Evening star., 1947-12-28

ton Wnere IL Will DC CneCkeu
against the bureau fingerprint,
records and any other records in
| the bureau relevant to any ques-
ton of loyalty. If nothing of a
derogatory nature is thus developed,
no further attention will be given
/ it by the bureau. We think the
Overwhelming majority of employees
will be thus freed from further
loyalty Investigations.
Thorough Probe to Follow
Suspicion of Disloyalty.
However, if such investigation by
the bureau disclosed derogatory
matters or facts which might have
relevancy to question of loyalty,
or if from other souSces the bureau
should be advised of such pertinent
facts. it is then the duty of the
bureau to proceed with a full and
complete investigation of such
particular employe. In such in
vestigation, the bureau will have the
advantage of reports of all gov
ernmental Investigations of, or
material concerning, the particular
employe under examination, so that
it may be said that the entire in
formation in the possession OF the
Government with reference to such
employe will thus be funneled into
the bureau for consideration in the
bureau investigation.
When the investigating agent
shall have completed his investiga-
ton, and the bureau shall have
finally approved his proposed re-
port, such report will go to the
head of the department in which
the particular employe is employed,
or, in the case of an applicant for
employment, to the regional office
in the area in which the application
shall have been made.
Upon receipt of such report by
the proper official, it will be at
once presented to the appropriate
loyalty board. Whereupon such
board must examine it, and, If
from such examination, it is sat-
listed that no reasonable basis for
questioning the employees loyalty
exists, it will so report and the
entire investigation is thereupon
closed Here again, expect many
employees to be freed from further
loyalty investigation.
Moreover, it will be observed,
that, up to this point, all of the
proceedings looking toward the in
vestigation of particular en-
ploye are intended to be kept
entirely secret. free from any pub
licity and very probably, in many
cases, without even the knowledge
of the employe under investigation
The board has approved such
closed procedure, believing that
questions as to employe loyalty are
so important that such employe
should be carefully protected against
any possible disclosure that his
; loyalty is under scrutiny, until a
hearing shall have been held and a
, preliminary determination reached.
Letters of Charges to Go
To Suspected Employe.
However, if from an examination
of the bureau report, the Agency
Loyalty Board or the Regional Loy-
atty Board, as the case may be, is
of the opinion that possible deroga-
tory facts exist which require ex-
planation, then it is the duty OF the
board, if an agency board, to pre-
pare a letter of charges for presen-
tation to the particular employe in
volVed. We shall make every effort
to see that this letter of charges
sets forth clearly the facts upon
which the question of loyalty will
depend. and that such facts are
stated in the fullest permissible de-
| tail, to the end that the employe
may be fully advised as to the
charges against him, in order to
prepare his defense.
| With respect to regional boards,
instead of letter of charges, writ
ten interrogatories will be issued by
the regional board covering every
fact upon which determination
of loyalty or disloyalty is to be made
by the board, and with the same
attention to detail stated above.
In all cases, if the employe desires
a hearing, a speedy hearing will be
granted him, and at such hearing
he will be permitted to appear per-
sonally, and if he SO desires, to be
aided by an attorney or other rep
reSentative, with full right to in
troduce his evidence. The proceed
ings in such hearing will be duly
Transcribed, and. upon demand a
copy of such transcript will be fur
niShed to such employe.
/, The hearings will be private, for
the reasons I have heretofore in
, dicated, and no persons will be
; permitted to be present except es-
sential Government representatives,
the board, the employe, his attor-
, ney and his witnesses.
!, Thus it will be observed that the
FBI report occupies an exceedingly
important position in the estab-
lishment of the facts upon which an
ultimate determination as to loyal
ty will be made. 1t should be clearly
understood that the FBI reports are
not binding on the board Indeed
the fact of nonconformation of
witnesses, since it operates to the
disadvantage of the employe, is a
fact to be considered in the ad
Indication. and such fact will be
weighed with other facts in deter
mining whether or not an individual
is disloyal. 1t is important, there
fore, to observe that for reasons
noted hereafter the employe will not
be permitted to examine or inspect
this report of the Bureau, at any
time, and such deprivation gives
rise to one of the very controver
sial points involved in the opera
ton of the entire loyalty program.
Pro And Con on Subject
OF Public Hearings.
The point has been vigorously
presented to us as follows, Every
employe accused of disloyalty
should be given the right to con-
front his accusers, and subject them
to cross examination" This con-
tention has obvious force, and
presents grave considerations to us.
Why have we been unable to accept
it?