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wags bare a re oer tas 6 GSC, DENIED TESTIMONY IN DE HAAS CASE: Court Withholds Story On Alleged Leak BY JOHN FISHER District Court Judge Matthew. F. McGuire yesterday denied a, government petitlon to make Dub. lic the grand jury testimony of Miss Miriam M. de_ Hass, 52, sus- pended civil service commission employe. Miss de Hass was suspended Without pay on Sept. 15.as an ex. aminer for the loyalty review _ board after commission investipa- tors quizzed her concerning a Jeak in loyalty board information to Sen. McCarthy (R) of Wisconsin,” heading the congressional drive to oust Communists from the gov- ernment. McCarthy has denied receiving the information from Miss de Haas, but the commission sus-: pended her after she refused to| divulge secret testimony she gave: a federal grand Jury probing un.| authorized disclosure of confiden- tial information in joyalty revelw board files. Unusyal Step The commission then took the unusual step of seeking to force disclosure of her grand jury testi- mony in its petition to the federal) district court, The case was cited as an Ad- ministration attempt to use the @rand jury as an instrument of intimidaiion against an employe opposed to coddling of Commu- + th Piet ant nists within the government. In denying the government pe- tition, Judge McGuire satd that only extraordinary reasons can Justify the disclosure of grand jury minutes. He noted the grand jury is still conducting its in- quiry and may return indictments. He described the government request as “premature.” “I don’t think that under the elrcumstances there is sufficient Treason for me to make available the minutes of the grand jury,” JuteeHesuire said, o—— Discretion of Court Teuing for the civil service commission, Lawrence V, Meloy cited a Pennsylvania case, involv: ing revocation of a liquor license, in whieh grand jury testimony was released while the jury was still in session. “It's left to the sound discretion of the court." McGuire ecom- mented. “What other courts have done may be persuasive but is} hot necessarily binding.” Meloy contended Miss de Haas’ lovalty to the commission, her em- ployer, was involved. The judge said thai, if she disclosed confi: dential information, adminis. wracive action could be taken without opening up the grand jury reurdmony. aries M. Irelan, U-S. attorney, told the court he was not taking ® position in the dispute but was ready to make the grand jury tes- timony available if directed by the court. frelan said the commission is asking to be informed of Miss de Haas’ testimony before the! Brand jury to determine whether she should be retained in govern. Ment service. Miss de Haas in Court "T know thet the secrecy of grand jury proceedings is jealously | Euarded by the courts,” said Ire.[ lan. “I have no authority myself| © to Make them public,” Miss de Haas was in court but! Was not: requested to testify in the proceedings. However, she op- posed the commission’s request thru an affidavit she filed With. the court and the objections raised by her attorney, Daniel J. Ander- sen, against granting the petition. Miss de Haas charged in her affidavit that she was suspended without pay from her $7,840-a-year Position for refusal to answer ques- tions relating to the grand jury inquiry on which she testified on two occasions. She further charged James FE. Hatcher, chief investigator for the. Joyalty review board, with a “star chamber proceeding,” saying he, was “abusive, extremely discourte-, ous, and he had a very belligerent: attitude thruout the session.” She also said the transcript was . — changed to delete some of her Times-Herald Temarks about “coddling commu 0. Tolson é Ladd -7 Nichola tem Belmont_i*”_ Gleein Harbo Rosen Tracy Laughlin Mohr Wintercowd Tele, Rm, Holloman. Gandy | —_— — nor? aon DED gg.0CT 13 1952 vee ele fRTs oo. Wash. Post _ 7 jt i Wash. News __ be a Wash. Star a }? i N.Y. Herald Tribune ___ N.Y. Mirror _— N.Y. Compass ——— ae i ! Date: _*