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36 / THE ALGER HISS TRIAL
Hiss was a respected lawyer and government official. Much confidential information was entrusted to him. Chambers was a Communist for at least fourteen years and was committed, if necessary, to overthrowing our government by violence. Chambers says he left the party in 1938, but there is conflicting evidence about that.
In late 1934 or early 1935, Chambers, masquerading as a writer, went to see Hiss, who was then a lawyer for a senate committee. Many journalists called Hiss for information. Hiss saw him twice in his office and at lunch three or four times. Chambers said he needed an apartment in Washington. Hiss and his wife were moving and had two months left on the lease of their old apartment. Hiss offered Chambers his old apartment for what it cost him. Chambers took it.
At that time the Hisses were buying a new car and had not yet traded in their old Ford. As part of the rental agreement, Hiss gave Chambers the old car for fifty dollars. Of course, it turned out that Chambers didn't pay the rent. He also didn't pay back some other small sums of money he borrowed from Hiss. In July 1936, Hiss decided Chambers was a dead-beat. He told him off and never saw him again. Chambers says that they saw each other after that.
Chambers said he was known to the Hisses as Carl.
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