Título: Whittaker Chambers
Seção: Berle meeting
Background: Jay Vivian Chambers (April 1, 1901 - July 9, 1961), known as Whittaker Chambers, was an American editor who denounced his Communist spying and became respected by the American Conservative movement during the 1950s. After early years as a Communist Party member (1925) and Soviet spy (1932-1938), he defected from communism (underground and open party) and worked at Time magazine (1939-1948). Under subpoena in 1948, he testified in what became Alger Hiss's perjury (espionage) trials (1949-1950) and he became an outspoken anti-communist (all described in his 1952 memoir Witness). Afterwards, he worked briefly as a senior editor at National Review (1957-1959).

Conteúdo: The August 1939 Hitler-Stalin non-aggression pact drove Chambers to take action against the Soviet Union. In September 1939, at the urging of anti-Communist, Russian-born journalist Isaac Don Levine, Chambers and Levine met with Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berle. Levine had introduced Chambers to Walter Krivitsky, who was already informing American and British authorities about Soviet agents who held posts in both governments. Krivitsky told Chambers it was their duty to inform. Chambers agreed to reveal what he knew on the condition of immunity from prosecution. During the meeting, which took place at Berle's home, Woodley Mansion in Washington, Chambers named 18 current and former government employees as spies or Communist sympathizers. Many names mentioned held relatively minor posts or were already under suspicion. Some names, however, were more significant and surprising: Alger Hiss, his brother Donald Hiss, and Laurence Duggan--who were all respected, mid-level officials in the State Department--and Lauchlin Currie, a special assistant to Franklin Roosevelt. Another person named had worked on a top secret bombsight project at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.  Berle found Chambers' information tentative, unclear, and uncorroborated. He took the information to the White House, but the President dismissed it, to which Berle made little if any objection. Berle kept his notes, however (later, evidence during Hiss' perjury trials).  Berle notified the Federal Bureau of

user: What was the Berle meeting?

assistant: which took place at Berle's home, Woodley Mansion in Washington, Chambers named 18 current and former government employees as spies or Communist sympathizers.

user: who was Berle?

assistant: Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berle.

user: When did this meeting occur?

assistant: In September 1939,

user: Who, other than Berle, attended?

assistant: at the urging of anti-Communist, Russian-born journalist Isaac Don Levine, Chambers and Levine met with Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berle.

user: Did Chambers present any documentary evidence?

assistant: Berle found Chambers' information tentative, unclear, and uncorroborated. He took the information to the White House, but the President dismissed it, to which Berle made little if any objection.

user: Did the State Department pursue the matter further?

assistant: Berle notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of Chambers's information in March 1940.