Evening star., 1947-05-01
Checking on Loyalty
FBI Can Only Investigate and Report Facts;
Action Is Up to Departments

OfncialS OF the Federal Bureau Of
Investigation have taken exception to
statements In recent article on this
page by Gerard D. Reilly criticizing
FBI investigations of civil service
loyalty and questioning the value Of
President Truman's new loyalty pro-
gram. Mr.. Reilly, former member Of
the National Labor Relations Board,
had expressed doubt as to the reliability
Of loyalty data obtained by the FBI In
past cases under the Hatch Act and had
estimated that most of these reports
were worthless from the standpoint Of
enabling the employing agency to take
any action"
The FBI agrees with Mr.. Reilly that
the Governments past efforts to rid the
departments and independent agencies
OF disloyal employees have not been as
effective as they might be, but 1t con-
tends that the chief reason for this has
: been not worthlessness of FBI reports
but failure by some administrative
officials to take proper action on the
reports.
The figures show that since the incep-
ton Of the Hatch Act Investigations a
total Of 6,193 cases have been con-
sidered. In these cases 101 employees
were discharged as a result of FBI
evidence, 81 resigned while under In
vestigation and rs others were subjected
to administrative action other than dis
missal. In 1906 cases the investigated
employees voluntarily left the service. In
lila cases no basis was found for the
original complaint
M arf1oY1 fokas4 t1,A ,,fr,v{..,.
agency In 2,785 cases. However. as Of
March Is last, 122 of these cases were
still under consideration by the agency
involved and 6s other cases were being
investigated by administrative author
tiles.
The FBI emphasizes that the fact
that an employing agency fails to act
does not necessarily mean that the FBI
investigation was faulty.
The Wilkerson Case.
There was the case Of Doxey Wilker-
son, former employe of the Federal
Security Agency, for example The FBI
submitted to that agency a 57-page re-
port on the communistic background
OF the employe. When interviewed by a
personnel officer Of the agency, Wilker-
son denied he was a Communist, The
agency took no action, holding that he
had professed his loyalty and his re-
moVal would not be justified. Wilkerson
later transferred to the Office of Price
administration, from which he subse-
quently resigned one day before his an
po1ntment as educational director of
the Baltimore District of the Commu-
MIST Party. Eventually he was made q
member OF the National Committee of
the Communist Party. A prerequisite
TO membership on this committee is four
years membership in the party-a
period extending well back into WiIker-
sons Government service.
And, IN the more recent case of a
state Department employe, Carl Mar
zan1, the Department Of Justice in an
nouncing Warrants Indictment on a
cnarge OF falsely denying membership
In the Communist Party in order to oh
tain Federal employment, said: "Since
May, lS42, FBI reports disclosed the
communistic activities of Marzani."
Mr.. Reilly stated that when a s,,s-
pected employe was interviewed by the
Fb1, very seldom was he interroeated
ABOUT anything the investigator had
peen told" and that needless to saw
such questions (about Communist af1ili,
ations, II any rarely produce an affirm
atlVe response" The FBI concurs with
MIR. Reilly that Communists do not
readily admit their membership In the
party, but points out that the purpose
OF the interview primarily is to give the