Changes

On March 19, [[OSS]] Director [[William J. Donovan|"Wild Bill" Donovan]] offered Stettinius the services of OSS foreign experts to do research work or prepare studies for the conference. He said that if the [[State Department]] would provide the names of the foreign delegates and staff, OSS would "prepare information on all personnel concerned." Hiss "strongly opposed" this proposal, and "vigorously endorsed" the view that OSS "doing espionage work" at the conference would "seriously embarrass us." As a result, "American intelligence work at the conference was sharply limited."<ref>Edward R. Stettinius Jr., ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=v9N3AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1 The Diaries of Edward R Stettinius Jr , 1943-1946]'', edited by Thomas M. Campbell and George C. Herring (New York: New Viewpoints, 1975), ISBN 0531055701, p. 303</ref> That day, Stettinius recommended that [[Franklin Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] tell the [[U.S.]] delegation to the conference "the whole truth about this X-matter" (the secret agreement to give the [[Soviet Union]] three votes in the UN to one for the U.S.); Stettinius advised [[FDR]] (who would be dead in less than a month) to have Hiss with him when he broke the news to the [[American]] delegates.<ref>Edward R. Stettinius Jr., ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=v9N3AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1 The Diaries of Edward R Stettinius Jr , 1943-1946]'', edited by Thomas M. Campbell and George C. Herring (New York: New Viewpoints, 1975), ISBN 0531055701, pp. 305-306</ref>

On March 19, [[OSS]] Director [[William J. Donovan|"Wild Bill" Donovan]] offered Stettinius the services of OSS foreign experts to do research work or prepare studies for the conference. He said that if the [[State Department]] would provide the names of the foreign delegates and staff, OSS would "prepare information on all personnel concerned." Hiss "strongly opposed" this proposal, and "vigorously endorsed" the view that OSS "doing espionage work" at the conference would "seriously embarrass us." As a result, "American intelligence work at the conference was sharply limited."<ref>Edward R. Stettinius Jr., ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=v9N3AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1 The Diaries of Edward R Stettinius Jr , 1943-1946]'', edited by Thomas M. Campbell and George C. Herring (New York: New Viewpoints, 1975), ISBN 0531055701, p. 303</ref> That day, Stettinius recommended that [[Franklin Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] tell the [[U.S.]] delegation to the conference "the whole truth about this X-matter" (the secret agreement to give the [[Soviet Union]] three votes in the UN to one for the U.S.); Stettinius advised [[FDR]] (who would be dead in less than a month) to have Hiss with him when he broke the news to the [[American]] delegates.<ref>Edward R. Stettinius Jr., ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=v9N3AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1 The Diaries of Edward R Stettinius Jr , 1943-1946]'', edited by Thomas M. Campbell and George C. Herring (New York: New Viewpoints, 1975), ISBN 0531055701, pp. 305-306</ref>

Meanwhile, "Vadim" ([[Anatoly Gorsky]],<ref>Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=9TWUAQ7Xof8C The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB]'' (New York: Basic Books, 2000), ISBN 046500312, p. 90</ref> then chief of Soviet intelligence in the U.S.) wanted to meet with "Ales" at the conference, according to [http://www.johnearlhaynes.org/page63.html a cable] Vassiliev discovered in the Soviet archives. His notes indicate that "Ales" had worked with "Ruble" ([http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&list=h-hoac&month=0503&week=b&msg=ycrsVT7M1e2L9EECiLFskg&user=&pw= Harold Glasser]) as a member of a group run by "Karl" ([http://hnn.us/articles/11581.html#_ftnref5 Whittaker Chambers]). The cable adds that "'Ruble' gives 'Ales' an exceptionally good political reference as a member of the [[Communist Party|Comparty]].... completely aware that he is Communist in an illegal position, with all the ensuing consequences," and recommends (according to the notes) that he be approached at the UN conference by "Sergei" (NKVD agent [[Vladimir Pravdin]],<ref>Robert L. Benson, [http://www.nsa.gov/about/_files/cryptologic_heritage/publications/coldwar/venona_story.pdf The Venona Story] (Ft. George G. Meade. MD: National Security Agency Center for Cryptologic History), p. 31 (PDF p. 34)</ref> then under cover as head of the Soviet news agency TASS)<ref>Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=9TWUAQ7Xof8C The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB]'' (New York: Basic Books, 2000), ISBN 046500312, p. 124; "Pravdin" was actually [http://www.powells.com/review/2004_02_12.html Rolland Abbiat, murderer of Ignace Reiss].</ref> or Gorsky, "alluding either to the password, or to '[[Harold Glasser|Ruble]]', or simply to [http://www.johnearlhaynes.org/page70.html 'Ales's' progressive attitudes]."

