U.S. CLAMPS DOWN

Chronicle (Levin), 8 February 1947, Page 5

U.S. CLAMPS DOWN

Press Assn.-

No. 1 Commimist Now In Custody CONSPIRACY ALLEGATIONS

By Telegraph

-Copyrighl

Received Friday, 7 p.m. WASHIX GTOX , Feb. (5. Gerhard Eisier, German-borii, an alleged agent of the Comniunist Internationale from Moscow, who was arrested on Februarv 4 on a United >States Marshal's warrant at the order of the Attorney-General, refused to take the oath when talled as a witness todav to give evidence before the If llouse Comniittee 011 un-Amerieari acti V vities and about Communist activities. Fisler was immediately eited for contempt and removed by Federal agents to Ellis Jslaiul 011 a charge of having violated the immigration laws. A witness tlien gave evidence regarding Eisler 's Communist party activities. The ehairman of the comniittee, Mr. ,1. Parnell Thomas, announced after the executive session that Uie Justice Department woukl be asked to prosecute Eisler for alleged revolutionary conspiracy to overthrow the United States Government, failure to register • as a foreign agent, ineome tax evasion, and perjury in passport appiications. The .Justice Department wmild also be asked to take immediate positive steps to see that Eisler was not ngain aliowed to menace American people. Rutli Fischler, in evidence, said slie had not spoken to Eisler for years because she regardecl him as "a most dangerous terrorist both for American and Ge.rman people." She said Eisler had worked in Ihe Comintern and had once been praiseil in report to the Comintern for "excellent achievements as the new American agent." She said the Communist party expelled her in 1925 because of lier opposition to the Stalin Soviet Polilbureau and Comintern. »She said: "in Comintern inner circles it is well known that Eisler denouneed to the Soviet secret police, many anti-Xazi refugees living in Aloscow. 1ft was purticularlv responsible for the deaths of the German Comniunist, liugo Eberlein, and his former friend and protector the great Russian terrorist Xikolai Burkarin. " Ruth Fischler said Eisler told her in Paris in 1933 he had been sent directly to Anterica by the Comintern as leader of the American Coinniunist party. He said he would cliange that party. Kobert Stripling read to the comniittee excerts from a statement by F.P.I. Hirector Hoover to the Immigration Department in October in connection with deportation proceedings. Air. Hoover 's statement said Eisler was identical with an individual known as Edwai'd who represented the Conn tuuist Jnternationale in Aint .'ica froai 1933 to 1938. Eisler contributed frequent articles to Communist publications under Ihe name of Ilans Perger and as .Julius Eisman received 150 dolrefugee comniittee in Xew Vork, and refugee comniittee in Xew oYrk, and he directed American Communist activities and had almost i.ulimited authority as liaison lietween the Comintern and Coimnunists in Aloscow and those in ihe United States. Eouis Budenz, former editor of the Daily Worker, who last vear denouneed Coinniauiism, told tlie comniittee Eisler was XTo. 1 Communist in the United States and dictated Coinniunist party line to followers. Eisler gave the press a prepared statement wherein he said: "1 am not a spv oi' foreign agent. 1 am not the boss of tlie Reds 111 this or anv other country. I never did anytliiiig to hann American people for wliom I liuve a grbat .syinpalliy. 1 am a German Communist, a political refugee wunting to go home. " Eisler told reporters jmblislied reports about him were invented bv provocateurs and rabble roiising agilators. He describcd Budenz 's allegations as "slanders of a hypocrilical turncoat. " The World Telegrani alleges Eisler was a meniber of a secret .Soviet ring which ainied lo deliver America s atomie bomb formula to Russia. Reuter's correspondent says rabidlv anti-Communist press in Xew Vork and Washington, sucli as ihe Hearst, Seripps .Howard and Patterson newspa'pers, are playing up the Eisler story. The Washington Tinies-Hernld, for instance, printed this niorning a eopyright advance story of Ihe hearing forecasting "a revelation ihat u liiglily organised Russian spy ring, similar to an espionage nelwork, inicovered in Canada, had been at work in a rnonumenlal effort to steal Anieriea 's atom bomb secrels. " -Ti*?*