Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-17
Truman May Change
Mind on Secret Data
Before Many Weeks
Ferguson Letter to Clark
Affords 'Woy Out on
. Loyalty Records Bar
By David Laurence

Ai SolAlcetiOil Will s1OydlGy CIleCk-
ups.
For the Senate Subcommittee in
avestigating expenditures in the ex-
ecutive departments has raised a
broad issue that goes to the heart
OF administrative enciency-and the
fundamental right of Congress to
learn whether the peoples money
being spent in salaries by the ex-
ecutive agencies of the Govern
ment is going to efficient and loyal
personnel.
The cry Of politics. is refuted by
the fact that Republicans and Dem
oCrats have united in a unanimous
request that the Attorney General
furnish the information requested,
and the committee has even sug-
gested that all secret data about
any individuals loyalty be deleted
from material given to the COM
mittee and the issue confined to
the sole question Of the efficiency OF
administrative officials.
President Truman has declined
the committees request with spe-
cifc order saying that mo investi-
gative data of any type, whether
relating to loyalty or other aspects
of the individuals record, shall be
included in the material submit
ted to a congressional committee"
Letter Offers Way Out.
Since the Presidents refusal, the
Senate committee has issued let
ter which certainly affords the At
torney General and Mr.. Truman
way out. The communication is sig
nifcant for its careful wording and
apparent effort to avoid any of the
alleged barriers to disclosing in
formation.
Attorney General Clark has re-
piled to the letter by stating that
he could not give out anything while
the grand jury is in session, but.
this has absolutely nothing to do
with the failure of administrative
officials to pay attention to the
warnings given by the FBI that GER
tain persons were under scrutiny.
The full text Of the letter from
Chairman Ferguson to Attorney
General Clark tolloWS:
August 7, 1948.
my dear Mr. Attorney General:
This letter is in reference to our
correspondence of August 2 and your
answer of August in which you
advised the committee that you
could not respond to our request
for information concerning William
w. Remington. In that letter you
stated that the matter had been
referred to the Office of the Presi-
dent for such reply as may be in
the public interest.
~ am writing to you now to make
certain that there is no misunder-
standing as to what the committee
wants and why we want it. We hope
you will forward this letter to the
White House at once so that 1t may
be considered together with the
others.
Our committee has established
BY sworn testimony that our Gov
eminent was put On notice in 1945
that well-orgal1ized group of es-
pionage agents representing Rus
sia appeared to be at work within
our Government while employed by
the United States. This informa-
ton was supplied to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
"Our committee has proved that
at least one of the suspects, i. e.,
Remington, while an extensive in
vestigation was being conducted by
the FBI and a grand jury, and be-
fore any conclusion had been
reached as to his guilt or innocence,
was transferred to three different
top confidential positions in the
United States Government where
highly guarded strategic informa-
ton Of particular interest to the
Russians was fully disclosed to him.
Obviously, this illustrates seri-
GUS breakdown in our loyalty pro-
gram. Our inquiry is aimed at how
this happened, who was responsible
and how such serious mistakes may
be avoided in the future.
with this purpose in mind the
committee desires to find out Cd
if the interested Government agen-
Cies involved we're notified of Rem
ington's alleged espionage activities,
20 in what manner, to whom and
when was such notice given, go
That action was taken by Reming
ons superiors upon receipt OF the
Information.
Informants Names Not Asked.
Let us point out here that our
committee does not want to do any,
hing TO impair the loyalty program,
but instead is most anxious to i'm
prove and strengthen it. For this
reason we are not requesting the
names OF any informants, sources
of information or investigative tech
niques. Therefore, II in the notices
that were sent to the interested
agencies. such material appears. we
ask that 1t be deleted. Once this
is done. 1t Is difficult to see how
meeting our request could in any
way impair the loyalty program.
The committee feels that If the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
gave proper notice to the interested
agencies, this fact should be made
public in order to place the respon-
sibility where 1t belongs. AS the
matter now stands the responsible
lty might appear unfairly to rest
on the Federal Bureau of Investi-
CATION. Our committee has reliable
information. that the FBI gave
ample written notice to the agencies
involved. In this event. why should
the true facts be withheld from
Congress and the public?
Our committee Is unanimous in
this request. We are unanimous in
feeling that communism is a real
threat ito the peace loving people
of the world. We are unanimous
in wanting to put our own house
In order by Kidding our Government
of subversive elements Immediately.
IF there are any details about
our request which you feel should
not be complied with, If you will let
us know, we feel sure we can alter
it in such way that We will meet
your demands and still provide
enough information to continue our
inquiry beneficially pursuant to our