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February 6, 1946
Personal and Confidential
MEMORANDUM FOR: Fred M. Vinson
Secretary of the Treasury
FROM:
The President
I am enclosing you a memorandum from the
Secretary of State, which came to me this morning.
I suggest that you read it, keeping it
entirely confidential and then, I think, you, the
Secretary of State, and myself should discuss the
situation and find out what we should do.
HARRY U.S. 5. ARCHIVES TRUMAN "NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND LIBRARY
Enclosure
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Department of Justice
Mashington 25, D. C.
February 1, 1946
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
BY SPECIAL MESSENGER
Brigadier General Harry Hawkins Vaughan
Military Aide to the President
The White House
Washington, D. C.
Dear General Vaughan:
HARRY of U.S. TRUMAN GOVERNMENTAL "NATIONAL LIBRARY
As of interest to the President and you, I am attaching a detailed
memorandum hereto concerning Harry Dexter White, Assistant Secretary of the
United States Treasury Department.
As you are aware, the name of Harry Dexter White has been sent to
Congress by the President for confirmation of his appointment as one of the
two United States delegates on the International Monetary Fund under the
Bretton Woods agreement. In view of this fact, the interest expressed by the
President and you in matters of this nature, and the seriousness of the charges
against White in the attachment, I have made every effort in preparing this
memorandum to cover all possible ramifications. As will be observed, infor-
mation has come to the attention of this Bureau charging White as being a
valuable adjunct to an underground Soviet espionage organization operating in
Washington, D. C. Material which came into his possession as a result of his
official capacity allegedly was made available through intermediaries to
Nathan Gregory Silvermaster, his wife, Helen Witte Silvermaster, and William
Ludwig Ullmann. Both Silvermaster and Ullmann are employees of the United
States Treasury Department, reportedly directly under the supervision of
White.
The information and documents originating in the Treasury Depart-
ment were either passed on in substance or photographed by Ullmann in a well-
equipped laboratory in the basement of the Silvermaster home. Following this
step, the material was taken to New York City by courier and made available
to Jacob M. Golos, until the time of his death on November 27, 1943. Golos,
a known Soviet agent, delivered this material to an individual tentatively
identified as Gaik Ovakimian. Ovakimian you will recall was arrested some
years ago as an unregistered agent of the Soviet Government and subsequently,
by special arrangements with the Department of State, was permitted to return
to the U.S.S.R.
After the departure of Gaik Ovakimian, Golos delivered his material
to an individual who has been tentatively identified as Dr. Abraham Benedict
Weinstein. Subsequent to the death of Golos, the courier handling material
received from the Silvermasters and Ullmann delivered it through an unidentified
individual to Anatole Borisovich Gromov, who until December 7, 1945, was
assigned as First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy, Washington, D. C., when he
returned to the U.S.S.R. Gromov had previously been under suspicion as the
successor to Vassili Zubilin, reported head of the NKVD in North America, who
returned to Moscow in the late Summer of 1944. This whole network has been
under intensive investigation since November, 1945, and it is the results of
these efforts that I am now able to make available to you.
I also feel that it is incumbent upon me at this time to bring to
your attention an additional factor which has originated with sources avail-
able to this Bureau in Canada. It is reported that the British and Canadian
delegates on the International Monetary Fund may possibly nominate and support
White for the post of President of the International Bank, or as Executive
Director of the International Monetary Fund. The conclusion is expressed that
assuming this backing is forthcoming and the United States acquiescence, if
not concurrence, resulting, White's nomination to this highly important post
would be assured. It is further commented by my Canadian source that if
White is placed in either of these positions, he would have the power to
influence to a great degree deliberations on all international financial
arrangements.
This source, which is apparently aware of at least some of the
charges incorporated in the attached memorandum against White, commented
that the loyalty of White must be assured, particularly in view of the fact
that the U.S.S.R. has not ratified the Bretton Woods agreement. Fear was
expressed that facts might come to light in the future throwing some sinister
accusations at White and thereby jeopardize the successful operation of these
important international financial institutions.
I thought you would be particularly interested in the above comments,
which originated with sources high-placed in the Canadian Government, on the
subject at hand.
With expressions of my highest esteem,
Sincerely yours,
MAN
Doover
HARRY U.S. GOVERNMENTH NATIONAL LIBRARY
C.
1.20pm
Attachment
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HARRY DEXTER WHITE
Original Charges
#1
Background of Harry Dexter White
#2
Collateral Information Available Prior to
November, 1945
#5
Results of Investigation Since November, 1945
#9
Primary Contacts and Collaborators
#20
Nathan Gregory Silvermaster and
Helen Witte Silvermaster, His Wife
#20
William Ludwig Ullmann
#22
Schlomer Adler
#23
Sonie Steinman Gold
#24
Harold Glasser
#24
Irving Kaplan
#25
William Henry Taylor
#26
Abraham George Silverman
#27
Donald Niven Wheeler
#27
HARRY S. U.S. TRUMAN "NATIONALD LIBRARY
MAN
ARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY
February 1, 1946
HARRY
SERVICE"
HARRY DEXTER WHITE
U.S.
The purpose of this memorandum is to relate all of the information
available at this time concerning Harry Dexter White, his activities and con-
tacts in order that an over-all picture may be available for review, action
or future reference. This information has been received from numerous con-
fidential sources whose reliability has been established either by inquiry or
long-established observation and evaluation. In no instance is any trans-
action or events related where the reliability of the source of information is
questionable. It is with these factors in mind that the following material is
set forth.
ORIGINAL CHARGES
Through a confidential source, the activities of Harry Dexter White,
present Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, first became apparent in the latter
part of 1942 or the early part of 1943. At that time, this source was in direct
contact with Nathan Gregory Silvermaster, his wife, Helen Witte Silvermaster,
and William Ludwig Ullmann, all of whom for several years have resided at 5515
Thirtieth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. Both Nathan Gregory Silvermaster
and William Ludwig Ullmann were then and are now, employees of the United States
Treasury Department. Mrs. Helen Witte Silvermaster is unemployed.
Through comments made by Silvermaster, his wife and Ullmann, the
source learned that White was supplying them with information consisting of
documents presumably obtained by him in the course of his duties as Assistant
Secretary of the United States Treasury Department. The source in this regard
recalls definitely having seen documents at the Silvermaster residence, which
documents were brought there by Silvermaster or Ullmann, both of whom received
the material from White. As concerns the nature of this material supplied
by White, the source states that it consisted of reports of a varied nature
concerning the financial activities of the United States Government, parti-
cularly if they related to foreign commitments. Also various memoranda and
reports from other Governmental departments and agencies were made available
through these channels. These documents had usually been reduced to photo-
graphs by the time they were observed by the source but on occasions this source
had the opportunity of viewing the original documents themselves. Suffice it to
say, during the investigation of these charges, it was learned that a complete
photographic laboratory exists in the basement of the Silvermaster home suffi-
ciently well equipped for the copying of documents. This includes an enlarger,
developing equipment and all the necessary chemicals and other incidentals.
These documents whether consisting of notes taken therefrom, verbatim
copies, developed photographic negatives or undeveloped photographic negatives
were delivered through channels to Jacob M. Golos, a known Soviet agent, who
died on November 27, 1943, and who was then secretary of World Tourists, Inc.,
a New York corporation chartered June 10, 1927. Jacob M. Golos whose real name
is Jacob Raisin pleaded guilty to an indictment along with World Tourists, Inc.,
charging failure to register as agents of the Soviet Government in March, 1940.
MAN
by
HARRY
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARY
"NATIONAL
RECORDS
SERVICE"
U.S.
He received a fine of $500 and a jail sentence of four months to one year which
was later changed to probation. The source in this matter states that material
collected in this particular parallel of Soviet espionage was all channelled
through Golos to an individual who has been tentatively identified as Dr. Abraham
Benedict Weinstein, a practicing dentist residing at 28 Fifty-third Street, New
York City. Weinstein in turn passed the material to a Russian contact who in
turn channelled the information to the Soviet diplomatic establishment in this
country. It can logically be presumed after arrival at this destination that
material of primary interest to the Soviets was forwarded to Moscow, U.S.S.R. via
diplomatic code and material concerning which there was no urgency, reached that
destination through the Soviet Diplomatic Pouch.
Subsequent to the death of Golos, the material gathered by the
Silvermasters and Ulmann originating with White, was traced by this source through
an unknown individual to Anatole Borosovich Gromov, former First Secretary of
the Soviet Embassy, Washington, D. C. Suspicions had previously surrounded the
activities of Gromov to the effect that he was the successor to Vassili Zubilin,
reported head of the NKVD, one of the primary branches of Soviet Intelligence
in North America. Zubilin returned to Moscow, U.S.S.R. in the late summer of
1944, and Gromov departed from the United States for Moscow, U.S.S.R. on
December 7, 1945. From all appearances, the position previously held by Gromov
to whom this material was transmitted prior to his departure, is now held by
Fedor Alexeevich Garanin, an official of the Soviet Embassy, Washington, D. C.
After identifying the channel through which material from the United
States Treasury Department passed from White to the Soviet Embassy, Washington,
D. C., the source commented that it was apparent from conversations overheard
in the Silvermaster home that White was considered one of the most valuable
assets in this particular parallel of Soviet Intelligence. This view was taken
since in his capacity as Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury,
those individuals whom this group was anxious to have assigned there could secure
employment. Among individuals in this category are William Ludwig Ullmann,
William Henry Taylor and Sonya Steinman Gold, who will be discussed in more
intimate detail hereinafter. The source also reports that White was regarded
as a valuable adjunct to Soviet espionage because of his close relationship
with former Secretary of the United States Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. and
was felt to be in a position to secure favorable consideration for the U.S.S.R.
in financial matters.
Following the death of Jacob M. Golos, known Soviet agent, a discus-
sion was had between Silvermaster and his immediate superior in Soviet espionage,
who has not been identified to date, as to the advisability of introducing White
directly to the Russian contact to whom this unknown intermediary delivered the
material originating with White. Silvermaster was not in favor of taking this
action and presumably this meeting was never arranged.
The source recalls that sometime in the summer or fall of 1943, the
Silvermasters believed it desirable to have someone placed as a secretary to
White in order to facilitate the obtaining of information from his office for
- 2 -
delivery to Soviet espionage agents. As a result of these deliberations, Mrs.
Helen Witte Silvermaster went to one of the Communist functionaries in Washington,
D. C., and from this source secured the name of Sonia Steinman Gold. Eventually,
Mrs. Gold through arrangements with White, obtained a position as one of the
secretaries in the United States Treasury Department. As a result of this em-
ployment, Mrs. Gold obtained documents from White's office, which she copied and
made her notes available to Mrs. Helen Witte Silvermaster. The source does not
recall specifically but it is recollected the information which Mrs. Gold ob-
tained concerned principally the Treasury Department's opinions and recom-
mendations concerning applications for loans made by the Chinese and French
Governments. It is also recalled by the source that some of this information
concerned political reports regarding General DeGaulle, which found their way
into White's office. The exact date of the employment of Mrs. Gold with the
United States Treasury Department is not readily available; however, it is
significant to note that she has been employed for a considerable period as
secretary or assistant secretary to White. She was on maternity leave during
the fall of 1945 and was expected to return to her employment shortly after
January 1, 1946.
This source also reported the existence of another parallel of Soviet
Intelligence operating within the United States Government and headed by Victor
Perlo. The information gathered from the Perlo group was channelled through
Jacob M. Golos and on to the Soviet diplomatic establishment in the same manner
as outlined for the operation of the Silvermaster group. This is true both
before and subsequent to the death of Golos on November 27, 1943. Victor Perlo
as late as October, 1945, was a statistician in the War Production Board.
The source relates that because of the relationships existing between
Golos and the Perlo group, another individual, namely, Harold Glasser, appeared
in the picture. Glasser for a period in 1944, according to the source, was
outside the United States in some capacity for the United States Treasury Depart-
ment. He returned to the United States probably in the early fall of 1944, and
thereafter was employed in the United States Treasury Department. It is con-
tended by the source that Glasser was rather closely associated with White
and may have served as his assistant. Glasser was able to supply general in-
formation concerning the activities of the United States Treasury Department,
particularly where they concerned proposed loans to foreign countries. He also
supplied information originating in the Foreign Economic Administration which
had been sent to the United States Treasury Department for action or information.
The above summary of information is complete as it concerns the material
known to this source regarding White.
HARRY U.S. TRUMAN GOVERNMENT NATIONAL LIBRARY
- 3 -
TRU
MAN
HARRY
"NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND
LIBRARY
RECORDS
BACKGROUND OF HARRY DEXTER WHITE
U.S.
GOVERNMENT
Harry Dexter White was born in Boston, Massachusetts, October 29,
1892. Since 1939 he has resided with his wife, Anne Terry White, and two
daughters at 6810 Fairfax Road, Edgemore, Bethesda, Maryland.
During the first World War he served as a First Lieutenant in the
Infantry of the United States Army and spent some time overseas during his
service from April, 1917 to February, 1919. Following his return to the United
States he directed the American Expeditionary Force Orphan Asylum for the
period of two years. He attended Stanford University where he obtained a
Bachelor of Arts degree in 1924, and a Master of Arts degree in 1925. He was
awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by Harvard University in 1935. His legal
residence is in the State of Wisconsin and he served as Professor of Economics
for two years at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin. He was also an in-
structor in Economics at Harvard University for a period of six years.
In June, 1934, Professor Jacob Viner of the University of Chicago
brought Mr. White to the United States Treasury Department to make a special
study. He was employed in the Office of the Secretary of the Treasury as an
economic analyst from June 20 to October 4, 1934. From October 5 to October 31,
1934, he served as Chief Economic Expert with the United States Tariff Commission.
Following this, he served as Principal Economic Analyst, Division of Research
and Statistics, Treasury Department, from November 1, 1934 to October 1, 1936.
It is noted that during the year 1935 he was sent to England to
study economic and monetary questions. He became Assistant Director in the
Division of Research and Statistics, United States Treasury Department, and
served in this capacity from October, 1936 to March 25, 1938, when on the
latter date he became Director of Monetary Research and continued in that
position until August 5, 1941. He assumed his present position as Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury, in charge of the Division of Monetary Research on
August 5, 1941.
Also in this year he was entrusted with the management of the two-
billion-dollar stabilization fund of the United States Treasury. Mr. White
has represented the United States Treasury on the Economic Defense Board and
he is also a trustee of the Export-Import Bank in Washington, D. C. He is
also a member of the Government's Committee for Reciprocity Information, which
Committee has been active in connection with reciprocal trade agreements with
foreign countries. He accompanied (former) Secretary Morgenthau in 1943 on a
trip to Italy and North Africa.
During the Bretton Woods Monetary Conference which began July 1, 1944,
Harry White was the Chief Technical Expert for the United States Government and
gave to the press daily summary of the Committee meetings. In September, 1944,
he was instrumental in drawing up the Morgenthau Plan for treatment of Germany
following World War II.
Current Biography also states that Harry Dexter White is the man be-
hind (former) Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau's postwar monetary
- 4 -
HARRY U.S. 5. ARCHIVES TRUMAN NATIONAL RECORDS SOVERNMENT AND LIBRARY
proposals, and he was the chief author of the measures under discussion at the
United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held at Bretton Woods, New
Hampshire, in July, 1944.
According to Current Biography, Anne Terry White, wife of Harry
Dexter White, is a writer of children's books. They have two children.
Harry Dexter White has written the following books and articles:
Some Aspects of the Tariff Question (in conjunction with Frank W. Taussig).
French International Accounts.
Ohlin's Interregional and International Trade (Quarterly Journal of
Economics, August, 1934, volume 48, pages 727 to 741).
The Monetary Fund (Foreign Affairs, January, 1945, volume 23, pages 195
to 210).
COLLATERAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE PRIOR TO NOVEMBER, 1945
White was the subject of an investigation conducted in 1942, predi-
cated upon charges by the Special Committee on Un-American Activities of the
House of Representatives, at that time headed by the Honorable Martin Dies.
It was charged that White was a member of the Washington Committee for Demo-
cratic Action, which had been declared a subversive organization by the Attorney
General, thereby indicating a possible violation of the Hatch Act. Inquiries
determined that White's name did not appear in the active indices of the Washington
Committee for Democratic Action; however, it was ascertained the name of Mrs.
Anne Terry White, his wife, did appear in these indices. After preliminary in-
quiries with no appreciable results, White himself was interviewed under oath
on March 30, 1942, at which time he denied membership in the Communist Party
and in the Washington Committee for Democratic Action. He likewise denied
membership in any organization which he had reason to believe might be dominated
by the Communist Party or the policies of which were dictated by any foreign
government. The great part of the interview was the denunciation on the part
of White of this type of investigation being conducted on the basis of the
reports of the Dies Committee. He admitted that his wife had contributed to
the League of Women Shoppers and also contributed to the Spanish Relief during
the Spanish Civil War. The League of Women Shoppers is allegedly a Communist
front organization and the policy of the Communist Party was to give such as-
sistance in the form of relief and otherwise to the cause of Loyalist Spain
during the Spanish Civil War.
Through the estranged wife of one of the individuals reportedly serving
as a source of information for Soviet Intelligence, the names of a number of
persons reportedly identified as members of the underground Communist group in
Washington, D. C. were secured. Among other names was that of Abraham George
Silverman, who was formerly employed by the Railroad Retirement Board and the
United States Army Air Forces and is presently employed by the French Supply
Council of the French Government. As incidental to the mention of Silverman,
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TRUMAN
5.
HARRY
ARCHIVES A NATIONAL LIBRITY
SERVICE"
U.S.
GOVER
it was alleged that he worked through close friends who are indebted to him,
including White and others. It is pertinent to note that Silverman was also
prominently mentioned by the source of information on White as an important
element of the Soviet espionage parallel, channelling information through the
Silvermasters to the Soviet Government. Some of the material which Silverman
delivered to the Silvermasters reportedly came from White. Silverman apparently
was one of the main collectors of information from various officials in the
United States Government and which in considerable volume, he delivered to the
Silvermasters for photographing and transmittal to the Russians. This photo-
graphic work as stated hereinbefore, was done in the basement of the Silver-
masters' home. William Ludwig Ulmann, who maintains mutual residence with
the Silvermasters, did the actual work of photographing after training himself
specially for this purpose.
