Changes

On December 2, in response to a subpoena, Chambers led HUAC investigators on his Maryland farm to a pumpkin he had hollowed out the night before and in which he had secreted five rolls (two developed strips and three undeveloped rolls, one of which later proved to have been lightstruck)<ref>[http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hiss/hissappellate.html ''United States v Alger Hiss'', 185 F. 2d 822] (Second Circuit Court of Appeals, December 7, 1950)</ref> of 35 milimeter film.<ref>“[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917670,00.html The Pumpkin Papers], ''Time'', August 11, 1975</ref> The film included fifty-eight frames, mostly photos of State and Navy Department documents, dated January 5 through April 1, 1938 (the so-called "Pumpkin Papers"). The State Department documents dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including U.S. intentions with respect to the Soviet Union, the Spanish Civil War, and Germany's takeover of Austria.<ref>Doulglas O. Linder, “[http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hiss/pumpkinp.html The Pumpkin Papers: Key Evidence in the Alger Hiss Trials],” Famous Trials: The Alger Hiss Trials, 1949-50 (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law)</ref> Some of the documents on the film were initialed by Hiss and came from his office.<ref>"[http://www.nybooks.com/articles/8841 Reply by Allen Weinstein, The Hiss Case: An Exchange,"] ''The New York Review of Books,'' Volume 23, Number 9 (May 27, 1976)</ref> Some were of a highly sensitive, classified nature.<ref>Denise Noe, “[http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/terrorists_spies/spies/hiss/7.html The Pumpkin Papers],” The Alger Hiss Case, TruTV Crime Library</ref> Some State Department cables bearing Hiss' handwritten initials had direct bearing on matters of major Soviet interest, including Chinese Communist strategy during the war with Japan and Chinese-Soviet relations.<ref>John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, ''Early Cold War Spies: The Espionage Trials that Shaped American Politics'' (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2006) ISBN 0521857384), p. 116</ref>

On December 2, in response to a subpoena, Chambers led HUAC investigators on his Maryland farm to a pumpkin he had hollowed out the night before and in which he had secreted five rolls (two developed strips and three undeveloped rolls, one of which later proved to have been lightstruck)<ref>[http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hiss/hissappellate.html ''United States v Alger Hiss'', 185 F. 2d 822] (Second Circuit Court of Appeals, December 7, 1950)</ref> of 35 milimeter film.<ref>“[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917670,00.html The Pumpkin Papers], ''Time'', August 11, 1975</ref> The film included fifty-eight frames, mostly photos of State and Navy Department documents, dated January 5 through April 1, 1938 (the so-called "Pumpkin Papers"). The State Department documents dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including U.S. intentions with respect to the Soviet Union, the Spanish Civil War, and Germany's takeover of Austria.<ref>Doulglas O. Linder, “[http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hiss/pumpkinp.html The Pumpkin Papers: Key Evidence in the Alger Hiss Trials],” Famous Trials: The Alger Hiss Trials, 1949-50 (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law)</ref> Some of the documents on the film were initialed by Hiss and came from his office.<ref>"[http://www.nybooks.com/articles/8841 Reply by Allen Weinstein, The Hiss Case: An Exchange,"] ''The New York Review of Books,'' Volume 23, Number 9 (May 27, 1976)</ref> Some were of a highly sensitive, classified nature.<ref>Denise Noe, “[http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/terrorists_spies/spies/hiss/7.html The Pumpkin Papers],” The Alger Hiss Case, TruTV Crime Library</ref> Some State Department cables bearing Hiss' handwritten initials had direct bearing on matters of major Soviet interest, including Chinese Communist strategy during the war with Japan and Chinese-Soviet relations.<ref>John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, ''Early Cold War Spies: The Espionage Trials that Shaped American Politics'' (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2006) ISBN 0521857384), p. 116</ref>