Meanwhile, "Vadim" ([[Anatoly Gorsky]],<ref>Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=9TWUAQ7Xof8C The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB]'' (New York: Basic Books, 2000), ISBN 046500312, p. 90</ref> then chief of Soviet intelligence in the U.S.) wanted to meet with "Ales" at the conference, according to [http://www.johnearlhaynes.org/page63.html a cable] Vassiliev discovered in the Soviet archives. His notes indicate that "Ales" had worked with "Ruble" ([http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&list=h-hoac&month=0503&week=b&msg=ycrsVT7M1e2L9EECiLFskg&user=&pw= Harold Glasser]) as a member of a group run by "Karl" ([http://hnn.us/articles/11581.html#_ftnref5 Whittaker Chambers]). The cable adds that "'Ruble' gives 'Ales' an exceptionally good political reference as a member of the [[Communist Party|Comparty]].... completely aware that he is Communist in an illegal position, with all the ensuing consequences," and recommends (according to the notes) that he be approached at the UN conference by "Sergei" (NKVD agent [[Vladimir Pravdin]],<ref>Robert L. Benson, [http://www.nsa.gov/about/_files/cryptologic_heritage/publications/coldwar/venona_story.pdf The Venona Story] (Ft. George G. Meade. MD: National Security Agency Center for Cryptologic History), p. 31 (PDF p. 34)</ref> then under cover as head of the Soviet news agency TASS)<ref>Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=9TWUAQ7Xof8C The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB]'' (New York: Basic Books, 2000), ISBN 046500312, p. 124; "Pravdin" was actually [http://www.powells.com/review/2004_02_12.html Rolland Abbiat, murderer of Ignace Reiss].</ref> or Gorsky, "alluding either to the password, or to '[[Harold Glasser|Ruble]]', or simply to [http://www.johnearlhaynes.org/page70.html 'Ales's' progressive attitudes]."

[[Image:Hisscharter.jpg|thumb|300 px|left|Hiss arrives in Washington from San Francisco with UN Charter in fireproof safe with parachute. ''Image courtesy United States Air Force'']]In April 1945, [[Harold Glasser|Glasser]] slipped a warning to [[Anatoly Gorsky]], chief of Soviet intelligence in the U.S., that the FBI had notified Stettinius that Bureau surveillance had followed a bundle of State Department documents from Washington to New York, where they were photographed, then returned within 24 hours to Washington. Only three people had access to these documents, one of whom was "Ales." Stettinius told "Ales": "I hope it is not you."<ref>Allen Weinstein and Alexander Vassiliev, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=jbMBAAAACAAJ The Haunted Wood: Soviet Espionage in America—the Stalin Era]'', (New York: Random House, 1999), ISBN 0375755365, pp. 267-268</ref>

[[Image:Hisscharter.jpg|thumb|300 px|left|Hiss arrives in Washington from San Francisco with UN Charter in fireproof safe with parachute. ''Image courtesy United States Air Force'']]In April 1945, [[Harold Glasser|Glasser]] slipped a warning to [[Anatoly Gorsky]], chief of Soviet intelligence in the U.S., that the FBI had notified Stettinius that Bureau surveillance had followed a bundle of State Department documents from Washington to New York, where they were photographed, then returned within 24 hours to Washington. Only three people had access to these documents, one of whom was "Ales." Stettinius told "Ales": "I hope it is not you."<ref>Allen Weinstein and Alexander Vassiliev, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=jbMBAAAACAAJ The Haunted Wood: Soviet Espionage in America—the Stalin Era]'', (New York: Random House, 1999), ISBN 0375755365, pp. 267-268</ref>

