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The Amerasia Spy Case: Prelude to McCarthyism Hardcover – February 19, 1996

by Harvey Klehr (Author), Ronald Radosh (Author)

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The Amerasia affair was the first of the great spy cases of the postwar era. In June 1945, six people associated with the magazine Amerasia were arrested by the FBI and accused of espionage on behalf of the Chinese Communists. But only two, the editor of Amerasia and a minor government employee, were convicted of any offense, and their convictions were merely for unauthorized possession of government documents. Harvey Klehr and Ronald Radosh provide a full-scale history of the first public drama featuring charges that respectable American citizens had spied for the Communists. The Amerasia case remained a staple in American political life for the next half-decade. It provoked charges by conservatives of a cover-up of extensive Communist infiltration of the government and accusations by liberals of a witch-hunt designed to intimidate the press. And it played a significant role in the hearings held to examine Senator Joseph McCarthy's charge that the State Department had been infiltrated by a clique of 'card carrying Communists.' Klehr and Radosh, the first researchers to have obtained the FBI files on the case, show that a cover-up was indeed orchestrated by prominent government officials.

Print length

280 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date

February 19, 1996
Dimensions

6.12 x 1 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

0807822450
ISBN-13

978-0807822456
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Nigel West
10
Hardcover
1 offer from $16.95

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In February 1945, Kenneth Wells, chief of the South Asia division of the Office of Strategic Services, happened upon a leftist magazine called Amerasia. In its pages he found a story on British-American political relations in recently liberated Indochina. Wells recognized the story, for he had written it in a report to which only a few senior government analysts had access. When government agents raided the magazine's offices they found many such documents, some marked "Top Secret." The magazine's spies had infiltrated the State Department with ludicrous ease. No one was punished, thanks to government prosecutors' ineptitude, until some years later Joseph McCarthy, an obscure first-term Republican senator of little distinction, revived the case. McCarthy was zealous and had small regard for the Constitution, but in this case he had a point; as Harvey Klehr and Ronald Radosh slyly remark, not everyone accused of disloyalty or espionage was innocent. Students of Cold War history will find much of interest in these pages.

From Publishers Weekly

Less well-known than the Hiss and Rosenberg cases, the Amerasia affair was the first major postwar espionage case, and was cited by Senator Joseph McCarthy as proof of his contention that the State Department had been infiltrated by a clique of "card carrying" Communists. The case revolved largely around the arrests of Philip Jaffe, editor of the pro-Communist magazine Amerasia, for conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviets and of John Stewart Service, one of the State Department's "China hands," who favored Mao's victory over the Nationalists. The authors of this well-researched study, working from FBI files and interviews, reveal new details of Service's efforts to undermine U.S. ambassador Patrick Hurley's diplomatic mission to China in 1945. ("As the Amerasia case ought to teach us," they comment, "not everyone accused of disloyalty or espionage was innocent.") The study also includes fresh revelations of how lobbyist Thomas Corcoran successfully pressured the Justice Department not to indict the Amerasia defendants; the department feared that a full-scale prosecution would unduly publicize the threat of Communist espionage and embarrass the Truman administration. Klehr is professor of politics at Emory University; Radosh is a history professor at Adelphi. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of North Carolina Press; First Edition (February 19, 1996)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0807822450
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0807822456
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.44 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.12 x 1 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,534,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,480 in Espionage True Accounts
- #15,747 in Political Science (Books)
- #94,531 in United States History (Books)

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oswegodon

MCCARTHY WAS RIGHT!

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2011

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In 1995, with the release of the Venona Papers, the charade that the Russians were "Socialists In A Hurry" or "Socialists In Overhalls" went out the window. The subsequent access to KGB files and the discovery of the papers of the Communist Party-USA that had been hidden in a Russian warehouse for 40 years (Yelstsin asked Reagan if he wanted them as they were taking up too much space!!) only added to the primary research material that ended once and for all the arguments between the Left and the Right on who was right on the cold war. The Left lost!

Further, the charade that there were no Russian spies, either domestic or foreign, in the US is finally put to rest with the exposure of not only the Rosenburgs (whose sons are now trying a new tack by saying that at least their mother wasn't a spy--sorry boys), Alger Hiss was an industrial strength liar until they buried him at 93 (Truman didn't move him out of the State Department to the Carnegie Endowment For Peace for nothing), Witaker Chambers was not only telling the truth but was right on every count, and Harry Dexter White (someone whose daughters were still trying to clear his name as recently as 1994) was "red" to the marrow while undermining the Nationalist Chinese cause during their civil war with the Communists. One member of the Truman administration, I forgot which (Laurence Duggan?), had the good sense to jump out a window to his demise as the FBI was closing in.

"Amerasia" is superb in exposing it as a Communist spy cover being run out of Johns Hopkins University, not a bona fide research think tank, and that McCarthy was right in his charges.