Through a highly confidential source, it has been learned that White
had an appointment with Mikhail Mikhailovich Idashkin of the Soviet Foreign
Trade Commissariat on July 31, 1945. Through this same source, it was also
learned that White made and kept an appointment with Nikolai Fedorovich
Chechulin, deputy head of the Soviet State Bank Directorate, and P. A. Maletin,
deputy chief of the Soviet Finance Commissariat, on August 2, 1944. The two
representatives of the Soviet Government mentioned above, were government
representatives at the International Monetary Conference at Bretton Woods, New
Hampshire. There was no indication as to the purpose behind the above-mentioned
appointments; however, with respect to the latter, it is quite possible that
it involved discussions resulting from the Bretton Woods Monetary Conference
which began on July 1, 1944. White, it will be recalled, was the Chief Technical
Expert for the United States Government at this Conference.
On January 3, 1945, it was learned through a highly confidential
source that Andrei Gromyko, then First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy, Washington,
D. C., was in contact with White at the United States Treasury Department, at
which time he congratulated White. White thanked Gromyko but indicated it was
a little early to accept congratulations since the Senate had to "confirm it."
Gromyko expressed much pleasure concerning the unknown matter under discussion
and indicated White deserved these congratulations. It is entirely possible
that Gromyko in congratulating White was doing so with respect to the approval
of the House of Representatives of the Bretton Woods agreement.
In January, 1945, "The Federal Record," official publication of the
United Federal Workers of America - CIO, reported that Local No. 11, the main
United States Treasury building, had met with White, the new Assistant Secretary,
to discuss a meeting for staffs of the three research divisions attached to the
Office of the Secretary. White agreed that such a meeting should be held and
promised to speak on the significance of the Bretton Woods agreement. It should
be noted that the United Federal Workers of America - CIO is reported to have
been strongly infiltrated by Communist elements and to follow and expedite the
policies of the Communist Party whenever possible.
Through a highly confidential source, it was learned that Harriet
Bouslog of the CIO Maritime Committee, made an appointment for Louis Goldblatt
with White in early 1945. Goldblatt while in Washington, was also to see Silverman
of the War Department who is believed identical with Abraham George Silverman
- 6 -
TRU
MAN
5.
HARRY
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARY
RECORDS
SERVICE"
U.S.
0
mentioned hereinbefore. Louis Goldblatt reportedly is a member of the Special
Branch of the Communist Party, San Francisco, California, and is Secretary-
Treasurer of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union of
America - CIO. This is the Union of which Harry Bridges is the head.
During February, 1945, White served as a member of a delegation to
the Pan-American Conference of Foreign Ministers at Mexico City, Mexico. Accord-
ing to press releases, his primary interest in attendance at this Conference
was to act as an advisor on the methods of preventing Axis leaders from caching
funds in "safe haven.
In July, 1945, a clerical employee of the Passport Division of the
Department of State, who was formerly employed as a clerk by the Soviet Govern-
ment Purchasing Commission, was allegedly purloining certain information from
the official records of the Department of State for transmittal to unknown
persons. This individual had reportedly stated that he knew a man or men who
would pay him $1,000 for the information he had collected in the course of his
employment. In his application for employment with the Department of State,
White was listed as a reference and recommended him highly. This circumstance
is being set forth in view of the allegations enumerated hereinbefore to the
effect that White was considered of extreme value because of his influence
in securing positions for persons who could be of assistance to Soviet espionage.
In October, 1945, it was learned through reliable sources that func-
tionaries of the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, Inc. were con-
sidering inviting White to be a speaker at the organization's rally scheduled
for November 14, 1945, at Madison Square Garden, New York City. This organiza-
tion whose objectives are to propagandize the Soviet Union is reliably reported
by many sources to be completely under Communist control. Its functionaries
who are responsible for its policies and the issuing of such invitations include
known members of the Communist Party, numerous apologists for the Soviet Union
and suspected Soviet agents.
During the investigation of Philip Jacob Jaffe, editor of "Amerasia,"
who was arrested in June, 1945, for the possession of documents taken from
the Department of State, it was learned that he had been in frequent contact
with Andrew Roth. During one of these contacts, the question was discussed
as to whether one of their sources in the Treasury Department on Far Eastern
Affairs would lose his position if Secretary Morgenthau were to be replaced.
It was concluded that he would retain his position on the basis of his own
merits and then a veiled reference was made to White who was described as
"pretty widely respected." Jaffe's counter-remark to this was, "Yes, but he
is pretty radical," leaving the innuendo that with the change in Secretaries
of the Treasury, White might not remain in his position.
On another occasion while in contact with Roth and discussing various
possible contacts for Jaffe for information from Government sources, Roth referred
to David Carr, who works with Drew Pearson, as obtaining considerable informa-
tion on Far Eastern Affairs that other individuals did not get because of his
United States Treasury connections. Roth stated that Carr was seeing White
once a week and spending considerable time with him.
- 7 -
Subsequent to the receipt of the information above, White was inter-
viewed with respect to persons apprehended along with Jaffe for the receipt
of official documents of the Department of State. He stated that he did not
recall any instances where there had been leaks of information in the Treasury
Department or where documents had been taken or material given to unauthorized
individuals. He denied being acquainted with Jaffe but indicated that numerous
persons have visited him since he has been working in the Treasury Department
and it is possible that he had met Jaffe but he does not recall this meeting.
He denied knowing any other principals in the Jaffe case but stated that the
name of John Service, an employee of the Department of State indicted in this
case, was familiar to him and he believes that Service's name was mentioned
to him by Irving S. Friedman. Friedman is in fact the individual that Roth
and Jaffe were discussing above as to whether he would lose his position in
the Treasury Department in the event of the resignation of Secretary Morgenthau.
White stated further during this interview that Friedman was an
employee in the Treasury Department handling matters dealing with monetary
affairs in the Far East. He indicated that he himself had brought Friedman
to the Treasury Department approximately five or six years previously at which
time Friedman was working either for the British or the Italian Government on
affairs in India. He contended that he had no reason whatsoever to question
the integrity of Friedman. White pointed out that because of the nature of
Friedman's work he must necessarily know a number of persons in the field of
Far Eastern Affairs because that field in the number of informed persons is
limited. Further, White stated that Friedman had authority to take papers
with him to his home at night the same as other officials in the Treasury
Department. It is to be noted that Friedman admitted being acquainted with
Jaffe. He wrote an article for "Amerasia," of which he knew Jaffe to be editor,
but declined writing similar articles after employment by the Treasury Department.
Friedman also admitted acquaintanceship with Service, Roth and other individuals
involved in the Jaffe case.
During the investigation of the Jaffe case, it was developed that
the principals therein were reported on numerous occasions to be sympathetic
with the Soviet policy as it concerns China. "ith this in view, documents
concerning the foreign policy of this Government relating to China were those
primarily desired by Jaffe for guidance in the articles appearing in his pub-
lication, which itself followed the Communist Party line.
HARRY U.S. GOVERNMENT NATIONAL LIBRERY
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HARRY U.S. 5' ARCHIVES "NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND LIBRARY
RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION SINCE NOVEMBER, 1945
Investigation of White since November, 1945, has been conducted
with the primary objective of proving or disproving the original charges
enumerated hereinbefore. It should be realized that to prove these charges
at this time when they relate to activities occurring in 1942 and 1943 is
practically impossible. Certain conclusions, however, may be made possible
by establishing that White is in fact acquainted with the Silvermasters,
Ullmannand other individuals who, according to the source of this informa-
tion, were serving a parallel of Soviet espionage assiduously during this
period. Weight may also possibly be given to the establishment of facts
concerning situations prevailing at the present time, such as the presence
of a photographic laboratory existing in the basement of the Silvermaster
home. It will be noted hereinafter there appears to be a close inter-
relationship between White and the other individuals mentioned prominently
as active in furthering interests of Russia. An attempt will be made not
only to cover the activities of White directly with others named by the
primary source of information in this matter, but to also show that White
has other contacts which would tend to establish a pattern not in disagree-
ment with the charges at hand.
Through investigation it has been learned that on November 22,
1945, the automobile of Frances L. Edelstein, 3623 Jennifer Street, N. W.,
Washington, D. C., the wife of Harry M. Edelstein, an Assistant Solicitor
of the Interior Department, delivered individuals, presumed to be the
Edelsteins, to the home of White. Information was previously available that
Edelstein at one time was interested in Commonwealth College in the State of
Arkansas, an institution which on many occasions has been criticized for its
propagation of Communist ideals. Edelstein is also listed in the active
indices of the cooperative "Keep Out of War Congress" and the Capital City
Forum, organizations reported by numerous sources to be under Communist
domination and influence. The name of Mrs. Harry M. Edelstein appeared on a
list of names of the Washington Committee For Democratic Action, an organiza-
tion which was later declared subversive by the Attorney General under the
provisions of the Hatch Act.
On November 24, 1945, Colonel Bernard Bernstein, 3003 Albermarle
Street, N. W., Washington, D. C., visited at White's residence for some
period of time. On November 26 and 27, 1945, White proceeded to the home
of Colonel Bernstein, 407 Battery Lane, Bethesda, Maryland, where he
presumably spent a good portion of both evenings. It will be noted that
Lieutenant Colonel Bernstein, prior to the war, was Assistant General Counsel
of the United States Treasury Department. He has been employed by this
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MAN
HARRY U.S. ARCHIVES TRU NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND LIBRETTY
Department since December, 1933, and on January 27, 1943, was detailed to
the War Department where he received a commission of Lieutenant Colonel in
the United States Army. Other contacts between Lieutenant Colonel Bernstein
and White will be discussed hereinafter.
On November 28, 1945, White, during the evening, visited the
residence of Drew Pearson, the well-known columnist, at 2820 Dumbarton Avenue,
Washington, D. C. He spent the evening at this address and departed in the
company of several individuals who were guests for the evening.
In early December, 1945, White proceeded to New York City for the
purpose of having certain dental work done and to make certain contacts. It
was reported by a highly confidential source that on December 6, 1945, White
was in contact with his wife from New York City, at which time he advised he
was staying with Dr. Abraham Wolfson of Newark, New Jersey. It is known that
while visiting the Wolfson family White took this opportunity to view certain
real property in New Jersey with a view to its purchase. After his return to
Washington, White is known to have stated on one occasion that one of his
purposes in traveling to New York was to see a number of reporters.
Later in the investigation, it was learned that Dr. Abraham Wolfson
was in Washington, D. C., on December 29, 1945, and that he is a divorced
brother-in-law of Mrs. Harry Dexter White. Information was avai lable prior
to the present inquiries that Dr. Abraham Wolfson, 31 Lincoln Park, Newark,
New Jersey, was listed as a member of the Washington Committee For Democratic
Action in 1940. Dr. Wolfson was born on April 24, 1894, at Odessa, Russia,
and is by profession a dentist, practicing at Medical Towers, 31 Lincoln Park,
Newark, New Jersey. He has been a practicing dentist for many years.
Dr. Wolfson, in May, 1934, was divorced by his wife, Mrs. Ruth Terry
Wolfson, 33 Washington Street, East Orange, New Jersey, an instructor in the
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City. Dr. Wolfson secured
his American citizenship through derivation as a consequence of his father's
naturalization during his minority. He has been reported by numerous sources
as having had frequent and close contact with numerous Communists in the State
of New Jersey.
In early 1944, a highly confidential source advised that Dr. Wolfson
was as of that time a member of the Third Ward Branch of the Communist Party,
and that he had been active in Communist Party activities for the preceding
seven years under the name A. Wilson Street. Further reports allege that Dr.
Wolfson has held Communist Party meetings at his office, and that he has con-
tributed financially to the Party and to various Communist front organizations
which he is well able to do with his declared earnings of $21,000 per annum.
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MAN
NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND
RECORDS
SERVICE"
On December 13, 1945, it was learned through a highly confidential
source that Nancy Strauss of the League of Women Shoppers was in contact
with Mrs. Anne Terry White at which time she requested the latter to write
a protest to Lansburgh's Department Store concerning their refusal to serve
colored people at the lunch counter after the end of the war after having
served them during the war. Mrs. White agreed that she would write this
protest. It will be recalled that previously herein White admitted that his
wife had contributed to the League of Women Shoppers. Further information
is available that the name of Mrs. Anne White appears on an official list of
the Washington League of Women Shoppers, an organization alleged to be a
Communist front.
Numerous contacts on the part of White during early December were
noted between White and Lee Pressman, 4619 Norwood Drive, Bethesda, Maryland,
General Counsel for the National Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO),
and Colonel Bernard Bernstein mentioned hereinbefore. Subsequent investiga-
tion revealed that White and Pressman alternate in taking each other to work
in their personally owned automobiles, their places of employment being in
near proximity to each other.
On December 12, 1945, White accompanied an individual to the
vicinity of 3210 P Street, N.W., which is the residence of Alger Hiss. Alger
Hiss, for some time, has held a high position with the Department of State
and was Secretary General to the United Nations Conference on International
Organizations held in San Francisco, California, in 1945. He recently attended
the UNO Conference in London, England, and he still holds his position with the
Department of State.
Reference is made to the Perlo group mentioned under the original
charges set out hereinbefore. The same confidential source reported Hiss as
working for a parallel of Soviet espionage, the details of which she could not
furnish. However, it was pointed out that Harold Glasser, who had formerly
submitted his information through Perlo to Jacob M. Golos and his successors,
later worked under the guidance of Hiss, who subsequently placed Glasser and
others working under his supervision in direct contact with the Russians. As
the matter was related, Hiss appeared to be a very influential element in the
Soviet espionage network operating from within the United States Government.
On December 14, 1945, it was learned the Whites invited Nathan Gregory
Silvermaster and his wife to their residence on that evening. The Silvermasters
again visited the residence of White for the evening on December 23, 1945.
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MAN
HARRY U.S. 5. ARCHIVES TRU "NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND LIBRARY
On December 15, 1945, White and his wife visited at the home of
Maurice Halperin at 9956 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. Halperin
is an employee of the Office of Strategic Services assigned to the Library
of Congress since October 2, 1941. As of January, 1945, Halperin was the
head of the Latin-American Division in the Research and Analysis Section of
the Office of Strategic Services, which Section has now been transferred to
the Department of State. According to the confidențial source making the
original charges set out hereinbefore, Halperin was formerly a professor of
Romance Languages at Oklahoma University. He was a member of the Communist
Party, according to this source, during his stay in Oklahoma and on arrival
in Washington, D. C., made contacts to re-establish himself with the Communists.
In the latter part of 1942, he was placed in direct relationship with a Soviet
espionage courier who secured from him information which was passed through
Jacob M. Golos and his successors to the Soviet Government.
On December 14, 1945, it was learned through a highly confidential
source that Mrs. Helen Witte Silvermaster was in contact with Mrs. White on
a purely personal matter. On December 15, 1945, Nathan Gregory Silvermaster
was also in contact with Mrs. White, at which time the former learned that
White was ill. The purpose of the relationships existing between the Whites
and the Silvermasters enumerated hereinbefore definitely proves a close af-
filiation and establishes that part of the allegations made hereinbefore con-
cerning the acquaintanceship between these two families.
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RUMAN
ARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY
U.S.
GOVERNIENT
As early as December 6, 1945, the name of Frank Coe, Assistant
Administrator of the Foreign Economic Administration, became apparent in
this investigation. At that time White referred his wife to Coe to secure
certain personal information incidental to his position. It is known also
that White on at least one occasion stopped by the home of Virginius Frank
Coe, 2700 36th Street on his way to work and picked up individuals at that
address.
It has been determined that Coe resided in Toronto, Canada, from
1934 to 1939. Exact details of his employment since the latter date have
not yet been revealed by inquiries.
On December 15, 1945, White and his wife visited the home of
Maurice Halperin at which time Frank Coe and his wife were also guests.
Information has recently been developed from the source responsible
for the original charges herein that Frank Coe was also one of the minor
individuals who was supplying information to the Silvermasters and thence
through channels to the Soviet Government. The reports which Coe made came
to the Silvermasters in Washington, D. C., by letter, since during the
pertinent period that is up to the fall of 1944 Coe was in Latin America.
It was the opinion of this source that Coe also sent information to Harry
White and gave White material while he, Coe, was in the United States which
eventually found its way to the Silvermasters. The nature of the material
made available through Coe is not known but he was considered a minor figure.
In view of Coe's employment with the Foreign Economic Administration, it may
well be that he was with that organization in Latin America and necessarily
had to make his reports by mail either through White or direct to the Silver-
masters.
Mention was made hereinbefore of contacts between White and Lee Press-
man, General Counsel, CIO, Washington, D. C. At the outset it should be
noted that Pressman has held his position since 1935. He attended Cornell
University and Harvard University Law School, graduating from both institutions.
From 1929 to 1933 he was employed as an attorney in New York City and entered
upon employment with the Federal Government in 1933. He remained with the
United States Government for a considerable period. Pressman, according to
confidential sources, was listed in the active indices of the National Federa-
tion for Constitutional Liberties and on the mailing list of the Washington
Book Shop. His wife, Sophia Pressman, according to these same sources, was
listed in the active indices of the Washington Committee for Democratic
Action, the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties, the American
Peace Mobilization and was serving as Vice Chairman of the American League for
Peace and Democracy when it disbanded in 1940. All of the above-mentioned
organizations have been reported from substantial sources as being under
strong dominance of the Communist Party.
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HARRY U TRUMAN DOVERNMENT NATIONAL LIBRARY
Through a highly confidential source it was learned in September,
1941, that when Jack Kling came into the Communist Party in Chicago, Illinois,
to receive instructions for his assignment to a new job in the Party, he
received several letters from local officials for delivery to Communist Party
officials in New York, one of which was addressed to Lee Pressman of the CIO.
At or about this same time it was also learned from a confidential source
that Lee Pressman had sponsored a number of workers of the Anaconda Copper
Company, Butte, Montana, for membership in the Communist Party.
From a previous Communist Party member of some prominence who
ceased his activities in 1937, information was received concerning organiza-
tions of the Communist Party in the United States Government, Washington,
D. C. This organization was organized as an underground group and headed
by Harold Ware who established underground headquarters in Washington. This
source states definitely that one of the converts of this group was Lee
Pressman, then employed in the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and who
later went with the CIO on direct advice of the Communist Party inasmuch as
it was considered important for him to be John L. Lewis' right-hand man.
