Evening star., 1948-08-11
Senate Will Resume
Spy Probe, Continue Il
Through September
BY the kssselssss prsss

Republicans laid plans today
to keep their investigation Of
Communists In Government
going through September anc
Senator Pepper, Democrat, o1
Florida, charged it is all part OF
a smear campaign"
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat, Of
Arkansas told a reporter he has
been notified to return to Washing
ton September 13 for resumed hear
ings by a subcommittee of the Sen
ate Expenditures Committee. The
group ID headed by Senator Fergu-
son. Republican, of Michigan.
Told of this, Senator Pepper said
the timing smacks of politics-a
conclusion with which Senator Nc
Clellan didn't agree.
Smear Campaign Charged.
This makes it obvious that the
Republican pattern il TO make this
a smear campaign" Senator Pepper
declared. THE whole design is to
diseredit the late President Roose-
velt, the Democratic Party and Pres
ident Truman.
But l have seen a lot of these
smear campaigns react. ! don't
think the Republicans are going to
be satisfied with any judicial in
ouiry and their effort to make a
tar baby out of the Democratic
Administration may backfire on
them"
Senator McCielland-who wasn't
for President Trumans nomination
at the Democratic National Con-
vention-had another view.
The Presidents statement that
the congressional investigation is
nothing but red herring is almost
indefensible, the Arkansas Senator
declared.
Urges Suspicious Be Cleared Up.
whether or not the charges made
by Miss Elizabeth Bentley that she
got information from Government
oficials and passed it along to Mos
COW are true or not, the public Is
suspicious that something is wrong
Those suspicious ought to be cleared
up one way or another"
Senator Mcclellan voiced the
opinion that the issue of whether
there are Communists working in
side the Government may become
one of the two or three biggest
issues in the presidential campaign.
President Truman ought to CO.
operate with US in bringing this
thing into the open," he declared.
Committee Quits.
The Ferguson Committee quit last
week when it found itself stymied
In efforts to obtain the complete
employment records of William w.
Remington. a suspended Commerce
Department official named by Miss
Bentley as one Of those who gave
her information.
The House Committee on Un-
American Activities has gone right
along with its sensation packed
hearings since the special session
quit. But indications are that it
may run out of witnesses in the
next few weeks.
If the Senate group resumes hear
ings by mid-September, members
say its inquiry might stretch out
over most of the election campaign
It thus might keep alive an issue
most Republicans think helped take
some of the heat of Of them during
the special session.
To Concentrate on individuals.
Senator Ferguson's plan, as out.
lined by his aides. is to concentrate
his fire on an individual case with
out the broadside approach ADOPTED
by the House Committee.
The Ferguson group has made
formal demand on Attorney General
Clark for information on how Mr.
Remington was able to transfer
from one Government job to an
other while he was under lengthy
investigation by the FBI. Mr.. Rem
ington has denied any disloyal act.
With or without the information
sought from Mr.. Clark, the Senate
committee is reported planning to
take up some similar case and trace
sll of its phases. One case could
succeed another at some length, If
rhaco