Talk:Alger Hiss

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communist?[edit]

Why is he listed as being a communist when he denied it til his death and proof of him being one is inconclusive? 195.252.213.39 (talk) 18:54, 16 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Jeffisme (talk) 15:26, 8 June 2023 (UTC)jeffkisseloff== factual mistakes ==[reply]

While reading this, I am seeing some serious factual errors, but since I'm not exactly an uninvolved participant I'm hesitant to make corrections, or should I? For example, the article says Chambers said he left the Party in 1938 for the first time in November, 1948 but he actually cited 1938 as a possibility in his August 25th testimony.

When handing over the documents in November, he did say that some were typed by Alger Hiss but only changed that when he was told that Alger Hiss couldn't type. There are others, but as I say I'm hesitant to jump in here if it's going to cause a problem. Jeffkisseloff (talk) 00:13, 8 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Weinstein did a 2010 update of his 1997 2nd edition. It has additional evidence of Hiss being a Soviet agent. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2603:3003:48EB:E100:8CD6:8D29:452:8BB5 (talk) 17:44, 19 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

errors in the bio[edit]

In the box at the beginning it says that Hiss was released on parole. He was not paroled but was released early by statute for good behavior.

I'm new at this and am going to cut and paste the earlier comments into this box. sorry for the repetition, I'll get it down soon.

While reading this, I am seeing some serious factual errors, but since I'm not exactly an uninvolved participant I'm hesitant to make corrections, or should I? For example, the article says Chambers said he left the Party in 1938 for the first time in November, 1948 but he actually cited 1938 as a possibility in his August 25th testimony. When handing over the documents in November, he did say that some were typed by Alger Hiss but only changed that when he was told that Alger Hiss couldn't type. There are others, but as I say I'm hesitant to jump in here if it's going to cause a problem. Jeffkisseloff (talk) 00:13, 8 June 2023 (UTC) Jeffkisseloff (talk) 20:54, 20 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Per Wikipedia:Conflict of interest, you probably have a conflict of interest because you personally knew Alger Hiss. You also have a conflict if you use any of your writings as a source.

If you want changes to be made, you should provide the proposed change along with sources. I will remove "on parole" because no source is provided for it.

IIRC, Chambers changed his testimony about when he left the CPUSA, so the exact date is unknown and the text should provide more information. Even in true crime stories, there are always areas where we are unclear exactly what happened. However, anything put into the article has to be sources. TFD (talk) 01:39, 21 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I wouldn't source my own writing, only the record. For example, is there a reason why his other brother and hid sister were omitted from the box?

As for the date he left the Party, he was consistent until 8/25/48, p. 1176 of the record. Jeffkisseloff (talk) 16:47, 23 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I just read through it again, and there are all sorts of problems with it; some are errors of omission and some strictly factual. Regarding the latter, the typewriter was a defense exhibit not a prosecution exhibit. the article says experts in plural testified regarding the similarities between the Hiss standards and the Baltimore documents. Only one did so, Ramos Feehan.

Just examples of what to me are errors of omission: Elizabeth Bentley was specificially asked if she had information regarding Hiss and she said no.

Also, regarding the first handwritten note: the author says Hiss would not say it was in his handwriting. Feehan also had trouble identifying it as Hiss's.

When Chambers was interviewed by the FBI in 1942 they thought his information was useless and called it "history, hypothesis and deduction." Berle also wrote in his diary and also said subsequently that Chambers couldn't back up anything. It also wasn't clear whether he was saying the Hisses were members of the group or were targets for recruiting.

Regarding the pumpkin papers, aside from the documents signed by Hiss and those that were illegible, there was considerable testimony that those documents would not have gone to Hiss's office and didn't, and before HUAC in December 1948 both Chambers and Julian Wadleigh said several of those documents could have come from Wadleigh. this was stated more than once.

Anyway, just a few examples. jeff Jeffkisseloff (talk) 19:21, 24 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]