It was further ascertained that Pressman on December 14, 1939, was
at the Cook County, Communist Party Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois, waiting
to see Morris Child, a well-known Communist Party functionary. On January 5,
1940, Pressman attended a meeting of the Illinois Communist functionaries
at Communist Party Headquarters.
On March 22, 1944, through a confidential source it was determined
that Pressman conferred with Roy Hudson, National Committee member of the
Communist Party, in the latter's private room several times during the
National CIO Convention held in Philadelphia in November, 1943. From another
source in corroboration of this statement it was reported that Pressman
is a member of the Communist Party and he received instructions at the CIO
convention in Philadelphia from Roy Hudson and followed these instructions
implicitly.
Most recent investigation of White reflects that he attempted to
get in contact with Pressman on December 29, 1945. On the following day
White did, in fact, contact Pressman at which time Pressman was asked whether
the response had been favorable. The latter indicated in the affirmative
but something apparently had gone wrong in White's direction since Snyder
had been in contact with Philip Murray, President of the CIO, and wanted to
see him Monday. Pressman promised to contact White concerning this whole
affair and White invited Pressman and his wife to come to his home that
evening.
On December 31, 1945, White again contacted Pressman at which time
the latter stated that Snyder had been in contact with Murray that same day
and had agreed to go ahead with the appointment of the panel. To White's
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MAN
HARRY
ARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY
U.S.
GOVERNMENT
question as to whether this was good or bad, Pressman stated that it meant
that all efforts at mediation or collective bargaining were stopped. White
commented that the recommendation apparently had no effect to which Pressman
assented because it meant that the parties concerned appeared before a panel,
started calling each other names, raised the whole business of ability to pay
and would create the same impression as efforts in connection with General
Motors. Pressman then referred to calling on Secretary of Labor Lewis B.
Schwellenbach that same day at the Naval Hospital where he was undergoing
treatment. Pressman indicated that Schwellenbach tried to find out from
him exactly what was going on. White was amused by this and Pressman then
added that Schwellenbach knows absolutely nothing. Pressman then continued
that he had told Schwellenbach the whole story concerning Snyder's call and
the latter indicated that he was going to contact the President and determine
if he could have them (apparently labor and industry) hold further action
until he, Schwellenbach, got back to see the President.
Reference was then made to an announcement which might be issued
the following day which, if it did not appear, was because Schwellenbach had
held the matter up. White, during thiswhole conference, appeared to be very
interested in the activities behind the scene concerning negotiations between
the CIO and strikes then pending and further from the comments made by Pressman,
was obviously in the confidence of the latter.
On January 2, 1946, Pressman informed White that he had received
information that the President was calling a conference for the next day which
was to include Bowles, Henry W. Wallace, Secretary of Commerce and Snyder on
the whole situation and the steel industry in particular. Pressman indicated
that he wished there was some way of making Wallace make a real fight for
the first time in his life on what had to be done on the situation; further
the whole affair seemed to be deteriorating so fast that fact finding was a
farce. He continued that the whole strike issue had to be settled with a
substantial increase. White inquired as to the time of the prospective
meeting which Pressman apparently did not know at that moment. White further
inquired of Pressman as to what he had to suggest and the latter indicated that
White knew Wallace better and consequently was in the position to answer his
own question. Pressman urged that White should try to see Secretary Wallace
the next day and point out to him the bad condition of the whole situation
and indicate that it was connected with the meatpacking problem which in turn
is related to the whole farm bloc. Pressman was apparently very much concerned
that the strike situation was getting out of hand.
White endeavored to secure from Pressman the subjects for discussion
the following day. The latter did not know specifically but was of the belief
that some pressure would be put on Bowles to do something for the steel
industry. Pressman indicated that what should be done is this: if the strike
runs its course the way it has been outlined, it will be perfectly meaningless
- 15 -
S
HARRY
ARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY
TRUMAN
SERVICE"
because the steel industry will get a small price increase. To get action the
administration should call in the top officials and set a deadline for final
settlement, taking a strong stand that this settlement should come before
January 14. He then pointed out that if the steel industry could be cracked
by labor, labor would then be able to run the gamut of cracking every other
industry. White inquired of Pressman as to whether it was permissible for him
to mention that he had heard anything concerning this matter. Pressman
stated this was permissible since it had come through a third party through
the Office of Price Administration. This apparently had reference to the
prospective price raise on steel.
Considerable attention was given during this contact to the possibility
of securing a wage increase for the steel industry without a price increase.
Pressman pointed out to White that the steel industry would have to have a
price increase and that it would not necessarily follow that all other
industries would have to have a price increase also. Pressman was most adamant
that it was possible to have a price increase on steel without affecting the
automobile industry and other industries since the price of steel has been
frozen since 1937, while other steel consuming industries have their price
frozen as of 1942. White concluded by stating that he would perhaps try
to see Wallace the next morning. Pressman then advised White that he would
arrive, presumably in Washington, the next morning and White inquired as to
whether he was apt to be effective in his program. Pressman was not optimistic
unless Wallace called him and added that he thought Wallace would be free to
talk with Philip Murray then and go to the White House later.
The question was then raised by White as to whether the situation
would not in fact mean that a committment, presumably from OPA, should be
secured on the price raise on steel without similar action in other industries
before settling the strike. Pressman pointed out that it would have to be
a simultaneous affair, that is the settlement of the strike in return for the
Government's concession to raise the price of steel. White indicated that
if President Truman was going to authorize an increase in the price of steel
it doesn't seem reasonable that this would be done without having the union's
demands acceded to for a raise in wages. Pressman continued that the President
was under pressure from industry and was trying appeasement and further that
the amount of the wage increase must be determined as satisfactory to the
unions since the price increase will have to be made incident thereto, otherwise
the administration will find itself with a strike still on its hands. White
inquired as to how they would find out the solution and Pressman added only
by dealing directly with Philip Murray. He made the gratuitous comment that
he had never known of an impasse of this description - where everything was
going to the dogs and the White House had not even talked with other heads
of the labor unions - not only that, but his assistants, neither Steelman
nor Snyder, had been in contact with the unions.
- 16 -
Arrangements were made that Pressman would ride to work the following
morning with White. It was not apparent during the above contact as to why
Pressman was discussing this whole situation on an intimate level with White,
Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury.
There have been several other contacts between Pressman and White
but none of particular significance with the possible exception that Pressman
contacted White on January 29, 1946, and asked him whether he was aware of
the fact that his superior, presumably the Secretary of the Treasury, had
seen Fairless, presumably head of United States Steel, the day previous.
White indicated that this was not known to him and commented "You may find
out during the day what happened, if anything." White answered in the
affirmative but was noncommittal concerning the supplying of the results
of this conference to Pressman.
- 17 -
HARRY
ARCHIVES "NATIONAL AND
BRARY
RECORDS
U.S.
GOVERNMENT
With further reference to Colonel Bernard Bernstein, it was developed
that he was in contact with White on December 17, 1945. Colonel Bernstein
indicated that he was interested in getting all of the Nazi property away from
the Nazis and selling it to desirable people in Germany. To White's question
as to what would be done with the cash, Bernstein indicated that it would be
held under the control of the United States Treasury - the main thing was to
remove from the Nazis the control of property in Germany. Bernstein also
indicated he was being released from the Army soon, and there was a vague
discussion of a position which he had under consideration with the conclusion
that he, Bernstein, would be better off in the Treasury at $10,000 a year.
It was also obvious that White was going to take up the question of Bernstein's
status with the Secretary of the Treasury. White again was in contact with
Bernstein on December 18, 1945. The latter told White that Donald Hiss, who
is the brother of Alger Hiss mentioned hereinbefore, had contacted him and
advised the Polish Government was still looking for an adviser. He stated
that Ludwig Rajchman of the Polish Mission had been in to see him. Bernstein
was interested in the caliber of the individual desired by Rajchman. White
indicated that Rajchman needed an individual to do the kind of things
Bernstein could do for him and the kind of things that George Silverman was
doing for the French. Bernstein was desirous of advice as to which crowd
Rajchman represented and White indicated "the crowd that is in." White con-
tinued by stating that the Polish Ambassador needed three men - a fellow
like Bernstein in many ways could be used and a fellow like Silverman to get
the Economic and Purchasing Commission in order. White did not know how
much money the Polish Government had to spend and added that he had to see
Rajchman in the near future. White also wanted advice as to what the next
move by Hiss would be, but Bernstein either could not or would not advise
on this question.
Bernstein apparently was not interested in the Polish proposition
on a full time basis, to which White agreed, saying that if the Poles wanted
aid they would have to pay fully because they have a very difficult job.
Discussion was then had as to how White and Bernstein could use this pro-
position to fit in with their other plans and White stated that he would have
a definite suggestion along that line the next day.
Various details of the establishment of an office, presumably for
Bernstein, were mentioned and White indicated that they, meaning himself and
Bernstein, had to have an office anyway because of discussions White was
having with Secretary of the Navy Forrestal the following day and that one
could not talk without an office. Bernstein indicated that he had received
a call previously from Governor Lehman of UNRRA and the Honorable Robert H.
Jackson, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States now on
assignment in Germany, and he asked White if they could possibly be interested,
presumably in him, on a part-time basis. White answered in the negative.
White indicated, however, that Bernstein should see Former Governor Lehman
and see what he had to offer. White, in conclusion, related that he was
going to talk to Secretary of the Treasury Vinson very straight; that he had
nothing to lose; he was entitled to it (this may relate to his appointment
as a delegate on the International Monetary Fund under the Bretton Wood
Agreement) and would see what Vinson had to say.
- 18 -
On January 1, 1946, Colonel Bernstein again was in contact with
White, at which time reference was made to a commendatory statement which
had appeared in the newspaper column of Drew Pearson that morning.
Bernstein indicated that he had been in contact with an individual believed
to be Congressman Andrew J. Biemiller to get the tempo of those up on the
Hill. Bernstein commented that it seemed to him that it (unidentified) was
concrete enough up there where they are working sufficiently well towards
crystallizing support on the liberal fight. He made reference to they
(apparently Congress) being worried about what was going to happen in 1946
and added that Congressmen like Biemiller would worry whether the CIO
Political Action Committee and organizations of that type are going to give
them support.
On January 13, 1946, Bernstein was in contact with Mrs. White
during White's absence in New York City. He inquired whether White had
heard anything definite about his new job from the Secretary of the Treasury.
Mrs. White answered in the negative.
White is known to be in contact with David Karr, an employee of
Drew Pearson, newspaper columnist, and specifically contacted him on
January 1, 1946, expressing appreciation for the salute which had been paid
to him in Drew Pearson's column that morning. It will be recalled that
Karr's name was mentioned previously hereinbefore as an individual who was
in frequent contact with White. Karr was formerly employed with the
Daily Worker, a Communist Party publication, and later with Transradio
Press and the Office of War Information. Karr also worked for a considerable
period for "The Hour", published by Albert Eugene Kahn who is known to have
had direct relationships with the Communist Party. Besides writing articles
for the Daily Worker, at least on one occasion in March, 1939, he was the
author of an article appearing in the publication "Fight" distributed by the
Executive Committee of the American League for Peace and Democracy, a reported
Communist front organization. The exact length of his service with
Drew Pearson is not known.
As an example of the tenor of the attitude prevailing in the White
home, the following comments by one of his daughters to a friend may be of
interest. In a discussion of their aims and likes, Miss White stated that
a large portion of their "friends" called close friends believe in the same
political ideas - the same as their family. Further, that all of the family
had been engaged in politics and so the friends they have in the house are the
ones they can speak freely with and not just say, "What lovely weather we are
having." Continuing, Miss White stated the belief that when one is an adult,
he must stick with his convictions that she thinks her parents have arrived
at a correct understanding of political and religious beliefs and other basic
things.
MAN
HARRY U.S. ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE LIBRERY
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HARRY U.S. TRUMAN NATIONAL LIBRARY
PRIMARY CONTACTS AND COLLABORATORS
As will be seen in the results of investigation since November,
1945, set out hereinbefore, considerable information is set forth con-
cerning the persons with whom White has been in contact. In those in-
stances where his contacts are not in substantiation of the original
charges set forther hereinbefore, a brief statement was made concerning
the identity of the individual involved. However, in those instances
where White has been in contact with persons directly related to the
original charges, very little, if any, further identi fication was made
incidental to the summary of the investigation. It was thought more de-
sirable to treat of these persons separately.
Nathan Gregory Silvermaster and Helen Witte Silvermaster, his wife.
The confidential source supplying the original charges set out
hereinbefore has advised that in August, 1941, Jacob N. Golos made arrange-
ments for a courier to collect information from the Silvermasters for
delivery to him and thence to the Soviet Government. It became increasingly
more obvious that although the fiction was first used that this material was
going to Earl Browder, that both the Silvermasters and Ullmannwere aware of
its ultimate destination, namely, the Soviet Government. Silvermaster was
at that time employed in the Farm Security Administration of the United States
Department of Agriculture. His wife was unemployed, and William Ludwig
Ullmannwas employed in the Treasury Department.
Previous to these arrangements for a courier between the Silvermasters
and Golos, it was quite obvious that Golos himself had collected the material
being gathered. It was through the Silvermasters that Ullmamwas successful,
with the aid of White, in securing his position in the United States Treasury
Department.
Silvermaster, according to the informant, is of Russian-Jewish
extraction, born in the Ukraine. His early life was spent in China where he
remained until he was about twenty years of age when he migrated to the
United States. He attended a university in the State of California and
later taught in an educational institution in that state. The informant
reports that during the longshoremens' strike on the West Coast in 1934,
when Earl Browder, former Chairman of the Communist Party, USA, was being
sought by vigilantes, he was hidden in the Silvermaster home. Previous
acquaintance of Silvermaster with Browder up to that time is not known.
Silvermaster first came to Washington, D. C., in about 1935, whereupon he
secured employment with the United States Department of Agriculture. In
1942, he went to the Board of Economic Warfare; in 1944, the United States
Treasury Department where he now holds the position of Chief of the Division
of Economic Analysis, War Assets Board. This source definitely states
that Silvermaster's position in the Treasury Department was secured for him
by White.
20 I I
HARRY U.S. 5. ARCHIVES "NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS MAN AND LIBRARY
Mrs. Silvermaster was also born in Russia and spent her younger
years in China, where she had a son by a previous marriage. She was
subsequently divorced in this country, whereupon she married her present
husband.
Prior to the establishment of the courier system, when Golos was
collecting the information in Washington himself, the source states the
material was delivered to an individual tentatively identified as Gaik
Ovakimian, a known Soviet agent who was allowed to depart from this country
after having been indicted as an unregistered agent of the Soviet Government.
Verbal instructions were delivered to the Silvermasters and Ullmannby the
courier which received the information gathered by them. By the fall of
1942, original documents were being received by Ullmannand the Silvermasters
secured from Government files to which they had access. It was at this time
that Ullmann provided himself with a 35 milimeter camera and became proficient
in document photography. Many other details and contacts were reported
concerning the Silvermasters; however, they had no direct relationship to
White other than to establish the conclusion that this particular parallel
of Soviet espionage had a wide coverage.
In substantiation of the above statements made by the confidential
source, it will be noted that Silvermaster was born in Odessa, Russia, on
November 27, 1898. He was naturalized as a United States citizen at
San Francisco, California, in 1926. He attended the University of Washington,
Seattle, Washington; Stanford University, Santa Clara, California, and the
University of California, Berkeley, California. It was further determined
that in general the life history of Silvermaster as related by the original
source is substantially accurate. Silvermaster has been reported as a
member of the American League for Peace and Democracy and the Washington
Committee for Democratic Action, both of which were declared subversive
organizations under the provisions of the Hatch Act by the Attorney General.
There are references to Silvermaster as early as 1922 as a young Communist
of the University District in Seattle, Washington. In the interim between
then and 1935 when he entered upon Government employment, there are some
other references to alleged radical activities and particularly allegations
that he associated with known Communists. One report states that in 1935,
Silvermaster contacted Sam Darcy, Head of the Communist Party in California,
and because of his associations it was concluded that he was an active
radical. Silvermaster has a long record of reported associations with known
Communists. He has been described as a protege of Professor Robert Alexander
Brady, head Social Economist of the Office of Price Administration and a
reported member of the Communist Party from 1932 to 1937. Further, Silvermaster
is known to be acquainted with individuals other than those named herein
who are strongly suspected of Soviet espionage.
Mrs. Silvermaster was born in White Russia andafter the Russian
Revolution went to China where she married. After proceeding to the United
States, exact date not known, she divorced her first husband and married
Silvermaster in 1928 or 1929. There is little information concerning her
background; however, this much does substantiate what the original source
- 21 -
had to say in this regard. Helen Silvermaster was one of the leaders in
the Washington Book Shop, the American League for Peace and Democracy,
the Washington Committee for Aid to China, and probably the National
Federation for Constitutional Liberties, according to the confidential
source. At the same time the source indicated that her husband repre-
sented the OGPU (now the NKVD) in the United States. All of these
organizations cited have been reported on numerous occasions by a con-
siderable number of people to be Communist dominated and controlled. She
was also listed in the indices of the United American Spanish Aid Committee,
League of Womens Shoppers, and known to have attended functions of the
Womens Committee with the Friends of Spanish Democracy, all allegedly
Communist front groups.
William Ludwig Ullmann
William Ludwig Ullmann, according to the original source, and
as has been related hereinbefore, lives at the residence of the Silvermasters.
He participated very closely with the Silvermasters in gathering material
which passed through Jacob N. Golos to the Soviet Government. According to
the source, Ullmann originally came from a wealthy family in Missouri. He
later resided in New York City and finally procured a clerical position
in a Government agency in Washington, D. C. After making the acquaintance
of the Silvermaster family, who recognized his potentialities, they facilitated
his obtaining a job in the United States Treasury Department. Besides the
gathering of information, he did much of the photographing and processing of
the material precedent to delivery to the courier which brought it into the
hands of Golos. In the fall of 1942, the source states that Ullmann's in-
duction into the United States Army became imminent and there was considerable
discussion on the part of Silvermaster and Ullmann as to which branch of
the service would seem most advantageous. The Navy and the Marine Corps were
dismissed since they concluded both branches were anti-Semitic. Realizing
that Ullmann could not meet the physical requirements directly, it was de-
cided that he should wait until he was drafted and attempt to be assigned
to the Air Corps. This in fact was done, according to the informent, and
Ullmann entered the Army as a private. Subsequently, he was promoted to a
non-commissioned officer and later recommended for the Officer Candidate
School. He was accepted and received his commission. Silvermaster was most
anxious for Ullmann to be assigned to the Pentagon Building, and it was through
Abraham George Silverman that this assignment was actually effected.
