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On February 9, 1946, [[Stalin]] declared that war was inevitable as long as [[capitalism]] existed, in a speech regarded by some as the open declaration of [[Cold War]].<ref>Walter LaFeber, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=WelaCRwAEo4C America, Russia, and the Cold War: 1945-1984]'' (New York: Knopf, 1985) ISBN 0394343913, p. 38</ref> Two days later, ex-[[Communist]] Benjamin Mandel, former manager of the ''Daily Worker'',<ref>Conrad Black, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=0wRK-WPEcfwC Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full]'' (Jackson, Tenn.: PublicAffairs, 2008), ISBN 1586486748, p. 93</ref> identified Alger Hiss to the [[FBI]] as "a [[Communist Party]] member," and one of a "high level group of [[government]] employees who would not be found openly connected with the Party or with any Front organizations and who were specifically instructed not to display such connections."<ref>FBI memo: Hottel to Hoover, February 11, 1946, pp. [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster042_Folder/Silvermaster042_page55.pdf 2]-[http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster042_Folder/Silvermaster042_page56.pdf 3] ([http://www.education-research.org/CSR/Holdings/Silvermaster/Silvermaster.htm FBI file: Silvermaster], [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/Silvermaster042.pdf Vol. 42], pp. 55-56)</ref> The Bureau again interviewed Hiss, who denied ever being a Communist, and denied knowledge of any of his friends being Communists. He did, however, add that he had heard it said that [[Lee Pressman]] was either a Party member or followed the Party line.<ref>[[#refNKVD|NKVD]]: [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster082_Folder/Silvermaster082_page121.pdf 110 (PDF 121)]</ref>

On February 9, 1946, [[Stalin]] declared that war was inevitable as long as [[capitalism]] existed, in a speech regarded by some as the open declaration of [[Cold War]].<ref>Walter LaFeber, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=WelaCRwAEo4C America, Russia, and the Cold War: 1945-1984]'' (New York: Knopf, 1985) ISBN 0394343913, p. 38</ref> Two days later, ex-[[Communist]] Benjamin Mandel, former manager of the ''Daily Worker'',<ref>Conrad Black, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=0wRK-WPEcfwC Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full]'' (Jackson, Tenn.: PublicAffairs, 2008), ISBN 1586486748, p. 93</ref> identified Alger Hiss to the [[FBI]] as "a [[Communist Party]] member," and one of a "high level group of [[government]] employees who would not be found openly connected with the Party or with any Front organizations and who were specifically instructed not to display such connections."<ref>FBI memo: Hottel to Hoover, February 11, 1946, pp. [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster042_Folder/Silvermaster042_page55.pdf 2]-[http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster042_Folder/Silvermaster042_page56.pdf 3] ([http://www.education-research.org/CSR/Holdings/Silvermaster/Silvermaster.htm FBI file: Silvermaster], [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/Silvermaster042.pdf Vol. 42], pp. 55-56)</ref> The Bureau again interviewed Hiss, who denied ever being a Communist, and denied knowledge of any of his friends being Communists. He did, however, add that he had heard it said that [[Lee Pressman]] was either a Party member or followed the Party line.<ref>[[#refNKVD|NKVD]]: [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster082_Folder/Silvermaster082_page121.pdf 110 (PDF 121)]</ref>

[[Secretary of State]] Byrnes took seriously warnings from [[State Department]] security and the [[FBI]] that evidence existed suggesting that Hiss might be a security risk.<ref>[[#refHK06|Haynes, Klehr 2006]]: 98-99</ref> By that spring, Byrnes was persuaded that Hiss was [[#refBogdanor08|working for the Communist Party]]. An FBI memo of March 14 relates a report that Byrnes "stated that HISS is to be given no further consideration for promotion or assignment to responsible duties in the Department," and that he wanted to know whether Hiss could be "dismissed summarily," adding, "Secretary BYRNES is of the definite opinion that ALGER HISS should be disposed of..."<ref>FBI memo: [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster149_Folder/Silvermaster149_page40.pdf Roach to Ladd, RE: Nathan Gregory Silvermaster, et al.], March 14, 1946. Summary of File References to Alger Hiss, November 8, 1949, p. 20 (FBI file: [[#refSilv|Silvermaster]], [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/Silvermaster149.pdf Vol. 149], p. 40)</ref>

[[Image:Roach_to_Ladd_3-14-46.jpg|thumb|300px|FBI reports Byrnes' desire to dismiss Hiss, two years before Chambers' testimony. ''Source: [[#refSilv|FBI Silvermaster file]] [[http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/Silvermaster149.pdf Vol. 149]], [[http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster149_Folder/Silvermaster149_page40.pdf p. 40'']]]][[Secretary of State]] Byrnes took seriously warnings from [[State Department]] security and the [[FBI]] that evidence existed suggesting that Hiss might be a security risk.<ref>[[#refHK06|Haynes, Klehr 2006]]: 98-99</ref> By that spring, Byrnes was persuaded that Hiss was [[#refBogdanor08|working for the Communist Party]]. An FBI memo of March 14 relates a report that Byrnes "stated that HISS is to be given no further consideration for promotion or assignment to responsible duties in the Department," and that he wanted to know whether Hiss could be "dismissed summarily," adding, "Secretary BYRNES is of the definite opinion that ALGER HISS should be disposed of..."<ref>FBI memo: [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/splitfiles/splitprocessed/Silvermaster149_Folder/Silvermaster149_page40.pdf Roach to Ladd, RE: Nathan Gregory Silvermaster, et al.], March 14, 1946. Summary of File References to Alger Hiss, November 8, 1949, p. 20 (FBI file: [[#refSilv|Silvermaster]], [http://www.education-research.org/PDFs/Silvermaster149.pdf Vol. 149], p. 40)</ref>

On May 15, the State Department prepared a Top Secret chart identifying 124 loyalty or security cases on the department payroll, broken down into categories: 77 "suspects," another 13 "[[Communist]]s," an additional 14 "sympathizers," and, most ominously, a further 20 personnel identified as "agents"&mdash;one of whom was Alger Hiss. On July 26, Secretary of State Byrnes wrote to Congressman Adolph J. Sabath (D-Ill.) that security screeners had identified 284 State Department employees as unfit for permanent employent; he added that 79 of these had since left the department<ref>[[#refHerman99|Herman 1999]]: 94</ref>&mdash;leaving [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23388 205 still on the payroll]. On August 3, State Department official Samuel Klaus prepared a [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23478 106-page confidential memo] summarizing security data on each of the cases listed on the May 15 chart.<ref>[[#refEvans07|Evans 2007]]: 152-154</ref>

On May 15, the State Department prepared a Top Secret chart identifying 124 loyalty or security cases on the department payroll, broken down into categories: 77 "suspects," another 13 "[[Communist]]s," an additional 14 "sympathizers," and, most ominously, a further 20 personnel identified as "agents"&mdash;one of whom was Alger Hiss. On July 26, Secretary of State Byrnes wrote to Congressman Adolph J. Sabath (D-Ill.) that security screeners had identified 284 State Department employees as unfit for permanent employent; he added that 79 of these had since left the department<ref>[[#refHerman99|Herman 1999]]: 94</ref>&mdash;leaving [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23388 205 still on the payroll]. On August 3, State Department official Samuel Klaus prepared a [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23478 106-page confidential memo] summarizing security data on each of the cases listed on the May 15 chart.<ref>[[#refEvans07|Evans 2007]]: 152-154</ref>