GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HEARINGS BEFORE THE 4 MA 16 SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY EIGHTY-THIRD CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON INTERLOCKING SUBVERSION IN GOVERNMENT NOVEMBER 12, 17, 18, 23, AND DECEMBER 2, 3, AND 16, 1953 ᏢᎪᎡᎢ 16 را ис. Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary 32918° UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1954 COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY WILLIAM LANGER, North Dakota, Chairman ALEXANDER WILEY, Wisconsin JOHN MARSHALL BUTLER, Maryland PAT MCCARRAN, Nevada SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS WILLIAM E. JENNER, Indiana, Chairman ARTHUR V. WATKINS, Utah PAT MCCARRAN, Nevada ROBERT MORRIS, Chief Counsel INTERLOCKING SUBVERSION IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1953 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 2:30 p. m., pursuant to call, in room 318, Senate Office Building, Senator William E. Jenner (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senators Jenner and Hendrickson. Present also: Robert Morris, chief counsel; J. G. Sourwine, committee counsel; Benjamin Mandel, research director; and Robert McManus and James Walter, professional staff members. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. I want to state for our record that as a corollary of our July 30, 1953, report, the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee has been trying to determine how it was that nine important officials of Government obtained advances and promotions in the face of derogatory security information. Evidence before the subcommittee showed clearly that all of these men were implicated in the Communist underground organization directed by Soviet superiors. Despite this fact, these individuals were not only able to stay in the Government employment and to have access to vital Government secrets, but also to gain promotions to even more important posts in the face of impressive derogatory security information. These nine were not the only persons involved, but the subcommittee felt that all of these cases were important and conclusive. Not necessarily the most important of these was Harry Dexter White. In the course of its investigation, the subcommittee was informed on October 13 of the existence of a particularly derogatory security report on White. On October 14, at staff level, it asked the Justice Department for a copy of this report. It was a routine inquiry. The subcommittee has not yet received a copy of this report, but has been assured by the Department of Justice that we will receive at least some kind of information which will reveal its general nature, and yet will be consistent with discreet disclosure of security information. In its handling of the November 1945 security memorandum, the Internal Security Subcommitte has released portions thereof after first ascertaining with utmost care the reliability of the facts recited therein. It also has made a practice of calling as witnesses those named before releasing the security information. |