Stassen replied: “I am willing to give you, and the executive branch is willing to give you, every bit of information that does not violate one of three considerations: One, security from the standpoint of intelligence; two, the rule on internal executive branch documents ...; three, the details of international negotiations which would make our relations with our allies more difficult.”
“Are you willing to give us the list of items that were decontrolled or downgraded?”
“No, I do not have ... those lists now.”
“All right,” McClellan said. “Let me ask you: Are you permitted to testify under the security cloak that is wrapped around Government officials in this matter?”
Stassen declared that McClellan was helping the Communists in revealing material on the strategic materials list.
“You say I am helping the Communists,” McClellan snapped. “The allies, whose position you are defending, Great Britain—I hope our strongest ally—publishes the list so the Communists can see what she will sell, the very items that are today classified from the Congress and the American people.”
Stassen was surprised. “The United Kingdom does not publish the international list, Mr. Chairman, that I know of.”
McClellan picked up some papers and extended them toward Stassen. “Here it is; I hold it in my hand. This is a Board of Trade Journal, October 16, 1954, on which wire, copper wire, is excluded, so they know they can buy it.”
“Would you give it to me, please?” asked Stassen.
Even after Stassen was given the list published by the British, he refused to make the almost identical American list available to the McClellan subcommittee. After a long and unsuccessful effort to obtain information from Stassen, Senator Sam Ervin concluded that the Eisenhower administration was willing to talk a lot but say nothing.