. got hold of it long
enough to photograph it and laid
it before j. Edgar Hoover's top
aides. The report concerned a man
in whom CHA had an interest.
Capt. Van Fosson was separat-
ed from the Air Force under con-
ditions "other than honorable" but
was quickly hired by the House
committee as an investigator. When
a committee member leaked the
story, Mr.. Van Fosson was arrested
and indicted on eight counts. When
he pleaded guilty to charge Of
"unlawfully converting to his own
use lib sheets of paper" owned by
the Government and valued at less
than 500. seven felony counts were
dropped.
Senator Mccarthy caused an up
roar during the Army-M Me- arthy
hearings in 1854 when he submitted
what was purported to be a copy
of a letter from FBI Chief Hoover
to Maj. Gen. A. r. Boiling, then
chief of Army intelligence. Dated
January 26, 1851, the document
allegedly warned Of espionage and
security risks at Fort Monmouth
in New Jersey.
Although Mr.. Hoover denied that
the Mccarthy document was a
copy" of any FBI letter or report,
1t became clear at the hearing that
the Senator's document contained
much of the information included
in a 15-page memorandum which
the FBI director acknowledged he
dispatched to Gen. Boiling on the
same date-January 26, 1851.
Later, the Senator said that a
young Army intelligence officer,
whom he declined to identify,
slipped him the FBI material. Al
though the Wisconsin Republicans
explanation has not been generally
questioned by the press and pub
lie, Army sources take it with large
grain of salt. They point out that
despite an exhaustive CO. investiga-
ton. the leak" has never been
found. They assert that Senator
Mccarthy, who then was at war
with the Army and friendly with
the FBI, could have protected the
bureau and given the Army
blackeye in one stroke by pinning
the leak on a ca officer.
Fulbrieht's Charges
A few months before the above
situation developed. Senator Full
bright, Democrat Of Arkansas. Gre
ated a stir Of almost equal pro-
portions when he announced that
he no longer would give the FBI
information it seeks in security
Investigations because he was con-
WINGED that Senator Mccarthy had
access to the bureaus confidential
files.
When Senator Mccarthy denied
he had such access and said he
would never ask for it. Senator
Fulbright quoted two statements
the Wisconsin Republican made on
the floor of the Senate which the
Democrat said indicated that SEN
ator Mccarthy was able to obtain
FBI data.
He Mccarthy said an FBI
investigation Of an Army major
was excellent" according to Sem
ator Fulbright. He said the in
vestigation by the FBI disclosed
everything known about the major.
and perhaps contained more in
formation than We had about him.
Then he went on to state what
the FBI report contained"
Undoubtedly the best report on
Soviet espionage in the United
States ever made by congressional
group was the Un-American Activi-
ties Committees famous document,