The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-05-20

(COnClnued rom Page 1) charges and completely exonerate" Walsh.
 Meantime, Barkley said, he had conferred with Walsh, who told him that he had never in his life been in the "house of degradation" in Brooklyn, and in fact had been in that New York borough only three times in his life.
 He Advised Walsh
 Barkley said he had advised Walsh against making any statement un- less the article appeared in other newspapers besides the New York Post.
 The conference, Barkley said, oc- cured after Walsh had phoned him that the Post had advised Walsh that 1t was about to name him as the "U. s. Senator" 1t had not previously identified in con- nection with the charges. He said Walsh told him he already had in- formed the Post the story was a "diabolical lie."
 Walsh was not in his seat when Barkley made his statement today.
 Barkley began by saying that he desired to make a statement on a matter involving the highest priv ileges of the Senate"
 He related that the New York Post published a story on May l about the Beekman trial, bearing headline which read-"Link Sen- ator to Spy Nest."
 The story, he said, "contained charges that a member of the United States Senate was fre- quently seen in this place (Beek- mans establishment) talking to an alien who was suspected of being spy in behalf of the Nazis."
 While the article indicated that the conversations which were Sup- posed to have transpired were not audible, and nobody could testify to what was said, which in all probability might in imagination be any one of a dozen members of this body" Barkley said.
 Not Named In First
 The first article, Barkley said, did not name Walsh.
 "This publication" he continued, twas brought to my attention by the attorney general, Francis Bid- de. It was brought to his atten- tion by reasons of intimations in New York made to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that it might involve violation of the espionage act"
 Such violation, Barkley said, was suggested by statements that sol diers and sailors who frequented Beekman's house were piled with liquor to become garrulouS and reveal the whereabouts of ships"
 "The only interest of the Justice Department was to ascertain whether there had been any viola ton of the law regarding alien activities" Barkley said.
 Accounting how he talked by tei- ephone to Riddle and personally to one of the latter'S assistants, Hugh Cox, Barkley said he had then con- ferred with Senate Republican 4cdQGG ALldI1 I1CD As MC1NdAJ VI O@V~ gon on the best course to pursue.
 "The two of us," he said, agreed that the best course was for the Justice Department, informally, without and request from the Sen- ate. to make an investigation of the facts"
 Riddle agreed to make the inquiry. he said.
 Meantime. Harkley said. on Mon- day or Tuesday of the week follow ing publication of the first Post story, Walsh, who had not yet been named as the senator, called him and went to his house to confer.
 "FIe said he had told the Post that the whole story was diabolical lie and that if they named him that would be what they would publish" Barkley said,
 Senator Walsh was visibly agi- tated, as of course anyone would be under such revolting charges" !" Bark ley said.
 He said that Riddle advised him last Monday that the investigation had been completed land that t completely exoncrated" Walsh.