That same month, at the [[San Francisco]] conference, [[Soviet]] [[UN]] [[Ambassador]] [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,947456,00.html Andrei Gromyko] nominated Hiss temporary Secretary General (and thus a [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,164282,00.html candidate for] the [http://www.gresham.ac.uk/printtranscript.asp?EventId=635 first permanent Secretary General]) of the United Nations.<ref>Frank J. Rafalko, ed., "Counterintelligence in World War II, 1940-47," [http://www.ncix.gov/issues/CI_Reader/Vol2/Vol2Chap1.pdf ''A Counterintelligence Reader: An American Revolution Into the New Millennium'', Vol. 2, Ch. 1] (Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive), p. 110 (PDF p. 111). As one scholar notes, "It was astonishing for a Soviet diplomat to propose an [[American]] for what was then the [[UN]]'s highest and most sensitive diplomatic post." Stephen J. Whitfield, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=irSQLb4xiJ8C The Culture of the Cold War]'' (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996) ISBN 0801851955, p. 28</ref> In [[London]] that September, Gromyko repeated to Stettinius, now the new U.S. Ambassador to the UN, that he "would be very happy to see Alger Hiss appointed temporary secretary general."<ref>Thomas M. Campbell and George C. Herring, eds., ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=v9N3AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1 The Diaries of Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., 1943-1946]'' (New York: New Viewpoints, 1975) ISBN 0531055701, p. 416 As Weinstein notes, "The endorsement of a leading American official by the Russians remains practically unique in the annals of Soviet-American diplomacy at this time." Allen Weinstein, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=dkeRKZOX2n4C&pgis=1 Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case]'' (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978), ISBN 0394495462, p. 361</ref>

 

In April, at the [[San Francisco]] conference, [[Soviet]] [[UN]] [[Ambassador]] [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,947456,00.html Andrei Gromyko] had nominated Hiss temporary Secretary General (and thus a [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,164282,00.html candidate for] the [http://www.gresham.ac.uk/printtranscript.asp?EventId=635 first permanent Secretary General]) of the United Nations.<ref>Frank J. Rafalko, ed., "Counterintelligence in World War II, 1940-47," [http://www.ncix.gov/issues/CI_Reader/Vol2/Vol2Chap1.pdf ''A Counterintelligence Reader: An American Revolution Into the New Millennium'', Vol. 2, Ch. 1] (Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive), p. 110 (PDF p. 111). As one scholar notes, "It was astonishing for a Soviet diplomat to propose an [[American]] for what was then the [[UN]]'s highest and most sensitive diplomatic post." Stephen J. Whitfield, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=irSQLb4xiJ8C The Culture of the Cold War]'' (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996) ISBN 0801851955, p. 28</ref> In [[London]] that September, Gromyko repeated to Stettinius, now the new U.S. Ambassador to the UN, that he "would be very happy to see Alger Hiss appointed temporary secretary general."<ref>Thomas M. Campbell and George C. Herring, eds., ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=v9N3AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1 The Diaries of Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., 1943-1946]'' (New York: New Viewpoints, 1975) ISBN 0531055701, p. 416 As Weinstein notes, "The endorsement of a leading American official by the Russians remains practically unique in the annals of Soviet-American diplomacy at this time." Allen Weinstein, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=dkeRKZOX2n4C&pgis=1 Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case]'' (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978), ISBN 0394495462, p. 361</ref>

