European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 6, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse , a i l i ,. It i h i i � a. I j i by Sam Fogg up staff writer Twenty years ago this summer few americans had Ever heard of a prothonotary Alger Hiss. Or Whittaker changed within a matter of Days in August of 1948. One of the most dramatic congressional hearings in his tory produced what has become know Nas the Hiss Chambers Case. The Protho notary Warbler was a it was Over a freshman con Gressman from California Richard , flashed into a prominence that took him to the vice presidency. When it was Over Hiss the impeccably Correct former state department official who became president of the prestigious Carnegie endowment for world peace had been convicted of per jury for denying he had passed on secret documents to Chambers a confessed former communist agent who broke will the party and found a new life As an editor with time , a Pudgy Moon faced Man surfaced for the american Public aug.3, 1948, As a witness before the House committee on in american an almost impassive voice he testified that in 1924 he had become communist had been Given a vital role As an underground Contact in washing ton had broken away in 1937 after the Hitler Stalin pact and subsequently live Din fear of his life. He supported previous testimony by miss Elizabeth Bentley that a communist ring operated in government circles of the new Deal Days and that its members included Nathan Witt Johnabe. Charles Kramer Lee Pressman Victor Perlo Nathan Gregory Silver master and Henry Collins. On Chambers list was Hiss who As a member of the state depart ment had organized the conferences a Dumbarton Oaks san Francisco and the United states Side of the Yalta con Ference. Under questioning Chambers said that Hiss was the Only member that he tried to pry away from the party whence himself broke but that Hiss in tears absolutely refused to of Hiss name into the hear Ings did t grab the headlines biggest commotion came when Chambers named Harry Dexter White former assistant Secretary of the treas Ury As at least a fellow appeared before the committee to deny the charges and died of a hear attack a few Days later. Abt Witt and Silvermaster denounced miss Bentley and Chambers but invoked the Protection of the fifth amendment against self incrimination when asked about communist party participation. Hiss Baltimore born and Harvard educated took a far different course. He challenged the committee to behead under oath. Aug 5, 1948, he took the witness chair to deny having Ever heard of Whittaker Chambers until the year previous when two Fri agents had asked him about such a , Well tailored urbane Hiss told the committee so far As i know have never Laid eyes on him and i should like to have the Opportunity Todo he was shown a news photo of Cham Bers and said that although he could not swear to it he did not think he Ever had seen the Man in the picture. Of the communist charge he declared the statements made about me by or. Chambers Are Complete Fabrica Page 12 the Hiss Case Hiss Case put Richard Nixon in political limelight. Options. I think my record in the govern ment service Speaks for the Issue was joined which of the two men was a liar the committee members except for Nixon were Uncertain. Acting chair Man Karl e. Mundt now Republican senator from South Dakota voiced appreciation to Hiss for his very co operative attitude and the late rep. John Rankin d-miss., paused to shake hands with Hiss before leaving the hear ing room. President Harry s. Truman derided the charges As a red herring cast up in an election year for political Nixon and committee counsel Robert e. Stripling a dogged questioner of witnesses remained sceptical of Hiss and kept the Case Days later Nixon and two com Mittee colleagues reps. Edward Heb Ert d-la., and John Mcdowell a a. Travelled to new York to question Cham Bers intensively. Chambers repeated his charges told of collecting party dues from Hiss and his wife. He was rather pious about paying his dues promptly he testified. Then he began a recital of the intimate details he recalled of the Hiss family life. Hiss was slightly hard of hearing in one ear he had rather Long delicate fingers he walked with a slight mince his wife called him Hilly recalled her Dilly and sometimes they drove a roadster so dilapidated that the Windshield wiper had to be operated by hand later his turned it Over to a communist As a contribution to the Hiss have any hobbies yes he did. They both had the Sam Hobby Amateur ornithology Bird watch ing. I recall once they saw