Silverman during this period was a civilian employee of the War Department
assigned to the United States Army Air Forces and stationed in the Pentagon
Building. Both he and Ullmann made available voluminous material from records
which came into their possession as a result of their employment.
By investigation, it was determined that Ullmann was born on
August 14, 1908, at Springfield, Missouri. He attended elementary school
in that state; received his college education from Phillips Exeter Academy,
Exeter, New Hampshire, and Harvard University. He resided in New York in
1934 and 1935. The latter year, however, he came to Washington, D. C., and
secured his first position with the United States Government with
HARRY
ARCHIVES "NATIONAL AND LIBRARY
RECORDS
- 22 -
U.S.
GOVERNMENT
NRA Consumers Advisory Board at a salary of $2,000 e year. It was also
learned through the Local Draft Board where Ullmamregistered under
Selective Service that he received a communication dated November 9, 1940,
over the signature of Harry Dexter White, Director of Monetary Research of
the United States Treasury Department, requesting the deferment of Ullmann.
Ullmannfinally entered upon service with the United States Army on April
16, 1943, and was separated from the Army on October 14, 1945, with the
rank of Major in the Army Air Forces. He was assigned to the Pentagon
Building, Room #4-E120. On return to civilian life, Ullmannagain entered
upon his employment with the United States Treasury Department. It is
interesting to note that Ullmamis assigned to the Monetary Research Division
of the United States Treasury Department, that Division being headed by White.
Schlomer Adler
Schlomer Adler, more commonly known as Sol Adler, according to the
original source of information, advised that during the latter part of 1942
and the early part of 1943, his name arose in connection with this Soviet
network. Letters were seen in the Silvermaster home written by Adler from
Chungking, China, to the United States Treasury Department in Washington,
D. C., He, at that time, was the Treasury Department representative in China
and the letters observed were of an official character. Presumably, they
came into the possession of the Silvermasters through White. The Silvermasters
characterized Adler as an opportunist but indicated they would have liked to
place him in some strategic location in the United States Government. Adler
was described as a dues paying member of the Communist Party.
Investigation determined that Schlomer Adler was born on August 6,
1909 at Leeds, England. His length of employment with the Treasury Department
is not known; however, on July 10, 1945, that Department requested his Local
Draft Board to permit him to leave the country and travel to China as a
representative of the Treasury Department. This request was granted. It was
also determined that Adler is a naturalized American citizen and received his
final papers in September, 1940. Adler previously had served at the American
Embassy in Chungking, China, as a representative of the Treasury Department
as early as 1941. In 1931, information was received from a confidential
source, who in the past has been reliable, to the effect that Adler, an
employee of the United States Treasury Department, had been sending weekly
reports to the Communist Party. He was further described as definitely a
Communist and a close contact of Alexander Stevens. It was suspected that
the Communist Party was playing the stock market and utilizing Adler's infor-
mation in this connection.
HARRY 5. ARCHIVES IRUMAN "NATIONAL RECORDS AND LIBRARY
- 23 -
U.S.
GOVERNMENT
MAN
HAMPY U.S. ARCHIVES TRU "NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND CIBRARY
SONIE STEINMAN GOLD
According to the original source of information in this matter,
White's position was considered most valuable by Silvermaster because of his
ability to place in the Treasury Department those individuals whom this
particular Soviet espionage group desired to have assigned there. Among those
so assigned was Sonie Steinman Gold. It was sometime in the fall of 1943,
that the Silvermasters believed it desirable to have someone placed as a
secretary to White in order to facilitate obtaining information from his office.
The name of Sonie Gold was secured from one of the Communist functionaries
in Washington, D. C., and through arrangements with White, she secured a posi-
tion in the Treasury Department. As a result of this employment, she obtained
documents from his office which she copied and later delivered the notes to
Helen Silvermaster.
Further, the source states that in the spring of 1944, Bela Gold also
known as Bill Gold, the husband of Sonie Gold, also appeared in this Soviet
network. Gold had obtained a position in the Foreign Economic Administration
and based on conversations overheard between the Silvermasters and Ulmann, it
was determined that he was supplying this group with what they considered ex-
cellent information regarding the internal situation in the Foreign Economic
Administration. Gold was considered to have done an excellent job in this
regard by both Silvermaster and Ulmann and they discussed at one time the
possibility of supplying him with a camera in order that he might do his own
photographing at home.
As related hereinbefore, investigation determined that Sonie Gold
is in fact employed in the United States Treasury Department as a secretary
or assistant secretary to White. She was on maternity leave and may still be;
however, on December 27, 1945, it is known that she was in contact with Mrs.
Helen Silvermaster in connection with a luncheon engagement.
Bela Gold was born on January 30, 1915 at Goloszvar, Hungary. He
is a United States citizen either by naturalization or derivation and married
Sonie Gold on July 5, 1938. He attended New York University and Columbia
University. As of April 16, 1945, a request for deferment was made to the
Local Draft Board of Gold by Kenneth O. Warner, chairman of the Agency Defer-
ment Committee of the Foreign Economic Administration. Gold at that time
held the position of advisor on Foreign Development Policy at a salary of
$8,000 per annum. Gold, through investigation, was determined to be in con-
tact with Mrs. Elizabeth Sasuly, who is active in the administration of the
White Collar Unit of the Communist Party, Washington, D. C.
HAROLD GLASSER
As it was indicated hereinbefore, the source of the original informa-
tion in this case mentioned another branch of Soviet espionage headed by Victor
Perlo of which Harold Glasser was a member. When this group first came to the
attention of this source in early 1944, Glasser was outside the United States
- 24 -
TRU
MAN
HARRY
ARCHIVES PRATIONAL RECORDS AND LIBRARY
SERVICE"
U.S.
in some capacity with the United States Treasury Department but he returned in
the early fall of that year. Subsequent to that time he was stationed at the
Treasury Department at Washington, D. C. where he was thought to have been an
assistant to White or at least rather closely associated with him. Glasser,
however, was transferred from the Perlo group to administration by Alger Hiss
of the State Department, who was also, according to the informant, supplying
information to Soviet Intelligence.
Investigation determined that Harold Glasser was born on November 23,
1904, in Chicago, Illinois. According to Selective Service records, he is
employed as Assistant Director, Division of Monetary Research, United States
Treasury Department, and his immediate superior is Harry Dexter White, Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury. He attended the University of Chicago and Harvard
University. He in fact resided outside the United States, part of the time
in Ecuador, as is reflected by a permit in the Selective Service records, issued
on January 7, 1943. His first residence abroad appears to have been in Ecuador;
however, a passport was issued to him on February 1, 1943, for travel to Africa,
Union of South Africa and Egypt where he was to be assigned to the Civil Affairs
Section of General Eisenhower's Staff. Further, on February 12, 1944, it was
indicated that he was travelling abroad to North Africa, Spain, Portugal and
Italy on business for the United States Treasury Department concerning the
problems on foreign exchange in the countries enumerated. It is known that he
was back in the United States in the fall of 1944. Glasser has been described
by numerous sources as a member of the Communist Party and has been associated
with many individuals against whom the same charge is made.
IRVING KAPLAN
According to the source of the original information, it is stated
that Irving Kaplan was employed with the War Production Board and was giving
information which he obtained through his agency to Abraham George Silverman.
It was through Silvermaster that it was learned that the material from Kaplan
channelled through Silverman, wasactually being received by Silvermaster for
passing along to Golos and thence to the Soviet Government. Kaplan was described
as a dues-paying member of the Communist Party. When last heard of by the
source, he was employed with the Foreign Economic Administration.
Irving Kaplan was born on September 23, 1900, in Zdzenciol, Poland.
He attended the City College of New York and Columbia University. He was
naturalized in New York City on December 18, 1911. In the summer of 1945, he
was designated as a representative of the Treasury Department to proceed to
Germany and there was assigned to the civilian group. He was requested for
duty with the United States Group Control Council in Supreme Headquarters,
Allied Expeditionary Forces. One of his references on the application for em-
ployment was Abraham George Silverman, mentioned hereinbefore.
Further in the investigation, it was found that the wife of Irving
Kaplan, Dorothy Kaplan, had been in contact with the wife of Abraham George
Silverman, Mrs. Helen Silvermaster and is acquainted with Nathan Gregory Silver-
master and Ulmann. During these contacts it was apparent that she was bringing
- 25 -
HARRY S. ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS MAN AND LIBRARY
U.S.
GOVERNMENT
pressure through Ulmann and Silverman to have her husband released from the
Army in Europe in order that he might return to his position in the Treasury
Department. Irving Kaplan communicated with his wife to the effect that she
should contact Frank Coe and advise him that no confirming cable concerning his
release had been received as yet but that a person named Nixon had cabled
Colonel Bernard Bernstein and White on December 11, 1945, requesting Kaplan's
immediate recall on account of urgent matters pending. All of these individuals
have been mentioned hereinbefore. Subsequent to the receipt of this cable,
Dorothy Kaplan contacted Ulmann and told him that she had been in contact with
Frank Coe about the time scheduled for her husband's release. He indicated to
her that nothing further could be done since the Treasury Department had al-
ready requested the War Department for Kaplan's return to the United States
immediately. Mrs. Kaplan was advised by Frank Coe to cable her husband that
they were doing everything possible to effect his early return to the United
States. It will be noted that all of the names figuring in these transactions
are of those mentioned as prominently concerned in the Soviet espionage group
discussed hereinbefore.
WILLIAM HENRY TAYLOR
It will be recalled as cited hereinbefore that the original source of
information charges that White was considered of extreme value to the instant
underground Soviet group because of his ability to place individuals in particu-
lar positions in the Treasury Department. Mentioned particularly in this cate-
gory was William Henry Taylor. This individual first came to the attention
of the source in the latter part of 1942 or the early part of 1943. It is
alleged that after securing his position with the Treasury Department with the
assistance of White, he was sent as their representative to China and later to
Lisbon, Portugal with the Foreign Economic Administration. He was described
as a dues-paying member of the Communist Party. During the interim between
his return from China and his departure to Portugal, he was in the Treasury
Department in Washington, D. C. and was supplying Silvermaster with written
and oral information secured by him in that Department. In addition, he prepared
a report on conditions in China which he made available probably to Silverman
but possibly to Silvermaster. This report eventually reached the hands of the
Russians.
Taylor was born in British Columbia on March 30, 1906. He was appointed
to the position of principal economic analyst in the Division of Monetary Research
on January 3, 1941. This is the division headed by White. He resigned his posi-
tion on May 21, 1941 to accept an appointment as an alternate American repre-
sentative of the recently created China Stabilization Board and proceeded to
Chungking, China, on official business. He was reinstated in the Division of
Monetary Research on September 15, 1942 as principal economic analyst.
In May, 1944, the Department of State granted Taylor a passport for
an official trip to London, England. In connection with another investigation,
White on interview advised that Taylor had handled many important assignments
- 26 -
HARMY ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS AND LIBRARY
U.S.
GOVERNMENT
for the Treasury Department, including a visit to North Africa on official
business shortly after the Invasion and London in connection with official
business with regard to the invasion of Europe. As of June, 1945, he could
be reached in care of the American Embassy at London, England.
ABRAHAM GEORGE SILVERMAN
According to the original source, Abraham George Silverman, a graduate
of Harvard University, came to Washington, D. C. in the early 1930's to accept
employment with the Railroad Retirement Board. The circumstances of his ac-
quaintanceship with the Silvermasters and Ulmann were not known to the source
although during the pertinent period, Silverman was accepted on a very friendly
basis in the Silvermaster home. After he was assigned to the Pentagon Building
in 1942 or 1943, as a Civilian Specialist, he began bringing documents to the
Silvermasters' home.
During this same period, the source learned that White was also sup-
plying information consisting of documents received in the course of his duties
in the Treasury Department. These documents were made available to Silvermaster
either by Ulmann or Silverman, both of whom were receiving material from White.
Silverman also collected information from other individuals which ultimately
was passed on through instant channels to the Soviet Government. Both Ulmann
and Silverman while assigned to the Pentagon Building were obtaining and
photographing data including aircraft production figures, allocation and de-
ployment of aircraft, results of testing of aircraft, reports on the efficiency
of particular types of airplanes, technological developments in aircraft manu-
facture, statistics regarding high octane aviation gasoline, pertinent develop-
ments concerning the planning, construction and completion of the B-29, scheduled
date of D-Day, directives issued by General Marshall, and other vital informa-
tion. Both Silverman and Ulmann were assigned to the United States Airforce and
had access to this type of information.
Investigation disclosed that Silverman was born at Prsasnysz, Poland,
on February 2, 1900. He graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D. Degree
and holds another degree from Leland Stanford University. He was formerly em-
ployed as a Chief Production Specialist, Materiel Division, Army Airforces,
from March 26, 1942 until August 18, 1945, when he left this employment to work
for the French Supply Council, a part of the French Government in Washington,
D. C. He is known to have been in contact with Nathan Gregory Silvermaster,
Mrs. Silvermaster, Dorothy Kaplan, wife of Irving Kaplan, and others mentioned
hereinbefore.
DONALD NIVEN WHEELER
According to the original source, Donald N. Wheeler was an element
of the Perlo Group mentioned hereinbefore, who during the pertinent period,
namely in 1944, was employed on the Editorial Board of the Research Analysis
Section of the Office of Strategic Services. The material which he submitted
was stated to be of considerable value. He submitted material which included
- 27 -
"ditto" copies of monthly and semi-monthly reports of the Office of Strategic
Services as they concerned political developments throughout the world, some
of which were marked "Secret" and "Confidential."
The source states that Wheeler is a native born American, a graduate
of Yale University and had in the past been a student at Cambridge or Oxford
specializing in Economics. He was described as a dues-paying member of the
Communist Party. Wheeler is apparently an American who attended Reed College,
Portland, Oregon, and Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He also was an
instructor at Yale University subsequently entering upon employment in the
Division of Monetary Research, United States Treasury Department, as a junior
economic analyst in April, 1939. In May, 1940, he was detailed to the Senate
Banking and Currency Committee. His immediate supervisor while with the
Treasury Department was Harry White, now Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
In September, 1942, Wheeler was employed in the Office of Strategic Services.
While in attendance at Yale University, Wheeler was friendly with
David Hedley, who is now a Communist Party member in San Francisco, California.
He is described by the individuals who knew him to have fostered Communist
fronts while in Connecticut attending the University and supported such in-
stitutions as the Spanish Aid Committee. On one occasion, according to a
confidential source, Wheeler and his wife are known to have attended a Communist
Party meeting in New Haven, Connecticut. He was active as an organizer for
the Spanish Loyalist cause; is a member of the Washington Book Shop; Washington
Committee for Democratic Action; and other alleged Communist front organiza-
tions.
Victor Perlo in the recent past has been in contact with Donald Wheeler
and other individuals associated with suspected Soviet agents, have been seen
in company with the Wheelers.
MAN
HARRES
ARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY
U.S.
