Evening star., 1942-05-21
Senate Investigation
OF Smear Charges
Opposed by BarkIey
kye Says Demond for
Probe Of Plot Against
Walsh Will Be Pressed

BY the Associated Press.
Demands for a general investiga-
tion of charges that attempts were
being made to smear" some Sem
ators who opposed intervention in
the war before Pearl Harbor met
with opposition today from Demo-
cratic Leader Barkley.
In an interview, Senator Barkley
said he did not favor launching any
inquiry of this nature-as proposed
by Senators Nye, Republican, of
North Dakota Wheeler, Democrat,
of Montana and Clark, Democrat,
of Missouri
The demands we're made after
Senator Barkley told the Senate
yesterday that a Justice Depart
ment investigation had exonerated
Senator Walsh, Democrat, of Mas
sachusetts of charges that Senator
Walsh could be accused of con
spring with enemy aliens" in a
Brooklyn house of ill-repute. charges
which were published in the New
York Post.
Senator Nye told reporters, how
ever, that he and others intended
to press for an investigation OF what
he described as "a definite cam
paign to smear certain members OF
the Senate" which he said had been
going on for months"
Walsh Continues Silence.
Senator Walsh, chairman Of the
Naval Affairs Committee and a
member of what had been called
the intervention bloc, along
with Senator Wheeler, Clark, Nye
and others, did not comment on
Senator Barkley's statement exon
Grating him or on his future plans.
Ending two weeks Of cloakroom
discussions, Senator Barkley an
nounced to a crowded Senate that
the alleged proprietor Of the Brook
lyn house, Gustave H. Beekman,
had signed a statement that Sena-
tor Walsh was not the man who had
visited his place. Further, Senator
Barkley said that Beekman and
others had identified pictures of an
other man as being the one in ques-
ton.
There were reports, Senator
Barkley said, that soldiers and SAIL
ors had been piled with liquor" in
the house of degradation" to obtain
from them information on the move
ment of ships.
The New York Post published
yesterday a further affidavit from
Beekman saying that on May IS
and Is he was questioned by the F..
B I. at length and that the F. B. l.
wanted me to identify some one
else as Mr.. Walsh"
Calls Statement Untrue.
The affidavit continued in part:
They showed me a picture of a
man called Doc They wanted me
to agree that this Doc was the man
and let it 60 at that. They ques-
toned me for about six or seven
hours.
THE F. B. l. asked me to sign
the statement. Even though I knew
it was untrue, I signed it. There
was nothing else I could do. ="
Attorney General Biddle told a
press conference that a principal
witness in the case was questioned
by the F. B. I. from pm. to 8:45
pm. on May Is, then given sand
wiches, after which he made a state
ment during a 15-minute period.
There was not the slightest
duress of any kind" Mr.. Biddle
said.
The newspaper said in a state
ment issued through its editor. Ted
o. Thackrey, and Endorsed by its
publisher. Dorothy S. Backer, that
it would continue to demand full
Senate investigation" of the matter
Senator Barkley and his COL
leagues, including Senators Clark
of Missouri, Wheeler and Nye, have
chosen to render verdict without
letting the Senate hear the case"
the statement said.
Senator Clark had declared he
thought it the duty of the Senate
to examine further Into the mo-
tives behind this filthy conspiracy
to smear a member of this body"
Proposes Senate Study"
If there is conspiracy or an
organized effort, as has appeared
from time to time, to smear men,
bers of the Senate and House who
do not happen to agree with GER
tain newspapers on public ques-
tions, the people should know it,"
he declared.
Senator Barkley said he could
not give a categorical answer on
whether the Senate should take
further official action, adding: Il
think it is a matter which ought
to be considered"
In the debate Senators Clark and