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In 1934, a Congressional Investigation was held to examine statements Dr. William A. Wirt, who headed the U.S. [[Department of Education|Office of Education]] in the early days of the [[New Deal]].  Dr. Wirt attended a meeting of his secretary, [[Alice Barrows]] a year earlier.  Barrows had been a member of the [[Communist Party of the United States]] since 1919, the same year she began working for the Office of Education.  The "Wirt Incident" was widely reported and provoked much controversy.  Barrows and several other government employees revealed to Wirt they were members of the Communist party. Wirt testified,

In 1934, a Congressional Investigation was held to examine statements Dr. William A. Wirt, who headed the U.S. [[Department of Education|Office of Education]] in the early days of the [[New Deal]].  Dr. Wirt attended a meeting of his secretary, [[Alice Barrows]] a year earlier.  Barrows had been a member of the [[Communist Party of the United States]] since 1919, the same year she began working for the Office of Education.  The "Wirt Incident" was widely reported and provoked much controversy.  Barrows and several other government employees revealed to Wirt they were members of the Communist party. Wirt testified,

{{Cquote|I was told they believe that by thwarting our then evident economic recovery, they would be able to prolong the country’s destitution until they had demonstrated to the American people that the Government must operate business and commerce.  By propaganda, they would destroy institutions making long term capital loans—and then push Uncle Sam into making these loans. Once Uncle Sam becomes our financier, he must also follow his money with control and management. <ref>Hearings, House Select Committee To Investigate Certain Statements of Dr. William Wirt, 73rd Congress, 2nd Session, April 10 and 17, 1934. </ref><ref>Dr Wirt faces the cameras and tells all'', Literary Digest v. 117 (April 21 1934) p. 7.</ref>}}

{{Cquote|I was told they believe that by thwarting our then evident economic recovery, they would be able to prolong the country’s destitution until they had demonstrated to the American people that the Government must operate business and commerce.  By propaganda, they would destroy institutions making long term capital loans—and then push Uncle Sam into making these loans. Once Uncle Sam becomes our financier, he must also follow his money with control and management. <ref>Hearings, House Select Committee To Investigate Certain Statements of Dr. William Wirt, 73rd Congress, 2nd Session, April 10 and 17, 1934. </ref><ref>''Dr Wirt faces the cameras and tells all'', Literary Digest v. 117 (April 21 1934) p. 7.</ref>}}

A June 1945 [[Venona project]] decryption of Soviet [[KGB]] wartime cables from the Washington D.C. KGB Office to Moscow's Eighth Department, the political intelligence wing, relayed information on matters regarding Attorney General Francis Biddle.  KGB agent [[Charles Kramer]], who served on the staff of several U.S. Senate Subcommittees, and Barrows are the sources of the information.  Mary Van Kleek who headed the Russell Sage Foundation and also served on the Board of the National Council, visited Washington weekly to meet with Barrows and [[Greg Silvermaster|Nathan Gregory Silvermaster]].

A June 1945 [[Venona project]] decryption of Soviet [[KGB]] wartime cables from the Washington D.C. KGB Office to Moscow's Eighth Department, the political intelligence wing, relayed information on matters regarding Attorney General Francis Biddle.  KGB agent [[Charles Kramer]], who served on the staff of several U.S. Senate Subcommittees, and Barrows are the sources of the information.  Mary Van Kleek who headed the Russell Sage Foundation and also served on the Board of the National Council, visited Washington weekly to meet with Barrows and [[Greg Silvermaster|Nathan Gregory Silvermaster]].