Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-13
Eisenhower Attitude
On Spy Probers Seen
GarbIed in Dispatches
Called Example Of Woy
Congressional Inquiries
Are Being Disporosed
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
A tendency has arisen among left
wingers" and among others who are
not left wingers" but who are al
ways cynical about congressional in
vestigations to belittle and ridicule
the current investigations of Com
munists.
This same reaction was noticeable
In Canada before the public was
finally shocked into learning things
that were thought to be incredible
as the Royal Commissions report
opened the eyes of many skeptics
across our northern border.
Perhaps the best example Of the
way that congressional investiga-
lions are disparaged occurred in the
last 40 hours through the garbling Of
comment attributed to Gen. Eisen-
hover.
The general, who is mentioning In
Colorado, met the press In q brief
conference. One widely disseminate
ed news dispatch from Denver gave
this account:
Gen. Eisenhower said today that
we can get historical about q spy
scare but our Government is aware
of these things and don't believe
the dangers are great. AS see 1t,
we've done pretty well at keeping
our major secrets to ourselves ..
The general said policy matters
had to be debated openly as part
OF a democratic government but
technical matters are different
Eisenhower added: I don't know II
our laws are adequate but adequate
administration and concern will do
that job. We mustn't be naive or
idiotic but we can be careful.
second Dispatch Differs
The foregoing dispatch gave the
impression to many people that the
general was trying to belittle the
value of the congressional investiga-
ton because no secrets had as yet
been divulged and because he didn't
think there was danger that they
would be divulged.
But what did the general really
say? Another widely disseminated
press dispatch on the same day, also
from Denver, said:
Asked about the dangers of spies
TO this country, Eisenhower an
swered: We can't be fools or naive
about spies but we also can't live
under processes Of relationships. I
think we've done pretty well in
keeping our vital secrets to our
selves"
The two dispatches give an alto
gether different impression. In the
second, which sounds more credible,
the general did not belittle the in
vestigations but pointed out that we
had done well to protect our vital
secrets and that, as for spies, we
should be neither foolish nor
naive"-a well balanced and neutral
comment.
As q consequence Of the first dis
patch, = local newspaper here
promptly quoted Gen. Eisenhower
In q cartoon depicting him as. in
effect, having disparaged the con-
gressional investigation and cynic-
ally suggesting that he might have
to be investigated himself. A similar
line was used by some Of the radio
commentators.
The first dispatch also resulted in
q critical comment from Represent
alive Rankin Of Mississippi, who
was quoted as saying the general
ought to help expose the Communist
SOY ring instead Of criticizing the
House Committee on Un-American
Activities. The second of the two
dispatches referred to above, which
Mr.. Rankin probably didn't see.
made 1t clear that the general
wasn't criticizing the congressional
committees at all.
Effort to Smear PrObers.
There has been for several days
now an effort to smear the con-
gressional committees. 1t stems, of
course, from President Truman, who
ia so STEPPED in politics these days
that he says the committee hear
ings are just red herring" to di-
vert attention from the alleged fall
ures of Congress to deal with other
issues. But Mr.. Truman did not tell
the people that the inquiry has been
In process for several months-long
before the special session was called
and that the quarrel over getting
COMMUNISTS out of the executive
agencies of the Government has
been going on for at least two
years under the prodding of con-
eressional committees which have
performed 4 valuable service In ex-
posing loose methods of security
The identity of several of those
employees of the Government who
have been forced to resign in recent
months has not been revealed but
the administration admits 1t has
eliminated some for diSloyalty
reasons.
1t is curious that some of the
persons who are suspected Of dis
loyalty hesitate to answer congress
sional committee questioning as to
whether they have been members of
the Communist Party. Taking
refuge behind the claim of immun-
ity has created an even more sus-
picious attitude among members OF
Congress concerning some of those
persons named in the hearing as
having furnished information to
Miss Bentley, a self-confessed spy
Reproduction Rights Reserved)
yn.R.sz..nuu nansnla.-
-r 4 ~ulFRP