Furry Denies All Present Ties with Any Red Groups

Associate Professor of Physics Wendell H. Furry, who early yesterday refused to tell the House Un-American Activities Committee whether he is or ever has been a Communist, declared last night, "I am not a member of the Communist Party, I have no personal knowledge as to whether or not there is any Communist Party activity at Harvard of anywhere else."

Furry, who has been named by three earlier witness before the House Committee as a member of a Harvard "Red cell" in the 1930's, did not say whether he had belonged to the Communist Party in the past.

He refused to answer all questions pertaining to Communism or Communist activities under the provisions of the first and fifth amendments of the Constitution.

Meets With Reporters

In a special interview with reporters at the Furry home in Belmont. Furry said that he had worked for two years during the war at the top-secret M.I.T. Radiation Laboratories along with several other Harvard professors. When asked whether he had signed a loyalty cath before beginning his M.I.T. wartime work, Furry commented, "You know what you have to go through for these top secret projects."

In the process of his screening Furry admitted that he had had to make a list of all organizations of which he had been a member. "I put down six or eight that must have been on the Attorney General's list; I thought I listed enough to give them a considerable pause."

When asked if he had included all organizations in his screening, Furry replied. "I don't remember. I know I didn't list any I joined later." He refused to answer further questions along this line.

Buck Issues Statement

Furry indicated he had informed Provost Buck as soon as he received a subpoena from the Velde committee three weeks ago. The Provost, who is Chairman of the Administrative Committee, took no action until yesterday, when he issued the following statement: "Professor Wendell H. Furry's reported refusal to answer certain questions put to him by the House Un-American Activities Committee will be given full and deliberate consideration by the Harvard University authorities."

No action, however, is expected to be taken within the next few days.

The 46 year old physicist also revealed that he had discussed the entire matter with "the Sutherland advisory group." "They did not act as my lawyers, but merely gave me some advice. My lawyer was Joseph Forer of Washington."

Admits "Indiscretions"

The Sutherland Committee referred to is a group of several law school professors who have voluntarily joined together to give legal advice and council to any University professor called before a Congressional Committee.

"I've probably been indiscrete in some of my actions in the past and given the investigating committee a chance to ask about some of he organizations I've belonged to," Furry continued. "I'm sorry I joined the first Civil Rights Congress and attended a conference they held in Boston.

"I am not sorry, however, that I joined the joint anti-Fascist Refugee Committee which was doing very important work." Both these groups were mentioned at yesterday's bearings by Government prosecuting attorney Frank Tavenner.

Talks Readily

Although Furry refused to answer all questions put to him by Tavenner concerning Communism, he talked readily before the Committee about his background, education, and work.

A former Harvard instructor, Daniel J. Boorstin, also testified before the Veldo Committee yesterday. Boorstin reiterated testimony by Professor Robert G. Davis of Smith as to the existence of a Communist cell at Harvard in the thirties. He, as did Davis, testified that Furry had been a member of that group.

The testimony before the Committee will continue today