GOVERNMENT
- 28 -
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"ocrText": "0\nY\nFebruary 6, 1946\nPersonal and Confidential\nMEMORANDUM FOR: Fred M. Vinson\nSecretary of the Treasury\nFROM:\nThe President\nI am enclosing you a memorandum from the\nSecretary of State, which came to me this morning.\nI suggest that you read it, keeping it\nentirely confidential and then, I think, you, the\nSecretary of State, and myself should discuss the\nsituation and find out what we should do.\nHARRY U.S. 5. ARCHIVES TRUMAN \"NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND LIBRARY\nEnclosure\nOFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR\nFederal Bureau of Investigation\nUnited States Department of Justice\nMashington 25, D. C.\nFebruary 1, 1946\nPERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL\nBY SPECIAL MESSENGER\nBrigadier General Harry Hawkins Vaughan\nMilitary Aide to the President\nThe White House\nWashington, D. C.\nDear General Vaughan:\nHARRY of U.S. TRUMAN GOVERNMENTAL \"NATIONAL LIBRARY\nAs of interest to the President and you, I am attaching a detailed\nmemorandum hereto concerning Harry Dexter White, Assistant Secretary of the\nUnited States Treasury Department.\nAs you are aware, the name of Harry Dexter White has been sent to\nCongress by the President for confirmation of his appointment as one of the\ntwo United States delegates on the International Monetary Fund under the\nBretton Woods agreement. In view of this fact, the interest expressed by the\nPresident and you in matters of this nature, and the seriousness of the charges\nagainst White in the attachment, I have made every effort in preparing this\nmemorandum to cover all possible ramifications. As will be observed, infor-\nmation has come to the attention of this Bureau charging White as being a\nvaluable adjunct to an underground Soviet espionage organization operating in\nWashington, D. C. Material which came into his possession as a result of his\nofficial capacity allegedly was made available through intermediaries to\nNathan Gregory Silvermaster, his wife, Helen Witte Silvermaster, and William\nLudwig Ullmann. Both Silvermaster and Ullmann are employees of the United\nStates Treasury Department, reportedly directly under the supervision of\nWhite.\nThe information and documents originating in the Treasury Depart-\nment were either passed on in substance or photographed by Ullmann in a well-\nequipped laboratory in the basement of the Silvermaster home. Following this\nstep, the material was taken to New York City by courier and made available\nto Jacob M. Golos, until the time of his death on November 27, 1943. Golos,\na known Soviet agent, delivered this material to an individual tentatively\nidentified as Gaik Ovakimian. Ovakimian you will recall was arrested some\nyears ago as an unregistered agent of the Soviet Government and subsequently,\nby special arrangements with the Department of State, was permitted to return\nto the U.S.S.R.\nAfter the departure of Gaik Ovakimian, Golos delivered his material\nto an individual who has been tentatively identified as Dr. Abraham Benedict\nWeinstein. Subsequent to the death of Golos, the courier handling material\nreceived from the Silvermasters and Ullmann delivered it through an unidentified\nindividual to Anatole Borisovich Gromov, who until December 7, 1945, was\nassigned as First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy, Washington, D. C., when he\nreturned to the U.S.S.R. Gromov had previously been under suspicion as the\nsuccessor to Vassili Zubilin, reported head of the NKVD in North America, who\nreturned to Moscow in the late Summer of 1944. This whole network has been\nunder intensive investigation since November, 1945, and it is the results of\nthese efforts that I am now able to make available to you.\nI also feel that it is incumbent upon me at this time to bring to\nyour attention an additional factor which has originated with sources avail-\nable to this Bureau in Canada. It is reported that the British and Canadian\ndelegates on the International Monetary Fund may possibly nominate and support\nWhite for the post of President of the International Bank, or as Executive\nDirector of the International Monetary Fund. The conclusion is expressed that\nassuming this backing is forthcoming and the United States acquiescence, if\nnot concurrence, resulting, White's nomination to this highly important post\nwould be assured. It is further commented by my Canadian source that if\nWhite is placed in either of these positions, he would have the power to\ninfluence to a great degree deliberations on all international financial\narrangements.\nThis source, which is apparently aware of at least some of the\ncharges incorporated in the attached memorandum against White, commented\nthat the loyalty of White must be assured, particularly in view of the fact\nthat the U.S.S.R. has not ratified the Bretton Woods agreement. Fear was\nexpressed that facts might come to light in the future throwing some sinister\naccusations at White and thereby jeopardize the successful operation of these\nimportant international financial institutions.\nI thought you would be particularly interested in the above comments,\nwhich originated with sources high-placed in the Canadian Government, on the\nsubject at hand.\nWith expressions of my highest esteem,\nSincerely yours,\nMAN\nDoover\nHARRY U.S. GOVERNMENTH NATIONAL LIBRARY\nC.\n1.20pm\nAttachment\nTABLE OF CONTENTS\nHARRY DEXTER WHITE\nOriginal Charges\n#1\nBackground of Harry Dexter White\n#2\nCollateral Information Available Prior to\nNovember, 1945\n#5\nResults of Investigation Since November, 1945\n#9\nPrimary Contacts and Collaborators\n#20\nNathan Gregory Silvermaster and\nHelen Witte Silvermaster, His Wife\n#20\nWilliam Ludwig Ullmann\n#22\nSchlomer Adler\n#23\nSonie Steinman Gold\n#24\nHarold Glasser\n#24\nIrving Kaplan\n#25\nWilliam Henry Taylor\n#26\nAbraham George Silverman\n#27\nDonald Niven Wheeler\n#27\nHARRY S. U.S. TRUMAN \"NATIONALD LIBRARY\nMAN\nARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY\nFebruary 1, 1946\nHARRY\nSERVICE\"\nHARRY DEXTER WHITE\nU.S.\nThe purpose of this memorandum is to relate all of the information\navailable at this time concerning Harry Dexter White, his activities and con-\ntacts in order that an over-all picture may be available for review, action\nor future reference. This information has been received from numerous con-\nfidential sources whose reliability has been established either by inquiry or\nlong-established observation and evaluation. In no instance is any trans-\naction or events related where the reliability of the source of information is\nquestionable. It is with these factors in mind that the following material is\nset forth.\nORIGINAL CHARGES\nThrough a confidential source, the activities of Harry Dexter White,\npresent Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, first became apparent in the latter\npart of 1942 or the early part of 1943. At that time, this source was in direct\ncontact with Nathan Gregory Silvermaster, his wife, Helen Witte Silvermaster,\nand William Ludwig Ullmann, all of whom for several years have resided at 5515\nThirtieth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. Both Nathan Gregory Silvermaster\nand William Ludwig Ullmann were then and are now, employees of the United States\nTreasury Department. Mrs. Helen Witte Silvermaster is unemployed.\nThrough comments made by Silvermaster, his wife and Ullmann, the\nsource learned that White was supplying them with information consisting of\ndocuments presumably obtained by him in the course of his duties as Assistant\nSecretary of the United States Treasury Department. The source in this regard\nrecalls definitely having seen documents at the Silvermaster residence, which\ndocuments were brought there by Silvermaster or Ullmann, both of whom received\nthe material from White. As concerns the nature of this material supplied\nby White, the source states that it consisted of reports of a varied nature\nconcerning the financial activities of the United States Government, parti-\ncularly if they related to foreign commitments. Also various memoranda and\nreports from other Governmental departments and agencies were made available\nthrough these channels. These documents had usually been reduced to photo-\ngraphs by the time they were observed by the source but on occasions this source\nhad the opportunity of viewing the original documents themselves. Suffice it to\nsay, during the investigation of these charges, it was learned that a complete\nphotographic laboratory exists in the basement of the Silvermaster home suffi-\nciently well equipped for the copying of documents. This includes an enlarger,\ndeveloping equipment and all the necessary chemicals and other incidentals.\nThese documents whether consisting of notes taken therefrom, verbatim\ncopies, developed photographic negatives or undeveloped photographic negatives\nwere delivered through channels to Jacob M. Golos, a known Soviet agent, who\ndied on November 27, 1943, and who was then secretary of World Tourists, Inc.,\na New York corporation chartered June 10, 1927. Jacob M. Golos whose real name\nis Jacob Raisin pleaded guilty to an indictment along with World Tourists, Inc.,\ncharging failure to register as agents of the Soviet Government in March, 1940.\nMAN\nby\nHARRY\nARCHIVES AND LIBRARY\n\"NATIONAL\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\"\nU.S.\nHe received a fine of $500 and a jail sentence of four months to one year which\nwas later changed to probation. The source in this matter states that material\ncollected in this particular parallel of Soviet espionage was all channelled\nthrough Golos to an individual who has been tentatively identified as Dr. Abraham\nBenedict Weinstein, a practicing dentist residing at 28 Fifty-third Street, New\nYork City. Weinstein in turn passed the material to a Russian contact who in\nturn channelled the information to the Soviet diplomatic establishment in this\ncountry. It can logically be presumed after arrival at this destination that\nmaterial of primary interest to the Soviets was forwarded to Moscow, U.S.S.R. via\ndiplomatic code and material concerning which there was no urgency, reached that\ndestination through the Soviet Diplomatic Pouch.\nSubsequent to the death of Golos, the material gathered by the\nSilvermasters and Ulmann originating with White, was traced by this source through\nan unknown individual to Anatole Borosovich Gromov, former First Secretary of\nthe Soviet Embassy, Washington, D. C. Suspicions had previously surrounded the\nactivities of Gromov to the effect that he was the successor to Vassili Zubilin,\nreported head of the NKVD, one of the primary branches of Soviet Intelligence\nin North America. Zubilin returned to Moscow, U.S.S.R. in the late summer of\n1944, and Gromov departed from the United States for Moscow, U.S.S.R. on\nDecember 7, 1945. From all appearances, the position previously held by Gromov\nto whom this material was transmitted prior to his departure, is now held by\nFedor Alexeevich Garanin, an official of the Soviet Embassy, Washington, D. C.\nAfter identifying the channel through which material from the United\nStates Treasury Department passed from White to the Soviet Embassy, Washington,\nD. C., the source commented that it was apparent from conversations overheard\nin the Silvermaster home that White was considered one of the most valuable\nassets in this particular parallel of Soviet Intelligence. This view was taken\nsince in his capacity as Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury,\nthose individuals whom this group was anxious to have assigned there could secure\nemployment. Among individuals in this category are William Ludwig Ullmann,\nWilliam Henry Taylor and Sonya Steinman Gold, who will be discussed in more\nintimate detail hereinafter. The source also reports that White was regarded\nas a valuable adjunct to Soviet espionage because of his close relationship\nwith former Secretary of the United States Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. and\nwas felt to be in a position to secure favorable consideration for the U.S.S.R.\nin financial matters.\nFollowing the death of Jacob M. Golos, known Soviet agent, a discus-\nsion was had between Silvermaster and his immediate superior in Soviet espionage,\nwho has not been identified to date, as to the advisability of introducing White\ndirectly to the Russian contact to whom this unknown intermediary delivered the\nmaterial originating with White. Silvermaster was not in favor of taking this\naction and presumably this meeting was never arranged.\nThe source recalls that sometime in the summer or fall of 1943, the\nSilvermasters believed it desirable to have someone placed as a secretary to\nWhite in order to facilitate the obtaining of information from his office for\n- 2 -\ndelivery to Soviet espionage agents. As a result of these deliberations, Mrs.\nHelen Witte Silvermaster went to one of the Communist functionaries in Washington,\nD. C., and from this source secured the name of Sonia Steinman Gold. Eventually,\nMrs. Gold through arrangements with White, obtained a position as one of the\nsecretaries in the United States Treasury Department. As a result of this em-\nployment, Mrs. Gold obtained documents from White's office, which she copied and\nmade her notes available to Mrs. Helen Witte Silvermaster. The source does not\nrecall specifically but it is recollected the information which Mrs. Gold ob-\ntained concerned principally the Treasury Department's opinions and recom-\nmendations concerning applications for loans made by the Chinese and French\nGovernments. It is also recalled by the source that some of this information\nconcerned political reports regarding General DeGaulle, which found their way\ninto White's office. The exact date of the employment of Mrs. Gold with the\nUnited States Treasury Department is not readily available; however, it is\nsignificant to note that she has been employed for a considerable period as\nsecretary or assistant secretary to White. She was on maternity leave during\nthe fall of 1945 and was expected to return to her employment shortly after\nJanuary 1, 1946.\nThis source also reported the existence of another parallel of Soviet\nIntelligence operating within the United States Government and headed by Victor\nPerlo. The information gathered from the Perlo group was channelled through\nJacob M. Golos and on to the Soviet diplomatic establishment in the same manner\nas outlined for the operation of the Silvermaster group. This is true both\nbefore and subsequent to the death of Golos on November 27, 1943. Victor Perlo\nas late as October, 1945, was a statistician in the War Production Board.\nThe source relates that because of the relationships existing between\nGolos and the Perlo group, another individual, namely, Harold Glasser, appeared\nin the picture. Glasser for a period in 1944, according to the source, was\noutside the United States in some capacity for the United States Treasury Depart-\nment. He returned to the United States probably in the early fall of 1944, and\nthereafter was employed in the United States Treasury Department. It is con-\ntended by the source that Glasser was rather closely associated with White\nand may have served as his assistant. Glasser was able to supply general in-\nformation concerning the activities of the United States Treasury Department,\nparticularly where they concerned proposed loans to foreign countries. He also\nsupplied information originating in the Foreign Economic Administration which\nhad been sent to the United States Treasury Department for action or information.\nThe above summary of information is complete as it concerns the material\nknown to this source regarding White.\nHARRY U.S. TRUMAN GOVERNMENT NATIONAL LIBRARY\n- 3 -\nTRU\nMAN\nHARRY\n\"NATIONAL\nARCHIVES AND\nLIBRARY\nRECORDS\nBACKGROUND OF HARRY DEXTER WHITE\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nHarry Dexter White was born in Boston, Massachusetts, October 29,\n1892. Since 1939 he has resided with his wife, Anne Terry White, and two\ndaughters at 6810 Fairfax Road, Edgemore, Bethesda, Maryland.\nDuring the first World War he served as a First Lieutenant in the\nInfantry of the United States Army and spent some time overseas during his\nservice from April, 1917 to February, 1919. Following his return to the United\nStates he directed the American Expeditionary Force Orphan Asylum for the\nperiod of two years. He attended Stanford University where he obtained a\nBachelor of Arts degree in 1924, and a Master of Arts degree in 1925. He was\nawarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by Harvard University in 1935. His legal\nresidence is in the State of Wisconsin and he served as Professor of Economics\nfor two years at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin. He was also an in-\nstructor in Economics at Harvard University for a period of six years.\nIn June, 1934, Professor Jacob Viner of the University of Chicago\nbrought Mr. White to the United States Treasury Department to make a special\nstudy. He was employed in the Office of the Secretary of the Treasury as an\neconomic analyst from June 20 to October 4, 1934. From October 5 to October 31,\n1934, he served as Chief Economic Expert with the United States Tariff Commission.\nFollowing this, he served as Principal Economic Analyst, Division of Research\nand Statistics, Treasury Department, from November 1, 1934 to October 1, 1936.\nIt is noted that during the year 1935 he was sent to England to\nstudy economic and monetary questions. He became Assistant Director in the\nDivision of Research and Statistics, United States Treasury Department, and\nserved in this capacity from October, 1936 to March 25, 1938, when on the\nlatter date he became Director of Monetary Research and continued in that\nposition until August 5, 1941. He assumed his present position as Assistant\nSecretary of the Treasury, in charge of the Division of Monetary Research on\nAugust 5, 1941.\nAlso in this year he was entrusted with the management of the two-\nbillion-dollar stabilization fund of the United States Treasury. Mr. White\nhas represented the United States Treasury on the Economic Defense Board and\nhe is also a trustee of the Export-Import Bank in Washington, D. C. He is\nalso a member of the Government's Committee for Reciprocity Information, which\nCommittee has been active in connection with reciprocal trade agreements with\nforeign countries. He accompanied (former) Secretary Morgenthau in 1943 on a\ntrip to Italy and North Africa.\nDuring the Bretton Woods Monetary Conference which began July 1, 1944,\nHarry White was the Chief Technical Expert for the United States Government and\ngave to the press daily summary of the Committee meetings. In September, 1944,\nhe was instrumental in drawing up the Morgenthau Plan for treatment of Germany\nfollowing World War II.\nCurrent Biography also states that Harry Dexter White is the man be-\nhind (former) Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau's postwar monetary\n- 4 -\nHARRY U.S. 5. ARCHIVES TRUMAN NATIONAL RECORDS SOVERNMENT AND LIBRARY\nproposals, and he was the chief author of the measures under discussion at the\nUnited Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held at Bretton Woods, New\nHampshire, in July, 1944.\nAccording to Current Biography, Anne Terry White, wife of Harry\nDexter White, is a writer of children's books. They have two children.\nHarry Dexter White has written the following books and articles:\nSome Aspects of the Tariff Question (in conjunction with Frank W. Taussig).\nFrench International Accounts.\nOhlin's Interregional and International Trade (Quarterly Journal of\nEconomics, August, 1934, volume 48, pages 727 to 741).\nThe Monetary Fund (Foreign Affairs, January, 1945, volume 23, pages 195\nto 210).\nCOLLATERAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE PRIOR TO NOVEMBER, 1945\nWhite was the subject of an investigation conducted in 1942, predi-\ncated upon charges by the Special Committee on Un-American Activities of the\nHouse of Representatives, at that time headed by the Honorable Martin Dies.\nIt was charged that White was a member of the Washington Committee for Demo-\ncratic Action, which had been declared a subversive organization by the Attorney\nGeneral, thereby indicating a possible violation of the Hatch Act. Inquiries\ndetermined that White's name did not appear in the active indices of the Washington\nCommittee for Democratic Action; however, it was ascertained the name of Mrs.\nAnne Terry White, his wife, did appear in these indices. After preliminary in-\nquiries with no appreciable results, White himself was interviewed under oath\non March 30, 1942, at which time he denied membership in the Communist Party\nand in the Washington Committee for Democratic Action. He likewise denied\nmembership in any organization which he had reason to believe might be dominated\nby the Communist Party or the policies of which were dictated by any foreign\ngovernment. The great part of the interview was the denunciation on the part\nof White of this type of investigation being conducted on the basis of the\nreports of the Dies Committee. He admitted that his wife had contributed to\nthe League of Women Shoppers and also contributed to the Spanish Relief during\nthe Spanish Civil War. The League of Women Shoppers is allegedly a Communist\nfront organization and the policy of the Communist Party was to give such as-\nsistance in the form of relief and otherwise to the cause of Loyalist Spain\nduring the Spanish Civil War.\nThrough the estranged wife of one of the individuals reportedly serving\nas a source of information for Soviet Intelligence, the names of a number of\npersons reportedly identified as members of the underground Communist group in\nWashington, D. C. were secured. Among other names was that of Abraham George\nSilverman, who was formerly employed by the Railroad Retirement Board and the\nUnited States Army Air Forces and is presently employed by the French Supply\nCouncil of the French Government. As incidental to the mention of Silverman,\n- 5 -\nTRUMAN\n5.\nHARRY\nARCHIVES A NATIONAL LIBRITY\nSERVICE\"\nU.S.