The Angel

The man summoned to account for the four Communist fugitives is one of the oddest specimens in the Communists' menagerie. Tall, intense Frederick Vanderbilt Field, 46, is the millionaire son of mil and the party's most dependable angel. His millionaires, great-great-grandfather was the profane steamboater and railroad builder, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. The Civil Rights Congress bail fund, of which Field is secretary, has handed over about $450,000 in bail money for the beleaguered Communists in the past three years. He is a registered foreign agent, as a lobbyist for Communist China. Congress cited him for contempt last year for refusing to answer questions, but he was acquitted in Federal court on a plea of possible selfincrimination.

Field insisted he knew nothing of the four fugitives, had not helped them escape, had last seen them five days earlier at the party's 12th Street headquarters (less than two blocks from his town house). Judge Ryan demanded the names of the people who had put up the bail money, arguing that they might know where the four were. Field refused to answer, with the usual chant that it "might tend to incriminate me." Judge Ryan replied: "The witness is obligated to disclose the identity of people for whom he acted as trustee, because their disclosure may result in the arrest of the fugitives."

Field remained steadfastly mum. So did two other fund trustees, the bookkeeper and the chairman, Writer Dashiell (The Maltese Falcon) Hammett. At week's end, Judge Ryan brusquely found Field guilty of contempt of court, ordered him to jail for 90 days or until he decided to talk. Judge Ryan also found Writer Hammett contemptuous, gave him six months.

It was a bad week for Communists and Communist angels alike. Seventeen second-rung Communists, who were arrested last month on charges of conspiring to teach and advocate the overthrow of the Government, also appeared before Judge Ryan for arraignment. They were released on bail--$171,000 of it supplied by Field's outfit, $5,000 from Field's own pocket. Another four had eluded arrest and disappeared. It was a good guess they were in touch with Comrade Gus Hall and friends, somewhere.

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