Foreign Agents Using U.N. as Cloak to Activities in America

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22696, 22 July 1948, Page 5

Foreign Agents Using U.N. as Cloak to Activities in America

(10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, July 21. Several hundred known subversive agents of foreign Powers have entered the United States through the United Nations and the United States can do nothing about it, a Stale Department official told the Senate Judiciary Sub-Committee on immigration. Mr. Robert Alexander, assistant director of the State Department's visa division, said the subversive persons included Moscow-trained terrorists, espionage agents and aliens who foment discord and are trained in undercover activities. Mr. Alexander said the United Nations itself was not responsible but the agents were using it as a cover. They included certain employees of the secretariat sent to the United Nations by foreign Governments and foreign press representatives.

He added that they were protected by the United Nations and, because of their United Nations status the United States had no alternative but to admit them.

The sub-committee is investigating the United States immigration policies.

At Lake Success, high-ranking United Nations officials were taken aback by Mr. Alexander's unexpected attack.

Mr. Benjamin Cohen, assistant Secretary-General for public information, said: “The United States has never made complaints to us in the two years we have been here.” The United Nations’ secretariat, which came under the State Department official's fire, totals 2944 employees, of whom 14G3 are foreigners, including 34 Soviet citizens, 39 Poles, 28 Czechs and seven Yugoslavs. In the press and radio field the United Nations has accredited correspondents for 176 foreign publications, of which 15 are Communist organs.