The same day Gromyko reiterated his endorsement of Hiss to Stettinius in London, Hiss made an extraordinary proposal that the [[State Department]] create a new post, that of "special assistant for military affairs," linked to his Office of Special Political Affairs,<ref>John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=M8p00bTFvRkC Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America]'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999) ISBN 0300077718, p. 172; Sam Tanenhaus, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=WNp4AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1 Whittaker Chambers: A Biography]'' (New York: Random House, 1997) ISBN 0375751459, p. 519; Allen Weinstein, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=dkeRKZOX2n4C&pgis=1 Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case]'' (New York: Random House, 1997 ed.), pp. 321-322.</ref> thus giving Hiss access to information regarding atomic energy, arms procurement and military intelligence.<ref>Arthur Herman, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=DIibZoDyADEC Joseph McCarthy: Reexamining the Life and Legacy of America's Most Hated Senator]'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999) ISBN 0684836254, p. 86 (fn)</ref> Hiss also proposed a State Department reorganization scheme, under which, wrote Panuch, Hiss would acquire "working control" over the flow of papers within the department. "If this ambitious project should be approved," warned Panuch, "the Hiss group will have achieved infiltration in, or control of" what he identified as "critically strategic points" within State.<ref>Subcommittee on Internal Security, Committee on the Judiciary, U. S. Senate [http://ia360635.us.archive.org/3/items/interlockingsubv1953unit/interlockingsubv1953unit_bw.pdf Interlocking Subversion in Government Departments] (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1953), pp. 9-10 (PDF pp. 15-16). De Toledano observes that this plan would have given Hiss "[http://www.aim.org/aim-report/aim-report-media-wont-give-up-on-red-spy-alger-hiss-july-b/ virtual control of the State Department]," which would thus, note two commentators, "have taken a long step forward in the direction of becoming an adjunct to the Soviet Foreign Office." (William F. Buckley Jr. and L. Brent Bozell, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=7GgLAQAAIAAJ&pgis=1 McCarthy and His Enemies: The Record and Its Meaning]'' [Washington: Regnery, 1954] ISBN 0895264722, p. 10)</ref>

The same day Gromyko reiterated his endorsement of Hiss to Stettinius in London, Hiss made an extraordinary proposal that the [[State Department]] create a new post, that of "special assistant for military affairs," linked to his Office of Special Political Affairs,<ref>John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=M8p00bTFvRkC Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America]'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999) ISBN 0300077718, p. 172; Sam Tanenhaus, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=WNp4AAAAMAAJ&pgis=1 Whittaker Chambers: A Biography]'' (New York: Random House, 1997) ISBN 0375751459, p. 519; Allen Weinstein, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=dkeRKZOX2n4C&pgis=1 Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case]'' (New York: Random House, 1997 ed.), pp. 321-322.</ref> thus giving Hiss access to information regarding atomic energy, arms procurement and military intelligence.<ref>Arthur Herman, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=DIibZoDyADEC Joseph McCarthy: Reexamining the Life and Legacy of America's Most Hated Senator]'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999) ISBN 0684836254, p. 86 (fn)</ref> Hiss also proposed a State Department reorganization scheme, under which, wrote Panuch, Hiss would acquire "working control" over the flow of papers within the department. "If this ambitious project should be approved," warned Panuch, "the Hiss group will have achieved infiltration in, or control of" what he identified as "critically strategic points" within State.<ref>Subcommittee on Internal Security, Committee on the Judiciary, U. S. Senate [http://ia360635.us.archive.org/3/items/interlockingsubv1953unit/interlockingsubv1953unit_bw.pdf Interlocking Subversion in Government Departments] (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1953), pp. 9-10 (PDF pp. 15-16). De Toledano observes that this plan would have given Hiss "[http://www.aim.org/aim-report/aim-report-media-wont-give-up-on-red-spy-alger-hiss-july-b/ virtual control of the State Department]," which would thus, note two commentators, "have taken a long step forward in the direction of becoming an adjunct to the Soviet Foreign Office." (William F. Buckley Jr. and L. Brent Bozell, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=7GgLAQAAIAAJ&pgis=1 McCarthy and His Enemies: The Record and Its Meaning]'' [Washington: Regnery, 1954] ISBN 0895264722, p. 10)</ref>