According to Chambers, some of the microfilm was made by a contact he knew only as "Felix," who would photograph documents with a Leica purchased by the Communist underground. For such work, said Chambers, Felix had been trained in Moscow, where he traveled on a forged U.S. passport. In 1949 Chambers would lead FBI investigators to the Baltimore block in which he thought Felix had lived in the 1930s. The Bureau discovered that a Felix Inslerman had lived on the block, later moving to Schenectady, N.Y., where he worked on a secret guided-missile project, in 1946 becoming one of the few civilians to attend the atomic tests at Bikini. Recently released files reveal that ex-[[GRU]] agent<ref>John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=M8p00bTFvRkC Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America],'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999) ISBN 0300077718, p. 166</ref> William Edward Crane also admitted to the FBI that he photographed documents from the Treasury and State Department for Chambers in Baltimore.<ref>Reply by Allen Weinstein, "[http://www.nybooks.com/articles/8841 The Hiss Case: An Exchange]," ''The New York Review of Books'', Vol. 23, No. 9 (May 27, 1976)</ref> (The third photographer identified by Chambers, "David Carpenter," would turn up on the "Gorsky memo.")<ref>John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr and Alexander Vassiliev, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=qCAVQ_cdomcC Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America]'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009) ISBN 0300123906, p. 30</ref>

According to Chambers, some of the microfilm was made by a contact he knew only as "Felix," who would photograph documents with a Leica purchased by the Communist underground. For such work, said Chambers, Felix had been trained in Moscow, where he traveled on a forged U.S. passport. In 1949 Chambers would lead FBI investigators to the Baltimore block in which he thought Felix had lived in the 1930s. The Bureau discovered that a Felix Inslerman had lived on the block, later moving to Schenectady, N.Y., where he worked on a secret guided-missile project, in 1946 becoming one of the few civilians to attend the atomic tests at Bikini.

Both before the grand jury and in the second Hiss trial, Inslerman would refuse to answer questions on grounds of potential self-incrimination. But in Inslerman's Schenectady home, the FBI found a Leica whose imperfections matched the scratch marks on Chambers' famed pumpkin film. In 1954, Inslerman would corroborate Chambers' story under oath.<ref>"[http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,819479,00.html New Witness]," ''Time'', March 1, 1954</ref>

Both before the grand jury and in the second Hiss trial, Inslerman would refuse to answer questions on grounds of potential self-incrimination. But in Inslerman's Schenectady home, the FBI found a Leica whose imperfections matched the scratch marks on Chambers' famed pumpkin film. In 1954, Inslerman would corroborate Chambers' story under oath.<ref>"[http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,819479,00.html New Witness]," ''Time'', March 1, 1954</ref>  Recently released files reveal that ex-[[GRU]] agent<ref>John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=M8p00bTFvRkC Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America],'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999) ISBN 0300077718, p. 166</ref> William Edward Crane also admitted to the FBI that he photographed documents from the Treasury and State Department for Chambers in Baltimore.<ref>Reply by Allen Weinstein, "[http://www.nybooks.com/articles/8841 The Hiss Case: An Exchange]," ''The New York Review of Books'', Vol. 23, No. 9 (May 27, 1976)</ref> (The third photographer identified by Chambers, "David Carpenter," would turn up on the "Gorsky memo.")<ref>John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr and Alexander Vassiliev, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=qCAVQ_cdomcC Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America]'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009) ISBN 0300123906, p. 30</ref>

The day Chambers revealed the "pumpkin papers," on an FBI memorandum detailing the perjury investigation of Chambers ordered by Truman Justice, Hoover penned, "I can't understand why such effort is being made to indict Chambers to the exclusion of Hiss."<ref>FBI memorandum: Fletcher to Ladd, December 2, 1948 (FBI file: Hiss-Chambers, Vol. 2)</ref> As late as December 6, Truman Justice was still contemplating "bringing an indictment against Chambers for perjury."<ref>FBI memorandum: Fletcher to Ladd, December 6, 1948 (FBI file: Hiss-Chambers, Vol. 2)</ref>

The day Chambers revealed the "pumpkin papers," on an FBI memorandum detailing the perjury investigation of Chambers ordered by Truman Justice, Hoover penned, "I can't understand why such effort is being made to indict Chambers to the exclusion of Hiss."<ref>FBI memorandum: Fletcher to Ladd, December 2, 1948 (FBI file: Hiss-Chambers, Vol. 2)</ref> As late as December 6, Truman Justice was still contemplating "bringing an indictment against Chambers for perjury."<ref>FBI memorandum: Fletcher to Ladd, December 6, 1948 (FBI file: Hiss-Chambers, Vol. 2)</ref>