to their great excitement a prothonotary War Days later Hiss returned before the committee in closed session and repeated his Blanket denial of Ever having been associated with the communist party. Early in the questioning he volunteered that he vaguely recollected hav ing known in his Early Washington Days free Lance writer named George Cros Ley. He described him As sort of a dead beat who had bad Teeth. More out of pity than Friendship he had Al Lowed Crosley his wife and child to stay at their Home for a bit. A Liss was t prepared to swear on the basis of a photograph that Crosley was now Chambers but it was a possibility. The questioning went on. Hiss told of owning a dilapidated Ford. Mrs. Hiss called him Hill or Hilly he called her Pross or he had hobbies Tennis and Amateur ornithology Mcdowell did you Ever see a Protho notary Warbler Hiss i have right Here on the Potomac. They come backhand nest in those swamps. Beautiful Yel Low head a gorgeous Bird. The first Hiss Chambers confrontation came aug. 17 at 5 35 . In room 1400of new York s hotel Commodore be Hind closed entered first openly angry that details of his secret testimony had appeared in the newspapers. Chambers was ushered in by an investigator and stood impassively facing Hiss who demanded a look at his a the stars and stripes Cuser s Teeth asked what dental work had been done in recent years insisted that Chambers read from a Magazine to Bear his voice. After acidly questioning Chambers Hiss made positive identification that the Man facing him was George Crosle but again denied he knew him As a communist. He Public saw the next confrontation Between the two aug. 25 under the Glare of television and newsreel lights in the old House office most intense moment came when Hiss in the witness chair was asked Rostand and face Chambers. In turn they acknowledged having known each other in earlier Days but not in the roles ascribed to swore again he knew Chambers Only As a sponge named Crosley Cham Bers repeated that he knew Hiss As a communist cell the moment there matters stood accusation and denial both under oath. Then a new Avalanche of events a National broadcast without immunity from libel Chambers made his accusation that Hiss had been a communist. Hiss filed a $75,000 defamation suit and pre trial hearings began in Baltimore. In mid november Chambers went to the Home of a Nephew in Brook in an from a ledge in a disused dumbwaiters Shaft pulled Forth a the next pre trial session he produced the contents and for the first the Hiss Chambers Case touched ones peonage. ,. The packet contained 47 typed d p a somatic documents five Rolls of Nucio filmed government four memos in Hiss handwriting and five others in the handwriting of hairy Dexter White. It Tate Justice department a 1"" and a Federal grand jury called a session in new York. Tiie pumpkin papers erupted next. Tuesday i of v1�m Tel ii a Hiss right sits impassively in subway As fellow passengers read headlines. Investigator Stripling and rep. Rankin scan spy microfilm. A ii Back on his Maryland farm accuser Chambers reads news of Hiss conviction up Hli de off by a newspaper reporter mrs were stirring under the sur Ixon instructed Stripling to Send estimators to visit Chambers at Ryland farm. A Early dusk of dec. 2, Chambers them to a nearby Patch fins and Squash. From a hollowed Umpkin he extracted three sealed cartridges. Inside was More Lin of top secret state depart documents from a locked file to Hiss had had Access. Dec. 15, the grand jury handed its indictment charging Hiss with units of perjury for denying hav red Over government documents unauthorized person Whittaker ors. E were two trials. The first began 19-19, and lasted 27 Days after 6, 1968 14 hours and 47 minutes the jury was hopelessly split 8 to 4 in favor of conviction and no verdict was second began nov. 17 and on Jan. 20, 1950, the Case went to the next afternoon about 24 hours later the eight women and four me returned with their verdict. Mrs. Ada Condell a widow from the Bronx announced the judgment guilty on the first count and guilty on the Hiss was sentenced to five years inthe Federal Penitentiary and emerged to live in the Side streets of new York still insisting his innocence. Nixon went on to become a senator a vice presi Dent a loser in the 1960 presidential race and now again a prospective presi Dent Whittaker Chambers died in the quietude of his Maryland farm a july 1961. Up released from prison after 44 months Hiss joins wife Priscilla and son Anthony. Hiss today lectures and still insists on innocence unset. The stars and stripes Page \3