\nGOVER\nit was alleged that he worked through close friends who are indebted to him,\nincluding White and others. It is pertinent to note that Silverman was also\nprominently mentioned by the source of information on White as an important\nelement of the Soviet espionage parallel, channelling information through the\nSilvermasters to the Soviet Government. Some of the material which Silverman\ndelivered to the Silvermasters reportedly came from White. Silverman apparently\nwas one of the main collectors of information from various officials in the\nUnited States Government and which in considerable volume, he delivered to the\nSilvermasters for photographing and transmittal to the Russians. This photo-\ngraphic work as stated hereinbefore, was done in the basement of the Silver-\nmasters' home. William Ludwig Ulmann, who maintains mutual residence with\nthe Silvermasters, did the actual work of photographing after training himself\nspecially for this purpose.\nThrough a highly confidential source, it has been learned that White\nhad an appointment with Mikhail Mikhailovich Idashkin of the Soviet Foreign\nTrade Commissariat on July 31, 1945. Through this same source, it was also\nlearned that White made and kept an appointment with Nikolai Fedorovich\nChechulin, deputy head of the Soviet State Bank Directorate, and P. A. Maletin,\ndeputy chief of the Soviet Finance Commissariat, on August 2, 1944. The two\nrepresentatives of the Soviet Government mentioned above, were government\nrepresentatives at the International Monetary Conference at Bretton Woods, New\nHampshire. There was no indication as to the purpose behind the above-mentioned\nappointments; however, with respect to the latter, it is quite possible that\nit involved discussions resulting from the Bretton Woods Monetary Conference\nwhich began on July 1, 1944. White, it will be recalled, was the Chief Technical\nExpert for the United States Government at this Conference.\nOn January 3, 1945, it was learned through a highly confidential\nsource that Andrei Gromyko, then First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy, Washington,\nD. C., was in contact with White at the United States Treasury Department, at\nwhich time he congratulated White. White thanked Gromyko but indicated it was\na little early to accept congratulations since the Senate had to \"confirm it.\"\nGromyko expressed much pleasure concerning the unknown matter under discussion\nand indicated White deserved these congratulations. It is entirely possible\nthat Gromyko in congratulating White was doing so with respect to the approval\nof the House of Representatives of the Bretton Woods agreement.\nIn January, 1945, \"The Federal Record,\" official publication of the\nUnited Federal Workers of America - CIO, reported that Local No. 11, the main\nUnited States Treasury building, had met with White, the new Assistant Secretary,\nto discuss a meeting for staffs of the three research divisions attached to the\nOffice of the Secretary. White agreed that such a meeting should be held and\npromised to speak on the significance of the Bretton Woods agreement. It should\nbe noted that the United Federal Workers of America - CIO is reported to have\nbeen strongly infiltrated by Communist elements and to follow and expedite the\npolicies of the Communist Party whenever possible.\nThrough a highly confidential source, it was learned that Harriet\nBouslog of the CIO Maritime Committee, made an appointment for Louis Goldblatt\nwith White in early 1945. Goldblatt while in Washington, was also to see Silverman\nof the War Department who is believed identical with Abraham George Silverman\n- 6 -\nTRU\nMAN\n5.\nHARRY\nARCHIVES AND LIBRARY\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\"\nU.S.\n0\nmentioned hereinbefore. Louis Goldblatt reportedly is a member of the Special\nBranch of the Communist Party, San Francisco, California, and is Secretary-\nTreasurer of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union of\nAmerica - CIO. This is the Union of which Harry Bridges is the head.\nDuring February, 1945, White served as a member of a delegation to\nthe Pan-American Conference of Foreign Ministers at Mexico City, Mexico. Accord-\ning to press releases, his primary interest in attendance at this Conference\nwas to act as an advisor on the methods of preventing Axis leaders from caching\nfunds in \"safe haven.\nIn July, 1945, a clerical employee of the Passport Division of the\nDepartment of State, who was formerly employed as a clerk by the Soviet Govern-\nment Purchasing Commission, was allegedly purloining certain information from\nthe official records of the Department of State for transmittal to unknown\npersons. This individual had reportedly stated that he knew a man or men who\nwould pay him $1,000 for the information he had collected in the course of his\nemployment. In his application for employment with the Department of State,\nWhite was listed as a reference and recommended him highly. This circumstance\nis being set forth in view of the allegations enumerated hereinbefore to the\neffect that White was considered of extreme value because of his influence\nin securing positions for persons who could be of assistance to Soviet espionage.\nIn October, 1945, it was learned through reliable sources that func-\ntionaries of the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, Inc. were con-\nsidering inviting White to be a speaker at the organization's rally scheduled\nfor November 14, 1945, at Madison Square Garden, New York City. This organiza-\ntion whose objectives are to propagandize the Soviet Union is reliably reported\nby many sources to be completely under Communist control. Its functionaries\nwho are responsible for its policies and the issuing of such invitations include\nknown members of the Communist Party, numerous apologists for the Soviet Union\nand suspected Soviet agents.\nDuring the investigation of Philip Jacob Jaffe, editor of \"Amerasia,\"\nwho was arrested in June, 1945, for the possession of documents taken from\nthe Department of State, it was learned that he had been in frequent contact\nwith Andrew Roth. During one of these contacts, the question was discussed\nas to whether one of their sources in the Treasury Department on Far Eastern\nAffairs would lose his position if Secretary Morgenthau were to be replaced.\nIt was concluded that he would retain his position on the basis of his own\nmerits and then a veiled reference was made to White who was described as\n\"pretty widely respected.\" Jaffe's counter-remark to this was, \"Yes, but he\nis pretty radical,\" leaving the innuendo that with the change in Secretaries\nof the Treasury, White might not remain in his position.\nOn another occasion while in contact with Roth and discussing various\npossible contacts for Jaffe for information from Government sources, Roth referred\nto David Carr, who works with Drew Pearson, as obtaining considerable informa-\ntion on Far Eastern Affairs that other individuals did not get because of his\nUnited States Treasury connections. Roth stated that Carr was seeing White\nonce a week and spending considerable time with him.\n- 7 -\nSubsequent to the receipt of the information above, White was inter-\nviewed with respect to persons apprehended along with Jaffe for the receipt\nof official documents of the Department of State. He stated that he did not\nrecall any instances where there had been leaks of information in the Treasury\nDepartment or where documents had been taken or material given to unauthorized\nindividuals. He denied being acquainted with Jaffe but indicated that numerous\npersons have visited him since he has been working in the Treasury Department\nand it is possible that he had met Jaffe but he does not recall this meeting.\nHe denied knowing any other principals in the Jaffe case but stated that the\nname of John Service, an employee of the Department of State indicted in this\ncase, was familiar to him and he believes that Service's name was mentioned\nto him by Irving S. Friedman. Friedman is in fact the individual that Roth\nand Jaffe were discussing above as to whether he would lose his position in\nthe Treasury Department in the event of the resignation of Secretary Morgenthau.\nWhite stated further during this interview that Friedman was an\nemployee in the Treasury Department handling matters dealing with monetary\naffairs in the Far East. He indicated that he himself had brought Friedman\nto the Treasury Department approximately five or six years previously at which\ntime Friedman was working either for the British or the Italian Government on\naffairs in India. He contended that he had no reason whatsoever to question\nthe integrity of Friedman. White pointed out that because of the nature of\nFriedman's work he must necessarily know a number of persons in the field of\nFar Eastern Affairs because that field in the number of informed persons is\nlimited. Further, White stated that Friedman had authority to take papers\nwith him to his home at night the same as other officials in the Treasury\nDepartment. It is to be noted that Friedman admitted being acquainted with\nJaffe. He wrote an article for \"Amerasia,\" of which he knew Jaffe to be editor,\nbut declined writing similar articles after employment by the Treasury Department.\nFriedman also admitted acquaintanceship with Service, Roth and other individuals\ninvolved in the Jaffe case.\nDuring the investigation of the Jaffe case, it was developed that\nthe principals therein were reported on numerous occasions to be sympathetic\nwith the Soviet policy as it concerns China. \"ith this in view, documents\nconcerning the foreign policy of this Government relating to China were those\nprimarily desired by Jaffe for guidance in the articles appearing in his pub-\nlication, which itself followed the Communist Party line.\nHARRY U.S. GOVERNMENT NATIONAL LIBRERY\n- 8 -\nHARRY U.S. 5' ARCHIVES \"NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND LIBRARY\nRESULTS OF INVESTIGATION SINCE NOVEMBER, 1945\nInvestigation of White since November, 1945, has been conducted\nwith the primary objective of proving or disproving the original charges\nenumerated hereinbefore. It should be realized that to prove these charges\nat this time when they relate to activities occurring in 1942 and 1943 is\npractically impossible. Certain conclusions, however, may be made possible\nby establishing that White is in fact acquainted with the Silvermasters,\nUllmannand other individuals who, according to the source of this informa-\ntion, were serving a parallel of Soviet espionage assiduously during this\nperiod. Weight may also possibly be given to the establishment of facts\nconcerning situations prevailing at the present time, such as the presence\nof a photographic laboratory existing in the basement of the Silvermaster\nhome. It will be noted hereinafter there appears to be a close inter-\nrelationship between White and the other individuals mentioned prominently\nas active in furthering interests of Russia. An attempt will be made not\nonly to cover the activities of White directly with others named by the\nprimary source of information in this matter, but to also show that White\nhas other contacts which would tend to establish a pattern not in disagree-\nment with the charges at hand.\nThrough investigation it has been learned that on November 22,\n1945, the automobile of Frances L. Edelstein, 3623 Jennifer Street, N. W.,\nWashington, D. C., the wife of Harry M. Edelstein, an Assistant Solicitor\nof the Interior Department, delivered individuals, presumed to be the\nEdelsteins, to the home of White. Information was previously available that\nEdelstein at one time was interested in Commonwealth College in the State of\nArkansas, an institution which on many occasions has been criticized for its\npropagation of Communist ideals. Edelstein is also listed in the active\nindices of the cooperative \"Keep Out of War Congress\" and the Capital City\nForum, organizations reported by numerous sources to be under Communist\ndomination and influence. The name of Mrs. Harry M. Edelstein appeared on a\nlist of names of the Washington Committee For Democratic Action, an organiza-\ntion which was later declared subversive by the Attorney General under the\nprovisions of the Hatch Act.\nOn November 24, 1945, Colonel Bernard Bernstein, 3003 Albermarle\nStreet, N. W., Washington, D. C., visited at White's residence for some\nperiod of time. On November 26 and 27, 1945, White proceeded to the home\nof Colonel Bernstein, 407 Battery Lane, Bethesda, Maryland, where he\npresumably spent a good portion of both evenings. It will be noted that\nLieutenant Colonel Bernstein, prior to the war, was Assistant General Counsel\nof the United States Treasury Department. He has been employed by this\n- 9 -\nMAN\nHARRY U.S. ARCHIVES TRU NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND LIBRETTY\nDepartment since December, 1933, and on January 27, 1943, was detailed to\nthe War Department where he received a commission of Lieutenant Colonel in\nthe United States Army. Other contacts between Lieutenant Colonel Bernstein\nand White will be discussed hereinafter.\nOn November 28, 1945, White, during the evening, visited the\nresidence of Drew Pearson, the well-known columnist, at 2820 Dumbarton Avenue,\nWashington, D. C. He spent the evening at this address and departed in the\ncompany of several individuals who were guests for the evening.\nIn early December, 1945, White proceeded to New York City for the\npurpose of having certain dental work done and to make certain contacts. It\nwas reported by a highly confidential source that on December 6, 1945, White\nwas in contact with his wife from New York City, at which time he advised he\nwas staying with Dr. Abraham Wolfson of Newark, New Jersey. It is known that\nwhile visiting the Wolfson family White took this opportunity to view certain\nreal property in New Jersey with a view to its purchase. After his return to\nWashington, White is known to have stated on one occasion that one of his\npurposes in traveling to New York was to see a number of reporters.\nLater in the investigation, it was learned that Dr. Abraham Wolfson\nwas in Washington, D. C., on December 29, 1945, and that he is a divorced\nbrother-in-law of Mrs. Harry Dexter White. Information was avai lable prior\nto the present inquiries that Dr. Abraham Wolfson, 31 Lincoln Park, Newark,\nNew Jersey, was listed as a member of the Washington Committee For Democratic\nAction in 1940. Dr. Wolfson was born on April 24, 1894, at Odessa, Russia,\nand is by profession a dentist, practicing at Medical Towers, 31 Lincoln Park,\nNewark, New Jersey. He has been a practicing dentist for many years.\nDr. Wolfson, in May, 1934, was divorced by his wife, Mrs. Ruth Terry\nWolfson, 33 Washington Street, East Orange, New Jersey, an instructor in the\nTeachers College, Columbia University, New York City. Dr. Wolfson secured\nhis American citizenship through derivation as a consequence of his father's\nnaturalization during his minority. He has been reported by numerous sources\nas having had frequent and close contact with numerous Communists in the State\nof New Jersey.\nIn early 1944, a highly confidential source advised that Dr. Wolfson\nwas as of that time a member of the Third Ward Branch of the Communist Party,\nand that he had been active in Communist Party activities for the preceding\nseven years under the name A. Wilson Street. Further reports allege that Dr.\nWolfson has held Communist Party meetings at his office, and that he has con-\ntributed financially to the Party and to various Communist front organizations\nwhich he is well able to do with his declared earnings of $21,000 per annum.\n- 10 -\nMAN\nNATIONAL\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\"\nOn December 13, 1945, it was learned through a highly confidential\nsource that Nancy Strauss of the League of Women Shoppers was in contact\nwith Mrs. Anne Terry White at which time she requested the latter to write\na protest to Lansburgh's Department Store concerning their refusal to serve\ncolored people at the lunch counter after the end of the war after having\nserved them during the war. Mrs. White agreed that she would write this\nprotest. It will be recalled that previously herein White admitted that his\nwife had contributed to the League of Women Shoppers. Further information\nis available that the name of Mrs. Anne White appears on an official list of\nthe Washington League of Women Shoppers, an organization alleged to be a\nCommunist front.\nNumerous contacts on the part of White during early December were\nnoted between White and Lee Pressman, 4619 Norwood Drive, Bethesda, Maryland,\nGeneral Counsel for the National Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO),\nand Colonel Bernard Bernstein mentioned hereinbefore. Subsequent investiga-\ntion revealed that White and Pressman alternate in taking each other to work\nin their personally owned automobiles, their places of employment being in\nnear proximity to each other.\nOn December 12, 1945, White accompanied an individual to the\nvicinity of 3210 P Street, N.W., which is the residence of Alger Hiss. Alger\nHiss, for some time, has held a high position with the Department of State\nand was Secretary General to the United Nations Conference on International\nOrganizations held in San Francisco, California, in 1945. He recently attended\nthe UNO Conference in London, England, and he still holds his position with the\nDepartment of State.\nReference is made to the Perlo group mentioned under the original\ncharges set out hereinbefore. The same confidential source reported Hiss as\nworking for a parallel of Soviet espionage, the details of which she could not\nfurnish. However, it was pointed out that Harold Glasser, who had formerly\nsubmitted his information through Perlo to Jacob M. Golos and his successors,\nlater worked under the guidance of Hiss, who subsequently placed Glasser and\nothers working under his supervision in direct contact with the Russians. As\nthe matter was related, Hiss appeared to be a very influential element in the\nSoviet espionage network operating from within the United States Government.\nOn December 14, 1945, it was learned the Whites invited Nathan Gregory\nSilvermaster and his wife to their residence on that evening. The Silvermasters\nagain visited the residence of White for the evening on December 23, 1945.\n- 11 -\nMAN\nHARRY U.S. 5. ARCHIVES TRU \"NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND LIBRARY\nOn December 15, 1945, White and his wife visited at the home of\nMaurice Halperin at 9956 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. Halperin\nis an employee of the Office of Strategic Services assigned to the Library\nof Congress since October 2, 1941. As of January, 1945, Halperin was the\nhead of the Latin-American Division in the Research and Analysis Section of\nthe Office of Strategic Services, which Section has now been transferred to\nthe Department of State. According to the confidențial source making the\noriginal charges set out hereinbefore, Halperin was formerly a professor of\nRomance Languages at Oklahoma University. He was a member of the Communist\nParty, according to this source, during his stay in Oklahoma and on arrival\nin Washington, D. C., made contacts to re-establish himself with the Communists.\nIn the latter part of 1942, he was placed in direct relationship with a Soviet\nespionage courier who secured from him information which was passed through\nJacob M. Golos and his successors to the Soviet Government.\nOn December 14, 1945, it was learned through a highly confidential\nsource that Mrs. Helen Witte Silvermaster was in contact with Mrs. White on\na purely personal matter. On December 15, 1945, Nathan Gregory Silvermaster\nwas also in contact with Mrs. White, at which time the former learned that\nWhite was ill. The purpose of the relationships existing between the Whites\nand the Silvermasters enumerated hereinbefore definitely proves a close af-\nfiliation and establishes that part of the allegations made hereinbefore con-\ncerning the acquaintanceship between these two families.\n- 12 -\nRUMAN\nARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY\nU.S.\nGOVERNIENT\nAs early as December 6, 1945, the name of Frank Coe, Assistant\nAdministrator of the Foreign Economic Administration, became apparent in\nthis investigation. At that time White referred his wife to Coe to secure\ncertain personal information incidental to his position. It is known also\nthat White on at least one occasion stopped by the home of Virginius Frank\nCoe, 2700 36th Street on his way to work and picked up individuals at that\naddress.\nIt has been determined that Coe resided in Toronto, Canada, from\n1934 to 1939. Exact details of his employment since the latter date have\nnot yet been revealed by inquiries.\nOn December 15, 1945, White and his wife visited the home of\nMaurice Halperin at which time Frank Coe and his wife were also guests.\nInformation has recently been developed from the source responsible\nfor the original charges herein that Frank Coe was also one of the minor\nindividuals who was supplying information to the Silvermasters and thence\nthrough channels to the Soviet Government. The reports which Coe made came\nto the Silvermasters in Washington, D. C., by letter, since during the\npertinent period that is up to the fall of 1944 Coe was in Latin America.\nIt was the opinion of this source that Coe also sent information to Harry\nWhite and gave White material while he, Coe, was in the United States which\neventually found its way to the Silvermasters. The nature of the material\nmade available through Coe is not known but he was considered a minor figure.\nIn view of Coe's employment with the Foreign Economic Administration, it may\nwell be that he was with that organization in Latin America and necessarily\nhad to make his reports by mail either through White or direct to the Silver-\nmasters.\nMention was made hereinbefore of contacts between White and Lee Press-\nman, General Counsel, CIO, Washington, D. C. At the outset it should be\nnoted that Pressman has held his position since 1935. He attended Cornell\nUniversity and Harvard University Law School, graduating from both institutions.\nFrom 1929 to 1933 he was employed as an attorney in New York City and entered\nupon employment with the Federal Government in 1933. He remained with the\nUnited States Government for a considerable period. Pressman, according to\nconfidential sources, was listed in the active indices of the National Federa-\ntion for Constitutional Liberties and on the mailing list of the Washington\nBook Shop. His wife, Sophia Pressman, according to these same sources, was\nlisted in the active indices of the Washington Committee for Democratic\nAction, the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties, the American\nPeace Mobilization and was serving as Vice Chairman of the American League for\nPeace and Democracy when it disbanded in 1940. All of the above-mentioned\norganizations have been reported from substantial sources as being under\nstrong dominance of the Communist Party.