To make the reading even more enjoyable for those of you who were on the Right during those years the authors expose Tommy "The Cork" Corchoran, a major "fixer" for the FDR administration (he got Father Coughlin tossed off the radio by going to the Bishop of Detroit), as the go-between who fixed the trial with payoffs of judgeships and other government positions for the key people. The whole trial was a fraud and a set-up and the authors find the primary documents to prove their case.

A seminal work of American History, the Cold War, and Communism in the United States.

A book you'll probably read twice because of the dismay, keep in your library, recommend to everyone you know, and then proudly proclaim: "McCarthy was right!".

12 people found this helpful

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J. Grattan

Highly detailed look at the Amerasia affair (3.75*s)

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2010

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The Amerasia spy case - a case where six Americans associated with the Far-Eastern affairs journal "Amerasia" were charged with espionage in June, 1945, but then cleared or had charges reduced - would be confined to the dust-bin of history if Sen. Joe McCarthy had not made the case relevant again with his Lincoln Day speech in 1950 in Wheeling, WV, where he asserted that up to 205 card-carrying Communists currently worked in the State Dept. The authors do not ignore the consequences of McCarthy's inflammatory charges, devoting a lengthy chapter to the special subcommittee hearings chaired by Sen. Tydings of MD to investigate State Dept security, but their main thrust is to detail the movements, meetings, and conversations of those six individuals and others from the time they were suspected of espionage through the disposition of their case, as well as, the actions taken by various governmental bodies in pursuit of them. Despite the authors' close look, in the end, the entire situation remains murky and ambiguous. It is not in doubt that all of the six had Communist sympathies and associated with known Communists, but they seemed to not have crossed the line into outright espionage, though one, Philip Jaffe, was actively seeking such an opportunity.

The entire affair began only on the chance reading by an OSS analyst of an article published in the Jan, 1950, issue of "Amerasia" that was a virtual reprint of a secret report that he had previously written. The OSS, when given an opportunity to break into the journal's offices, found hundreds of classified documents from several departments, most of them related to the Far-East. The FBI was called in to conduct a thorough investigation. It is not surprising that virtually the entire book, other than the use of some public records, is based on FBI documents produced from all manner of sources: from break-ins, surveillance, phone taps, and hidden microphones, in addition, to more conventional reports.

The individuals arrested were: Philip Jaffe, founder and editor, an independently wealthy person and the most pro-active of them all; Kate Mitchell, assistant editor, very smart and the daughter of well-respected, conservative family; John Stewart Service, State Dept diplomat, convinced that the Communists would and should take over China; Andrew Roth, a US Navy lieutenant, a Communist sympathizer who nonetheless was with the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI); Emmanuel "Jimmy" Larsen, an obscure State Dept employee with Far-Eastern interests; and Mark Gayn, a well-known, free-lance reporter who traveled in radical circles. Larsen and Roth seemed to have been the sources for most of the documents, whereas, Service basically passed on his own reports written as part of his duties.

In light of subsequent developments, it is startling that the Justice Dept pursued this case so vigorously. Initially, some in the FBI considered the case to be "airtight." But such sentiments evaporated quickly. Instead, prosecutors quickly realized that they had no direct evidence of espionage. Furthermore, they had no confidence that the methods used to obtain evidence could hold up in court. And there were definitely political and exposure considerations. Political fixer Thomas Corcoran, working with the Justice Dept and special prosecutor Robert Hitchcock, orchestrated a damage-control strategy in not forcefully pushing the case, especially with the grand jury. Service, Mitchell, and Gayn were cleared by the grand jury. In the Fall of 1945, Jaffe and Larsen paid fines of $2500 and $500, respectively, on charges of theft and illegal possession of documents, not espionage. In Feb, 1946, all charges against Roth were dropped. The handling of the case was very controversial. The press excoriated the Justice Dept for hounding leftists, and conservatives found the conduct of the case to be a whitewash. Hitchcock joining the prestigious law firm of Mitchell's uncle shortly after the case was resolved seemed to confirm that view.

Political conservatives and anti-communists, of whom McCarthy was a foremost member, had been convinced for years that a certain faction in the US government, primarily in the State Dept, was intent on undermining the Chinese nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek in favor of the Communists led by Mao Tse-tung. The fall of China to the Communists in late 1949 merely exacerbated those sentiments. The convergence of many factors buoyed McCarthy's charges. Cold War anti-communism was raging, but conservatives had been thwarted in gaining control of the Presidency for twenty years. They were certain that proving a large-scale penetration of the US government by Communist agents would propel them into the Presidency.

McCarthy was not a member of the Tydings committee, but in playing the roles of witness and outside agitator, he set the tone for the proceedings. His aggressiveness is typified by his pursuit of "China Hand" and college professor Owen Lattimore, referring to him as the "top Russian espionage agent," a charge found to have almost no substance. Of course, the Amerasia "whitewash" was on the agenda. However, the Amerasia defendants called before the committee provided no more clarity than five years prior. The Tydings' hearing did not go well for the conservatives or McCarthy. Clearly there was no wholesale penetration of the US government by Communist agents. On the other hand, McCarthy was not deterred. His vigorous pursuit of Communists would continue into 1954, until his own excesses in that search brought about a quick fall.

