Evening star., 1946-06-25
Civil Service Board
Defends Policy on
Loyalty Probes

The Civil Service Commission de-
Tended its policy of investigating
Government job seekers today with
the charge that Representative
Rees, Republican, of Kansas, would
be making direct contribution to
opening the gates wide to
Communists and Communist party.
liners if he realized his objective
of changing current policies.
The statement was made in re-
buttal to charge made Yesterday
by Mr., Rees that the commission
was illegally and arbitrarily al
lowing known Communists and
party line followers to remain in
the Government.
Mr.. Rees, sponsor Of a resolution
for congressional investigation of
subversive forces in the Govern
ment, also charged that in rs per
cent OF the cases where the COM
MISSIONS investigators recon-
mended dismissals because of Com
muniStic affiliations, the commits
sion's loyalty board reversed them.
Replying to Mr.. Rees' objection to
investigative practices, the commits
sion said it was "the policy of the
commission not to disclose to any
one the sources Of information
secured in the course of an investiga-
ton"
Loyalty Rating Board Defended.
Such policy is necessary to pro-
vide the Government protection
against Communists or followers of
the party line, the commission said.
adding
The first thing that persons do
who appear before the commission
in behalf of Communists or Com
munist party liners is to object vigor-
ously to the commissions refusal to
divulge the sources of information
which has been obtained"
In defense of the procedure of
allowing Loyalty Rating Board to
make recommendations on loyalty
matters, the commission said Mr..
Rees apparently feels that the Com
missioners themselves should have
blindly accepted the recommenda-
tions of Investigators
Such a policy would be sure to
lead to miscarriage of justice" the
commission continued. "Investi-
gators are trained to get informa-
ton, not to make decisions after it
has been obtained.
The commission insisted 1t went
beyond provisions of the Hatch Act
and various appropriation acts in
guarding against employment of
persons who would overthrow the
constitutional form of government.
AT the outset of the war. the
commission realized that the appli-
cation of these two tests alone would
result in barring very few persons
from Government employment, the
commission said. Consequently
the commission. In it's own
regulations. provided that it would
rate ineligible person concerning
whom there was reasonable doubt
as to his loyalty to the Government
of the United States"
1.2S3 Rated Ineligible.
Under these regulations. the COM
mission from July /. 1910 to the
present time rated ineligible 1888
persons on loyalty grounds-"more
than so per cent of whom were rated
ineligible because the commission
believed they were Communists or
followers of the Communist party
line"
Mr.. Rees complains about recon-
mendations made to the commission
by certain of its staff members" the
statment continued. The commits
Sloners assume complete RESPONSE
bllity for the action taken in each
individual case involving questions
of loyalty.
Because of the difficult nature of
these cases, the commissioners have
asked for recommendation from va
rious staff members. Oftentimes
these recommendations have been
conflicting in nature In each case.
however, the commissioners have
made up their own minds and voted
accordingly.
1T is, of course. impossible to reply
to Mr.. Rees' statement that in rs
per cent of the cases involving Com
munists these advisers recommended
that the finds of the Investigation
Divisions be reversed. because Mr..
Rees does not state over what period
of time this happened
The commission knows that the
statement is absolutely inaccurate as
far as any fiscal year during the war
period is concerned"