\n- 13 -\nHARRY U TRUMAN DOVERNMENT NATIONAL LIBRARY\nThrough a highly confidential source it was learned in September,\n1941, that when Jack Kling came into the Communist Party in Chicago, Illinois,\nto receive instructions for his assignment to a new job in the Party, he\nreceived several letters from local officials for delivery to Communist Party\nofficials in New York, one of which was addressed to Lee Pressman of the CIO.\nAt or about this same time it was also learned from a confidential source\nthat Lee Pressman had sponsored a number of workers of the Anaconda Copper\nCompany, Butte, Montana, for membership in the Communist Party.\nFrom a previous Communist Party member of some prominence who\nceased his activities in 1937, information was received concerning organiza-\ntions of the Communist Party in the United States Government, Washington,\nD. C. This organization was organized as an underground group and headed\nby Harold Ware who established underground headquarters in Washington. This\nsource states definitely that one of the converts of this group was Lee\nPressman, then employed in the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and who\nlater went with the CIO on direct advice of the Communist Party inasmuch as\nit was considered important for him to be John L. Lewis' right-hand man.\nIt was further ascertained that Pressman on December 14, 1939, was\nat the Cook County, Communist Party Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois, waiting\nto see Morris Child, a well-known Communist Party functionary. On January 5,\n1940, Pressman attended a meeting of the Illinois Communist functionaries\nat Communist Party Headquarters.\nOn March 22, 1944, through a confidential source it was determined\nthat Pressman conferred with Roy Hudson, National Committee member of the\nCommunist Party, in the latter's private room several times during the\nNational CIO Convention held in Philadelphia in November, 1943. From another\nsource in corroboration of this statement it was reported that Pressman\nis a member of the Communist Party and he received instructions at the CIO\nconvention in Philadelphia from Roy Hudson and followed these instructions\nimplicitly.\nMost recent investigation of White reflects that he attempted to\nget in contact with Pressman on December 29, 1945. On the following day\nWhite did, in fact, contact Pressman at which time Pressman was asked whether\nthe response had been favorable. The latter indicated in the affirmative\nbut something apparently had gone wrong in White's direction since Snyder\nhad been in contact with Philip Murray, President of the CIO, and wanted to\nsee him Monday. Pressman promised to contact White concerning this whole\naffair and White invited Pressman and his wife to come to his home that\nevening.\nOn December 31, 1945, White again contacted Pressman at which time\nthe latter stated that Snyder had been in contact with Murray that same day\nand had agreed to go ahead with the appointment of the panel. To White's\n- 14 -\nMAN\nHARRY\nARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nquestion as to whether this was good or bad, Pressman stated that it meant\nthat all efforts at mediation or collective bargaining were stopped. White\ncommented that the recommendation apparently had no effect to which Pressman\nassented because it meant that the parties concerned appeared before a panel,\nstarted calling each other names, raised the whole business of ability to pay\nand would create the same impression as efforts in connection with General\nMotors. Pressman then referred to calling on Secretary of Labor Lewis B.\nSchwellenbach that same day at the Naval Hospital where he was undergoing\ntreatment. Pressman indicated that Schwellenbach tried to find out from\nhim exactly what was going on. White was amused by this and Pressman then\nadded that Schwellenbach knows absolutely nothing. Pressman then continued\nthat he had told Schwellenbach the whole story concerning Snyder's call and\nthe latter indicated that he was going to contact the President and determine\nif he could have them (apparently labor and industry) hold further action\nuntil he, Schwellenbach, got back to see the President.\nReference was then made to an announcement which might be issued\nthe following day which, if it did not appear, was because Schwellenbach had\nheld the matter up. White, during thiswhole conference, appeared to be very\ninterested in the activities behind the scene concerning negotiations between\nthe CIO and strikes then pending and further from the comments made by Pressman,\nwas obviously in the confidence of the latter.\nOn January 2, 1946, Pressman informed White that he had received\ninformation that the President was calling a conference for the next day which\nwas to include Bowles, Henry W. Wallace, Secretary of Commerce and Snyder on\nthe whole situation and the steel industry in particular. Pressman indicated\nthat he wished there was some way of making Wallace make a real fight for\nthe first time in his life on what had to be done on the situation; further\nthe whole affair seemed to be deteriorating so fast that fact finding was a\nfarce. He continued that the whole strike issue had to be settled with a\nsubstantial increase. White inquired as to the time of the prospective\nmeeting which Pressman apparently did not know at that moment. White further\ninquired of Pressman as to what he had to suggest and the latter indicated that\nWhite knew Wallace better and consequently was in the position to answer his\nown question. Pressman urged that White should try to see Secretary Wallace\nthe next day and point out to him the bad condition of the whole situation\nand indicate that it was connected with the meatpacking problem which in turn\nis related to the whole farm bloc. Pressman was apparently very much concerned\nthat the strike situation was getting out of hand.\nWhite endeavored to secure from Pressman the subjects for discussion\nthe following day. The latter did not know specifically but was of the belief\nthat some pressure would be put on Bowles to do something for the steel\nindustry. Pressman indicated that what should be done is this: if the strike\nruns its course the way it has been outlined, it will be perfectly meaningless\n- 15 -\nS\nHARRY\nARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY\nTRUMAN\nSERVICE\"\nbecause the steel industry will get a small price increase. To get action the\nadministration should call in the top officials and set a deadline for final\nsettlement, taking a strong stand that this settlement should come before\nJanuary 14. He then pointed out that if the steel industry could be cracked\nby labor, labor would then be able to run the gamut of cracking every other\nindustry. White inquired of Pressman as to whether it was permissible for him\nto mention that he had heard anything concerning this matter. Pressman\nstated this was permissible since it had come through a third party through\nthe Office of Price Administration. This apparently had reference to the\nprospective price raise on steel.\nConsiderable attention was given during this contact to the possibility\nof securing a wage increase for the steel industry without a price increase.\nPressman pointed out to White that the steel industry would have to have a\nprice increase and that it would not necessarily follow that all other\nindustries would have to have a price increase also. Pressman was most adamant\nthat it was possible to have a price increase on steel without affecting the\nautomobile industry and other industries since the price of steel has been\nfrozen since 1937, while other steel consuming industries have their price\nfrozen as of 1942. White concluded by stating that he would perhaps try\nto see Wallace the next morning. Pressman then advised White that he would\narrive, presumably in Washington, the next morning and White inquired as to\nwhether he was apt to be effective in his program. Pressman was not optimistic\nunless Wallace called him and added that he thought Wallace would be free to\ntalk with Philip Murray then and go to the White House later.\nThe question was then raised by White as to whether the situation\nwould not in fact mean that a committment, presumably from OPA, should be\nsecured on the price raise on steel without similar action in other industries\nbefore settling the strike. Pressman pointed out that it would have to be\na simultaneous affair, that is the settlement of the strike in return for the\nGovernment's concession to raise the price of steel. White indicated that\nif President Truman was going to authorize an increase in the price of steel\nit doesn't seem reasonable that this would be done without having the union's\ndemands acceded to for a raise in wages. Pressman continued that the President\nwas under pressure from industry and was trying appeasement and further that\nthe amount of the wage increase must be determined as satisfactory to the\nunions since the price increase will have to be made incident thereto, otherwise\nthe administration will find itself with a strike still on its hands. White\ninquired as to how they would find out the solution and Pressman added only\nby dealing directly with Philip Murray. He made the gratuitous comment that\nhe had never known of an impasse of this description - where everything was\ngoing to the dogs and the White House had not even talked with other heads\nof the labor unions - not only that, but his assistants, neither Steelman\nnor Snyder, had been in contact with the unions.\n- 16 -\nArrangements were made that Pressman would ride to work the following\nmorning with White. It was not apparent during the above contact as to why\nPressman was discussing this whole situation on an intimate level with White,\nAssistant Secretary of the United States Treasury.\nThere have been several other contacts between Pressman and White\nbut none of particular significance with the possible exception that Pressman\ncontacted White on January 29, 1946, and asked him whether he was aware of\nthe fact that his superior, presumably the Secretary of the Treasury, had\nseen Fairless, presumably head of United States Steel, the day previous.\nWhite indicated that this was not known to him and commented \"You may find\nout during the day what happened, if anything.\" White answered in the\naffirmative but was noncommittal concerning the supplying of the results\nof this conference to Pressman.\n- 17 -\nHARRY\nARCHIVES \"NATIONAL AND\nBRARY\nRECORDS\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nWith further reference to Colonel Bernard Bernstein, it was developed\nthat he was in contact with White on December 17, 1945. Colonel Bernstein\nindicated that he was interested in getting all of the Nazi property away from\nthe Nazis and selling it to desirable people in Germany. To White's question\nas to what would be done with the cash, Bernstein indicated that it would be\nheld under the control of the United States Treasury - the main thing was to\nremove from the Nazis the control of property in Germany. Bernstein also\nindicated he was being released from the Army soon, and there was a vague\ndiscussion of a position which he had under consideration with the conclusion\nthat he, Bernstein, would be better off in the Treasury at $10,000 a year.\nIt was also obvious that White was going to take up the question of Bernstein's\nstatus with the Secretary of the Treasury. White again was in contact with\nBernstein on December 18, 1945. The latter told White that Donald Hiss, who\nis the brother of Alger Hiss mentioned hereinbefore, had contacted him and\nadvised the Polish Government was still looking for an adviser. He stated\nthat Ludwig Rajchman of the Polish Mission had been in to see him. Bernstein\nwas interested in the caliber of the individual desired by Rajchman. White\nindicated that Rajchman needed an individual to do the kind of things\nBernstein could do for him and the kind of things that George Silverman was\ndoing for the French. Bernstein was desirous of advice as to which crowd\nRajchman represented and White indicated \"the crowd that is in.\" White con-\ntinued by stating that the Polish Ambassador needed three men - a fellow\nlike Bernstein in many ways could be used and a fellow like Silverman to get\nthe Economic and Purchasing Commission in order. White did not know how\nmuch money the Polish Government had to spend and added that he had to see\nRajchman in the near future. White also wanted advice as to what the next\nmove by Hiss would be, but Bernstein either could not or would not advise\non this question.\nBernstein apparently was not interested in the Polish proposition\non a full time basis, to which White agreed, saying that if the Poles wanted\naid they would have to pay fully because they have a very difficult job.\nDiscussion was then had as to how White and Bernstein could use this pro-\nposition to fit in with their other plans and White stated that he would have\na definite suggestion along that line the next day.\nVarious details of the establishment of an office, presumably for\nBernstein, were mentioned and White indicated that they, meaning himself and\nBernstein, had to have an office anyway because of discussions White was\nhaving with Secretary of the Navy Forrestal the following day and that one\ncould not talk without an office. Bernstein indicated that he had received\na call previously from Governor Lehman of UNRRA and the Honorable Robert H.\nJackson, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States now on\nassignment in Germany, and he asked White if they could possibly be interested,\npresumably in him, on a part-time basis. White answered in the negative.\nWhite indicated, however, that Bernstein should see Former Governor Lehman\nand see what he had to offer. White, in conclusion, related that he was\ngoing to talk to Secretary of the Treasury Vinson very straight; that he had\nnothing to lose; he was entitled to it (this may relate to his appointment\nas a delegate on the International Monetary Fund under the Bretton Wood\nAgreement) and would see what Vinson had to say.\n- 18 -\nOn January 1, 1946, Colonel Bernstein again was in contact with\nWhite, at which time reference was made to a commendatory statement which\nhad appeared in the newspaper column of Drew Pearson that morning.\nBernstein indicated that he had been in contact with an individual believed\nto be Congressman Andrew J. Biemiller to get the tempo of those up on the\nHill. Bernstein commented that it seemed to him that it (unidentified) was\nconcrete enough up there where they are working sufficiently well towards\ncrystallizing support on the liberal fight. He made reference to they\n(apparently Congress) being worried about what was going to happen in 1946\nand added that Congressmen like Biemiller would worry whether the CIO\nPolitical Action Committee and organizations of that type are going to give\nthem support.\nOn January 13, 1946, Bernstein was in contact with Mrs. White\nduring White's absence in New York City. He inquired whether White had\nheard anything definite about his new job from the Secretary of the Treasury.\nMrs. White answered in the negative.\nWhite is known to be in contact with David Karr, an employee of\nDrew Pearson, newspaper columnist, and specifically contacted him on\nJanuary 1, 1946, expressing appreciation for the salute which had been paid\nto him in Drew Pearson's column that morning. It will be recalled that\nKarr's name was mentioned previously hereinbefore as an individual who was\nin frequent contact with White. Karr was formerly employed with the\nDaily Worker, a Communist Party publication, and later with Transradio\nPress and the Office of War Information. Karr also worked for a considerable\nperiod for \"The Hour\", published by Albert Eugene Kahn who is known to have\nhad direct relationships with the Communist Party. Besides writing articles\nfor the Daily Worker, at least on one occasion in March, 1939, he was the\nauthor of an article appearing in the publication \"Fight\" distributed by the\nExecutive Committee of the American League for Peace and Democracy, a reported\nCommunist front organization. The exact length of his service with\nDrew Pearson is not known.\nAs an example of the tenor of the attitude prevailing in the White\nhome, the following comments by one of his daughters to a friend may be of\ninterest. In a discussion of their aims and likes, Miss White stated that\na large portion of their \"friends\" called close friends believe in the same\npolitical ideas - the same as their family. Further, that all of the family\nhad been engaged in politics and so the friends they have in the house are the\nones they can speak freely with and not just say, \"What lovely weather we are\nhaving.\" Continuing, Miss White stated the belief that when one is an adult,\nhe must stick with his convictions that she thinks her parents have arrived\nat a correct understanding of political and religious beliefs and other basic\nthings.\nMAN\nHARRY U.S. ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE LIBRERY\n- 19 -\nHARRY U.S. TRUMAN NATIONAL LIBRARY\nPRIMARY CONTACTS AND COLLABORATORS\nAs will be seen in the results of investigation since November,\n1945, set out hereinbefore, considerable information is set forth con-\ncerning the persons with whom White has been in contact. In those in-\nstances where his contacts are not in substantiation of the original\ncharges set forther hereinbefore, a brief statement was made concerning\nthe identity of the individual involved. However, in those instances\nwhere White has been in contact with persons directly related to the\noriginal charges, very little, if any, further identi fication was made\nincidental to the summary of the investigation. It was thought more de-\nsirable to treat of these persons separately.\nNathan Gregory Silvermaster and Helen Witte Silvermaster, his wife.\nThe confidential source supplying the original charges set out\nhereinbefore has advised that in August, 1941, Jacob N. Golos made arrange-\nments for a courier to collect information from the Silvermasters for\ndelivery to him and thence to the Soviet Government. It became increasingly\nmore obvious that although the fiction was first used that this material was\ngoing to Earl Browder, that both the Silvermasters and Ullmannwere aware of\nits ultimate destination, namely, the Soviet Government. Silvermaster was\nat that time employed in the Farm Security Administration of the United States\nDepartment of Agriculture. His wife was unemployed, and William Ludwig\nUllmannwas employed in the Treasury Department.\nPrevious to these arrangements for a courier between the Silvermasters\nand Golos, it was quite obvious that Golos himself had collected the material\nbeing gathered. It was through the Silvermasters that Ullmamwas successful,\nwith the aid of White, in securing his position in the United States Treasury\nDepartment.\nSilvermaster, according to the informant, is of Russian-Jewish\nextraction, born in the Ukraine. His early life was spent in China where he\nremained until he was about twenty years of age when he migrated to the\nUnited States. He attended a university in the State of California and\nlater taught in an educational institution in that state. The informant\nreports that during the longshoremens' strike on the West Coast in 1934,\nwhen Earl Browder, former Chairman of the Communist Party, USA, was being\nsought by vigilantes, he was hidden in the Silvermaster home. Previous\nacquaintance of Silvermaster with Browder up to that time is not known.\nSilvermaster first came to Washington, D. C., in about 1935, whereupon he\nsecured employment with the United States Department of Agriculture. In\n1942, he went to the Board of Economic Warfare; in 1944, the United States\nTreasury Department where he now holds the position of Chief of the Division\nof Economic Analysis, War Assets Board. This source definitely states\nthat Silvermaster's position in the Treasury Department was secured for him\nby White.\n20 I I\nHARRY U.S. 5. ARCHIVES \"NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS MAN AND LIBRARY\nMrs. Silvermaster was also born in Russia and spent her younger\nyears in China, where she had a son by a previous marriage. She was\nsubsequently divorced in this country, whereupon she married her present\nhusband.\nPrior to the establishment of the courier system, when Golos was\ncollecting the information in Washington himself, the source states the\nmaterial was delivered to an individual tentatively identified as Gaik\nOvakimian, a known Soviet agent who was allowed to depart from this country\nafter having been indicted as an unregistered agent of the Soviet Government.\nVerbal instructions were delivered to the Silvermasters and Ullmannby the\ncourier which received the information gathered by them. By the fall of\n1942, original documents were being received by Ullmannand the Silvermasters\nsecured from Government files to which they had access. It was at this time\nthat Ullmann provided himself with a 35 milimeter camera and became proficient\nin document photography. Many other details and contacts were reported\nconcerning the Silvermasters; however, they had no direct relationship to\nWhite other than to establish the conclusion that this particular parallel\nof Soviet espionage had a wide coverage.\nIn substantiation of the above statements made by the confidential\nsource, it will be noted that Silvermaster was born in Odessa, Russia, on\nNovember 27, 1898. He was naturalized as a United States citizen at\nSan Francisco, California, in 1926. He attended the University of Washington,\nSeattle, Washington; Stanford University, Santa Clara, California, and the\nUniversity of California, Berkeley, California. It was further determined\nthat in general the life history of Silvermaster as related by the original\nsource is substantially accurate. Silvermaster has been reported as a\nmember of the American League for Peace and Democracy and the Washington\nCommittee for Democratic Action, both of which were declared subversive\norganizations under the provisions of the Hatch Act by the Attorney General.