The book is very narrowly focused; it is concerned almost entirely with the Amerasia affair and the persons closely tied to the case. It is almost too narrow. There would seem to have been room for the authors to widen the scope of their examination without loosing focus. It is not really clear that knowing all the minute maneuverings of the six persons is all that important, though perhaps is somewhat interesting. The book does provide some context for understanding McCarthy's charges. The authors do not hide from the clandestine activities, ambiguous loyalties, and efforts to cover-up concerning security matters. They are fairly even-handed in their judgments.

No doubt, security and loyalty are dicey subjects, especially in a time of war in a nation that supposedly values the free flow of ideas. This book does shine a light on the difficulty of balancing those concerns, despite the lack of indisputable conclusions about many of the particulars of this case.

9 people found this helpful

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Stephen M. St Onge

If you want to understand McCarthyism, you have to read this

Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 1998

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In 1950, Joe McCarthy started telling USAmericans that there was a Great Communist Conspiracy that had infiltrated the U.S. govt., the Press, the churches, you name it. One of his prime exhibits was the AMERASIA case, where what started as an espionage conspiracy suddenly, mysteriously collapsed. "It's true," said the Right and the Republicans. "Nonsense you're all paranoids," said Democrats, liberals, and the Left. Now, thanks to Klehr and Radosh, we have the truth, and it is stranger than anything either side ever suspected. There were multiple, independent, overlapping conspiracies, at AMERASIA magazine (to spy for Stalin),in the State Dept. (to undermine FDR's China Policy), in the Communist movement (to shape U.S. policy) in the Justice Dept. (to cover up political embarrassments) and in Congress (to cover up the other conspiracies). Had the truth been told then, we might have been spared some of the worst political messes of modern times. Highly Recommended.

27 people found this helpful

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Jayfred

Not recommended.

Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2017

This book never grabbed my interest.

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recluse

矮小な人間たちが作り出していく現実

Reviewed in Japan on May 29, 2014

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前から気になっていた事件に関する作品でした。有名な著者たち（ In Denial: Historians, Communism & Espionage )ですので、もう少しすっきりとした大上段を期待していたのですが、現実はもう少し複雑だったようです。これではサブタイトルとはずれています。
事件はある一部の人には良く知られたものでしたが、どうもその真相があまりはっきりしないのです。著者の結論は長年の調査とFBI文書に基づいたもので、この事件の当事者たちともインタヴュー（ほとんどが1980年代）を重ねているほどです。
事件は、1945年春にこのAmerasiaという太平洋問題に関する専門雑誌に、政府内の秘密文書がほぼそのままの形で掲載されていることに気付いたOSS（Organisation for Strategic Services: CIAの前身）がこの雑誌社のオフィスに不法に侵入してみたところ、大量の政府文書を発見し、OSSからの通報でFBIがこの雑誌に関係した複数の人物にアメリカお得意の盗聴を仕掛けてみたら、そこに共産主義へのシンパシーや当時の米国の対中政策に不満を抱く様々な政府内並びにアメリカ共産党に近い人物が浮かび上がってきたというわけです。六人が逮捕され、その中には有名な国務省の中国専門家John Service (( The Best and the Brightest )も含まれているのですが、様々な当時の諸事情が絡んで、結局は「大山鳴動して鼠が一匹も出てこない」という結末に陥ったという話です。
いうまでもなくこれは司法省や裁判所も絡んでのもみ消しなのですが、結局のところ、なぜこれほどの政府文書が大量に共産党やソヴィエト、共産中国にシンパシーを持つ雑誌にリークされたのかという本質的な問題にはふたをしたままになってしまったというわけです。このもみ消しという解決は、その後1950年にマッカーシーによってもう一度別な文脈で蒸し返されるわけですが、これも結局は「もみ消しのもみ消し」という結末に至ります。そしておそらくソヴィエトのagentと思われた人物は国外に脱出したままというわけです。
ここにはWhittaker Chambersの作品のようなソヴィエトの諜報活動に関わった人物の直接的な描写はありません。前半には、JaffeというAmerasiaの編集長を取り囲む不思議な人間像が登場しますが、後半は政府と議会の間でのカバーアップをめぐる様々な政府なり裁判所の人間間での工作活動の描写が中心となります。そしてHooverの予想通りの不気味な存在感です。というわけで、政府の政策に不満で情報をいかがわしい人物にリークするなんて行為はソ連の諜報活動への協力ではないにしても,そこでの人間の生き様はどれも矮小でみじめったらしいものです。でもこれもアメリカの現実の一側面だったのです。

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