Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-14

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arranged signal from America
he must come home at once.
The day he got the message
he had been hesitating between
a day train or night plane to
Vienna. He decided on the
plane. II he had taken the
train the warning would not
have reached him. And he says
he has since learned the kidnap
squad was waiting In Vienna.
The House Committee on I'M
American Activities made avail
able records Of some Of the
interviews its staff members
had with Mr.. Morros.
The Russian born motion
picture producer is credited
with q major role in breaking
the espionage ring that in
cluded the recently confessed
spy Jack Sobel.
Sent Food to Father
Mr.. Morros said his efforts TO
send food packages to his aged
father in Russia hrst brought
him In contact with Soviet
Agents. He said they looked
him over for years. keeping up
the contact and doing favors.
before enlisting him in their
apparatus.
His story began in the 1930S
when he was operating q
theater in New York. An agent
offered him as an attraction
the old Bolshevik leader Leon
Trotsky. in exile after losing
q power struggle with Joseph
Stain. About the same time
Mr.. Morros began looking about
for surer ways to send parcels
to his father.
It was then that a man
known to him at various times
as Melamet. Edward Herbert or
Herbert Edwards. or dublin,
entered his life. with an invita-
ton to lunch.
I'm the conversation during
the lunch somehow he men,
toned that he heard that !
am about to book Trotsky in
the Paramount theater." Mr..
Morros said. This is actually
the very first inflltration--how
it started.
II was about to make q joke.
but I saw the man is not to
smile. or that is no joke to him.
And he says. I will help you in
your packages. but don't book
TrotSky."
Mr.. Morros said he had al
ready decided not to book
Trotsky, 50 he agreed. The
packages went through.
Followed 10 Hollywood
About two years later. after
Mr.. Morros had moved to Holly
wood. dublin reappeared and
from time to time handled
more packages.
Finally. in 1912. Mr.. Morros
told him he wanted 70 bring his
father to the United States and
dublin assured him, don't
worry. / will make an the ar
rangements." He did.
Then it was Zublin's turn to
"try to collect for the favor he
has given me. Nothing win
compromise you infiltrations.
The payon was to be use Of
q record company Mr.. Morros
had organized. as a cover for
sending agents into foreign
countries in the glise Of busi-
ness representatives. But Mr..
Morros said he did not realize
the implications at once-"al
this came in doses not at
once. but gradually. And when
1t gradually came. that Is
when / made the connection"
Mr.. Morros said it was dur
ing this period he was brought
into contact with Alfred and
Martha Dodd Stern. now fugi-
tives behind the Iron Curtain.
and Sobel, who was to work
with the company.
Mr.. Morros said Sobel be-
came more demanding as he
held back on accrediting
strangers as representatives.
and that finally:
II say this Is becoming too
serious. 1 cannot be my own
investigator. II I wait I will
wait too long. / have to go
to the Government"
So Mr.. Morros went to the
FBI in July. 1947. and his
double life began. As he did
chores for the apparatus and
fed it FBI-screened informa-
ton. Mr.. Morros rose steadily
in his new profession.
Passed at Top Level
He said the head Of the for
eign department Of the Soviet
secret police came to Geneva in
1919. looked him over and APP
proved him. The following
year. he said, he was invited