\nThere are references to Silvermaster as early as 1922 as a young Communist\nof the University District in Seattle, Washington. In the interim between\nthen and 1935 when he entered upon Government employment, there are some\nother references to alleged radical activities and particularly allegations\nthat he associated with known Communists. One report states that in 1935,\nSilvermaster contacted Sam Darcy, Head of the Communist Party in California,\nand because of his associations it was concluded that he was an active\nradical. Silvermaster has a long record of reported associations with known\nCommunists. He has been described as a protege of Professor Robert Alexander\nBrady, head Social Economist of the Office of Price Administration and a\nreported member of the Communist Party from 1932 to 1937. Further, Silvermaster\nis known to be acquainted with individuals other than those named herein\nwho are strongly suspected of Soviet espionage.\nMrs. Silvermaster was born in White Russia andafter the Russian\nRevolution went to China where she married. After proceeding to the United\nStates, exact date not known, she divorced her first husband and married\nSilvermaster in 1928 or 1929. There is little information concerning her\nbackground; however, this much does substantiate what the original source\n- 21 -\nhad to say in this regard. Helen Silvermaster was one of the leaders in\nthe Washington Book Shop, the American League for Peace and Democracy,\nthe Washington Committee for Aid to China, and probably the National\nFederation for Constitutional Liberties, according to the confidential\nsource. At the same time the source indicated that her husband repre-\nsented the OGPU (now the NKVD) in the United States. All of these\norganizations cited have been reported on numerous occasions by a con-\nsiderable number of people to be Communist dominated and controlled. She\nwas also listed in the indices of the United American Spanish Aid Committee,\nLeague of Womens Shoppers, and known to have attended functions of the\nWomens Committee with the Friends of Spanish Democracy, all allegedly\nCommunist front groups.\nWilliam Ludwig Ullmann\nWilliam Ludwig Ullmann, according to the original source, and\nas has been related hereinbefore, lives at the residence of the Silvermasters.\nHe participated very closely with the Silvermasters in gathering material\nwhich passed through Jacob N. Golos to the Soviet Government. According to\nthe source, Ullmann originally came from a wealthy family in Missouri. He\nlater resided in New York City and finally procured a clerical position\nin a Government agency in Washington, D. C. After making the acquaintance\nof the Silvermaster family, who recognized his potentialities, they facilitated\nhis obtaining a job in the United States Treasury Department. Besides the\ngathering of information, he did much of the photographing and processing of\nthe material precedent to delivery to the courier which brought it into the\nhands of Golos. In the fall of 1942, the source states that Ullmann's in-\nduction into the United States Army became imminent and there was considerable\ndiscussion on the part of Silvermaster and Ullmann as to which branch of\nthe service would seem most advantageous. The Navy and the Marine Corps were\ndismissed since they concluded both branches were anti-Semitic. Realizing\nthat Ullmann could not meet the physical requirements directly, it was de-\ncided that he should wait until he was drafted and attempt to be assigned\nto the Air Corps. This in fact was done, according to the informent, and\nUllmann entered the Army as a private. Subsequently, he was promoted to a\nnon-commissioned officer and later recommended for the Officer Candidate\nSchool. He was accepted and received his commission. Silvermaster was most\nanxious for Ullmann to be assigned to the Pentagon Building, and it was through\nAbraham George Silverman that this assignment was actually effected.\nSilverman during this period was a civilian employee of the War Department\nassigned to the United States Army Air Forces and stationed in the Pentagon\nBuilding. Both he and Ullmann made available voluminous material from records\nwhich came into their possession as a result of their employment.\nBy investigation, it was determined that Ullmann was born on\nAugust 14, 1908, at Springfield, Missouri. He attended elementary school\nin that state; received his college education from Phillips Exeter Academy,\nExeter, New Hampshire, and Harvard University. He resided in New York in\n1934 and 1935. The latter year, however, he came to Washington, D. C., and\nsecured his first position with the United States Government with\nHARRY\nARCHIVES \"NATIONAL AND LIBRARY\nRECORDS\n- 22 -\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nNRA Consumers Advisory Board at a salary of $2,000 e year. It was also\nlearned through the Local Draft Board where Ullmamregistered under\nSelective Service that he received a communication dated November 9, 1940,\nover the signature of Harry Dexter White, Director of Monetary Research of\nthe United States Treasury Department, requesting the deferment of Ullmann.\nUllmannfinally entered upon service with the United States Army on April\n16, 1943, and was separated from the Army on October 14, 1945, with the\nrank of Major in the Army Air Forces. He was assigned to the Pentagon\nBuilding, Room #4-E120. On return to civilian life, Ullmannagain entered\nupon his employment with the United States Treasury Department. It is\ninteresting to note that Ullmamis assigned to the Monetary Research Division\nof the United States Treasury Department, that Division being headed by White.\nSchlomer Adler\nSchlomer Adler, more commonly known as Sol Adler, according to the\noriginal source of information, advised that during the latter part of 1942\nand the early part of 1943, his name arose in connection with this Soviet\nnetwork. Letters were seen in the Silvermaster home written by Adler from\nChungking, China, to the United States Treasury Department in Washington,\nD. C., He, at that time, was the Treasury Department representative in China\nand the letters observed were of an official character. Presumably, they\ncame into the possession of the Silvermasters through White. The Silvermasters\ncharacterized Adler as an opportunist but indicated they would have liked to\nplace him in some strategic location in the United States Government. Adler\nwas described as a dues paying member of the Communist Party.\nInvestigation determined that Schlomer Adler was born on August 6,\n1909 at Leeds, England. His length of employment with the Treasury Department\nis not known; however, on July 10, 1945, that Department requested his Local\nDraft Board to permit him to leave the country and travel to China as a\nrepresentative of the Treasury Department. This request was granted. It was\nalso determined that Adler is a naturalized American citizen and received his\nfinal papers in September, 1940. Adler previously had served at the American\nEmbassy in Chungking, China, as a representative of the Treasury Department\nas early as 1941. In 1931, information was received from a confidential\nsource, who in the past has been reliable, to the effect that Adler, an\nemployee of the United States Treasury Department, had been sending weekly\nreports to the Communist Party. He was further described as definitely a\nCommunist and a close contact of Alexander Stevens. It was suspected that\nthe Communist Party was playing the stock market and utilizing Adler's infor-\nmation in this connection.\nHARRY 5. ARCHIVES IRUMAN \"NATIONAL RECORDS AND LIBRARY\n- 23 -\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nMAN\nHAMPY U.S. ARCHIVES TRU \"NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND CIBRARY\nSONIE STEINMAN GOLD\nAccording to the original source of information in this matter,\nWhite's position was considered most valuable by Silvermaster because of his\nability to place in the Treasury Department those individuals whom this\nparticular Soviet espionage group desired to have assigned there. Among those\nso assigned was Sonie Steinman Gold. It was sometime in the fall of 1943,\nthat the Silvermasters believed it desirable to have someone placed as a\nsecretary to White in order to facilitate obtaining information from his office.\nThe name of Sonie Gold was secured from one of the Communist functionaries\nin Washington, D. C., and through arrangements with White, she secured a posi-\ntion in the Treasury Department. As a result of this employment, she obtained\ndocuments from his office which she copied and later delivered the notes to\nHelen Silvermaster.\nFurther, the source states that in the spring of 1944, Bela Gold also\nknown as Bill Gold, the husband of Sonie Gold, also appeared in this Soviet\nnetwork. Gold had obtained a position in the Foreign Economic Administration\nand based on conversations overheard between the Silvermasters and Ulmann, it\nwas determined that he was supplying this group with what they considered ex-\ncellent information regarding the internal situation in the Foreign Economic\nAdministration. Gold was considered to have done an excellent job in this\nregard by both Silvermaster and Ulmann and they discussed at one time the\npossibility of supplying him with a camera in order that he might do his own\nphotographing at home.\nAs related hereinbefore, investigation determined that Sonie Gold\nis in fact employed in the United States Treasury Department as a secretary\nor assistant secretary to White. She was on maternity leave and may still be;\nhowever, on December 27, 1945, it is known that she was in contact with Mrs.\nHelen Silvermaster in connection with a luncheon engagement.\nBela Gold was born on January 30, 1915 at Goloszvar, Hungary. He\nis a United States citizen either by naturalization or derivation and married\nSonie Gold on July 5, 1938. He attended New York University and Columbia\nUniversity. As of April 16, 1945, a request for deferment was made to the\nLocal Draft Board of Gold by Kenneth O. Warner, chairman of the Agency Defer-\nment Committee of the Foreign Economic Administration. Gold at that time\nheld the position of advisor on Foreign Development Policy at a salary of\n$8,000 per annum. Gold, through investigation, was determined to be in con-\ntact with Mrs. Elizabeth Sasuly, who is active in the administration of the\nWhite Collar Unit of the Communist Party, Washington, D. C.\nHAROLD GLASSER\nAs it was indicated hereinbefore, the source of the original informa-\ntion in this case mentioned another branch of Soviet espionage headed by Victor\nPerlo of which Harold Glasser was a member. When this group first came to the\nattention of this source in early 1944, Glasser was outside the United States\n- 24 -\nTRU\nMAN\nHARRY\nARCHIVES PRATIONAL RECORDS AND LIBRARY\nSERVICE\"\nU.S.\nin some capacity with the United States Treasury Department but he returned in\nthe early fall of that year. Subsequent to that time he was stationed at the\nTreasury Department at Washington, D. C. where he was thought to have been an\nassistant to White or at least rather closely associated with him. Glasser,\nhowever, was transferred from the Perlo group to administration by Alger Hiss\nof the State Department, who was also, according to the informant, supplying\ninformation to Soviet Intelligence.\nInvestigation determined that Harold Glasser was born on November 23,\n1904, in Chicago, Illinois. According to Selective Service records, he is\nemployed as Assistant Director, Division of Monetary Research, United States\nTreasury Department, and his immediate superior is Harry Dexter White, Assistant\nSecretary of the Treasury. He attended the University of Chicago and Harvard\nUniversity. He in fact resided outside the United States, part of the time\nin Ecuador, as is reflected by a permit in the Selective Service records, issued\non January 7, 1943. His first residence abroad appears to have been in Ecuador;\nhowever, a passport was issued to him on February 1, 1943, for travel to Africa,\nUnion of South Africa and Egypt where he was to be assigned to the Civil Affairs\nSection of General Eisenhower's Staff. Further, on February 12, 1944, it was\nindicated that he was travelling abroad to North Africa, Spain, Portugal and\nItaly on business for the United States Treasury Department concerning the\nproblems on foreign exchange in the countries enumerated. It is known that he\nwas back in the United States in the fall of 1944. Glasser has been described\nby numerous sources as a member of the Communist Party and has been associated\nwith many individuals against whom the same charge is made.\nIRVING KAPLAN\nAccording to the source of the original information, it is stated\nthat Irving Kaplan was employed with the War Production Board and was giving\ninformation which he obtained through his agency to Abraham George Silverman.\nIt was through Silvermaster that it was learned that the material from Kaplan\nchannelled through Silverman, wasactually being received by Silvermaster for\npassing along to Golos and thence to the Soviet Government. Kaplan was described\nas a dues-paying member of the Communist Party. When last heard of by the\nsource, he was employed with the Foreign Economic Administration.\nIrving Kaplan was born on September 23, 1900, in Zdzenciol, Poland.\nHe attended the City College of New York and Columbia University. He was\nnaturalized in New York City on December 18, 1911. In the summer of 1945, he\nwas designated as a representative of the Treasury Department to proceed to\nGermany and there was assigned to the civilian group. He was requested for\nduty with the United States Group Control Council in Supreme Headquarters,\nAllied Expeditionary Forces. One of his references on the application for em-\nployment was Abraham George Silverman, mentioned hereinbefore.\nFurther in the investigation, it was found that the wife of Irving\nKaplan, Dorothy Kaplan, had been in contact with the wife of Abraham George\nSilverman, Mrs. Helen Silvermaster and is acquainted with Nathan Gregory Silver-\nmaster and Ulmann. During these contacts it was apparent that she was bringing\n- 25 -\nHARRY S. ARCHIVES \"NATIONAL RECORDS MAN AND LIBRARY\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\npressure through Ulmann and Silverman to have her husband released from the\nArmy in Europe in order that he might return to his position in the Treasury\nDepartment. Irving Kaplan communicated with his wife to the effect that she\nshould contact Frank Coe and advise him that no confirming cable concerning his\nrelease had been received as yet but that a person named Nixon had cabled\nColonel Bernard Bernstein and White on December 11, 1945, requesting Kaplan's\nimmediate recall on account of urgent matters pending. All of these individuals\nhave been mentioned hereinbefore. Subsequent to the receipt of this cable,\nDorothy Kaplan contacted Ulmann and told him that she had been in contact with\nFrank Coe about the time scheduled for her husband's release. He indicated to\nher that nothing further could be done since the Treasury Department had al-\nready requested the War Department for Kaplan's return to the United States\nimmediately. Mrs. Kaplan was advised by Frank Coe to cable her husband that\nthey were doing everything possible to effect his early return to the United\nStates. It will be noted that all of the names figuring in these transactions\nare of those mentioned as prominently concerned in the Soviet espionage group\ndiscussed hereinbefore.\nWILLIAM HENRY TAYLOR\nIt will be recalled as cited hereinbefore that the original source of\ninformation charges that White was considered of extreme value to the instant\nunderground Soviet group because of his ability to place individuals in particu-\nlar positions in the Treasury Department. Mentioned particularly in this cate-\ngory was William Henry Taylor. This individual first came to the attention\nof the source in the latter part of 1942 or the early part of 1943. It is\nalleged that after securing his position with the Treasury Department with the\nassistance of White, he was sent as their representative to China and later to\nLisbon, Portugal with the Foreign Economic Administration. He was described\nas a dues-paying member of the Communist Party. During the interim between\nhis return from China and his departure to Portugal, he was in the Treasury\nDepartment in Washington, D. C. and was supplying Silvermaster with written\nand oral information secured by him in that Department. In addition, he prepared\na report on conditions in China which he made available probably to Silverman\nbut possibly to Silvermaster. This report eventually reached the hands of the\nRussians.\nTaylor was born in British Columbia on March 30, 1906. He was appointed\nto the position of principal economic analyst in the Division of Monetary Research\non January 3, 1941. This is the division headed by White. He resigned his posi-\ntion on May 21, 1941 to accept an appointment as an alternate American repre-\nsentative of the recently created China Stabilization Board and proceeded to\nChungking, China, on official business. He was reinstated in the Division of\nMonetary Research on September 15, 1942 as principal economic analyst.\nIn May, 1944, the Department of State granted Taylor a passport for\nan official trip to London, England. In connection with another investigation,\nWhite on interview advised that Taylor had handled many important assignments\n- 26 -\nHARMY ARCHIVES \"NATIONAL RECORDS AND LIBRARY\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nfor the Treasury Department, including a visit to North Africa on official\nbusiness shortly after the Invasion and London in connection with official\nbusiness with regard to the invasion of Europe. As of June, 1945, he could\nbe reached in care of the American Embassy at London, England.\nABRAHAM GEORGE SILVERMAN\nAccording to the original source, Abraham George Silverman, a graduate\nof Harvard University, came to Washington, D. C. in the early 1930's to accept\nemployment with the Railroad Retirement Board. The circumstances of his ac-\nquaintanceship with the Silvermasters and Ulmann were not known to the source\nalthough during the pertinent period, Silverman was accepted on a very friendly\nbasis in the Silvermaster home. After he was assigned to the Pentagon Building\nin 1942 or 1943, as a Civilian Specialist, he began bringing documents to the\nSilvermasters' home.\nDuring this same period, the source learned that White was also sup-\nplying information consisting of documents received in the course of his duties\nin the Treasury Department. These documents were made available to Silvermaster\neither by Ulmann or Silverman, both of whom were receiving material from White.\nSilverman also collected information from other individuals which ultimately\nwas passed on through instant channels to the Soviet Government. Both Ulmann\nand Silverman while assigned to the Pentagon Building were obtaining and\nphotographing data including aircraft production figures, allocation and de-\nployment of aircraft, results of testing of aircraft, reports on the efficiency\nof particular types of airplanes, technological developments in aircraft manu-\nfacture, statistics regarding high octane aviation gasoline, pertinent develop-\nments concerning the planning, construction and completion of the B-29, scheduled\ndate of D-Day, directives issued by General Marshall, and other vital informa-\ntion. Both Silverman and Ulmann were assigned to the United States Airforce and\nhad access to this type of information.\nInvestigation disclosed that Silverman was born at Prsasnysz, Poland,\non February 2, 1900. He graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D. Degree\nand holds another degree from Leland Stanford University. He was formerly em-\nployed as a Chief Production Specialist, Materiel Division, Army Airforces,\nfrom March 26, 1942 until August 18, 1945, when he left this employment to work\nfor the French Supply Council, a part of the French Government in Washington,\nD. C. He is known to have been in contact with Nathan Gregory Silvermaster,\nMrs. Silvermaster, Dorothy Kaplan, wife of Irving Kaplan, and others mentioned\nhereinbefore.\nDONALD NIVEN WHEELER\nAccording to the original source, Donald N. Wheeler was an element\nof the Perlo Group mentioned hereinbefore, who during the pertinent period,\nnamely in 1944, was employed on the Editorial Board of the Research Analysis\nSection of the Office of Strategic Services. The material which he submitted\nwas stated to be of considerable value. He submitted material which included\n- 27 -\n\"ditto\" copies of monthly and semi-monthly reports of the Office of Strategic\nServices as they concerned political developments throughout the world, some\nof which were marked \"Secret\" and \"Confidential.\"\nThe source states that Wheeler is a native born American, a graduate\nof Yale University and had in the past been a student at Cambridge or Oxford\nspecializing in Economics. He was described as a dues-paying member of the\nCommunist Party. Wheeler is apparently an American who attended Reed College,\nPortland, Oregon, and Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He also was an\ninstructor at Yale University subsequently entering upon employment in the\nDivision of Monetary Research, United States Treasury Department, as a junior\neconomic analyst in April, 1939. In May, 1940, he was detailed to the Senate\nBanking and Currency Committee. His immediate supervisor while with the\nTreasury Department was Harry White, now Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.\nIn September, 1942, Wheeler was employed in the Office of Strategic Services.\nWhile in attendance at Yale University, Wheeler was friendly with\nDavid Hedley, who is now a Communist Party member in San Francisco, California.\nHe is described by the individuals who knew him to have fostered Communist\nfronts while in Connecticut attending the University and supported such in-\nstitutions as the Spanish Aid Committee. On one occasion, according to a\nconfidential source, Wheeler and his wife are known to have attended a Communist\nParty meeting in New Haven, Connecticut. He was active as an organizer for\nthe Spanish Loyalist cause; is a member of the Washington Book Shop; Washington\nCommittee for Democratic Action; and other alleged Communist front organiza-\ntions.\nVictor Perlo in the recent past has been in contact with Donald Wheeler\nand other individuals associated with suspected Soviet agents, have been seen\nin company with the Wheelers.\nMAN\nHARRES\nARCHIVES AND RECORDS LIBRARY\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\n- 28 -"
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