CONDUCT CRITICISED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26969, 3 January 1949, Page 5

CONDUCT CRITICISED

HOUSE UN-AMERICAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS SPY INVESTIGATION HAMPERED NZPA—Copyright Rec. 8 p.m. WASHINGTON. Dec. 31. A Democratic member of the House Un-American Activities Committee charged to-day that “ headline happy conduct” by some members had hampered its spy investigations. Representative F. Edward Hebert directed most of his criticism at Representatives Karl Mund, the acting chairman, and Richard Nixon. Shortly before Mr Hebert’s statement, Mr Nixon had revealed that a sub-committee had again questioned Whittaker Chambers, whose testimony opened the “ pumpkin papers ” case. Mr Nixon said Chambers had supplied fresh leads to Communist espionage. Mr Hebert exempted some of the committee members from the charge of “ publicity mania,” adding: “ The actions of a few have blackened the eye of the whole committee.” The committee later disclosed that Chambers had received stolen secret Government documents at least 52 times, and most of them had eventually reached Russian agents in the United States. In a formal report to the House, the committee said the information Chambers had transmitted was data “ concerning a new self-seal-ing aviation tank developed by the navy, metallurgical formula dealing with the Norden bomb sight, and lists of’foreign intelligence agents and naval intelligence reports.” The committee report included a recommendation that the committee should be continued and the espionage laws strengthened.