Evening star., 1948-12-20
President Seen LOSING
Issue on Spy Probe
Before Jury Of Public
Red Herring Charge
Held Uneonvineine in
Foce Of Disclosures
By David Laurence


On the face of things, 1t might
eeem that President Truman has
now Joined the ranks of those who
do not like to "eat crow" and who
do not like to acknowledge when
they are wrong.
When Mr.. Truman insists that
the spy investigation is still Red
herring" and when he expresses
that opinion not once but twice in
the face of shocking revelations Of
secret files Of documents stolen
from the Government by confessed
spies. the curiosity Of the public Is
naturally aroused.
In defense Of Mr.. Truman it Is
being said, however, that he Is not
just a stubborn man who hates to
be proved wrong about anything.
He Is not the kind of politician who
follows the rule that in politics
you never admit doing anything
wrong.
What the President had in mind
he doesn't artieulate too well. He
isn't very good at fencing with the
correspondents He doesn't answer
In long explanations but in short,
crisp sentences and he assumes that
his meaning Is clear to all who
hear him.
Doubted Motives.
At the time Mr.. Truman made
his first comment last summer
about q Red herring" he didn't
really believe the House Un-Amer-
lean Activities Committee had un-
covered anything of Importance. He
was told by Justice Department Of
f1cials that everything Of impor-
tance had been investigated by the
FBI and by the Federal grand jury.
He, therefore, could not see any
purpose in what the House COM
mittee was doing except to get
headlines.
Now, during the campaign, 1t was
evident that the Republicans were
trying to pin on the Democrats
charge Of laxity in handling loyalty
probes and firing Communists from
the Government. Conceding that
the administration had set up
checks for loyalty and had gotten
rid of persons of doubtful loyalty,
1t is also true that the Republicans
had done the prodding and were
trying to claim credit politically.
SO far as Mr.. Truman was con-
eerned, however, there was an un-
pleasant innuendo spread around
during the campaign that he had
overlooked the misdeeds Of the Com
9punists inside the Government. He
didn't like this. Actually he felt
that the whole committee investi-
cation was really Red herring"
to divert attention from more I'M
portant issues. Having served on
the famous Truman Committee, he
knew something about headline
getting. AS a matter of fact, 1t was
the publicity which Mr.. Truman re-
ceived as head Of a. Senate investi-
eating committee that won him at
tention inside his party and got
him the vice presidential nomina-
ton In 1914.
Confirmed by Experience.
This has not made him any more
inclined TO view q congressional in
vestigation effectively, but rather
corroborates his theory that inqui-
ries are often used by members for
Red herring" or publicity purposes.
The committee headed by Mr.. Tru-
man himself and the House Un-
American Activities COMMITTEES can,
Of course, be shown to have served
q public purpose-in fact, with all
their defects in procedures, con-
gressional inquiries are powerful
check on evils in our political and
economic system. During the cam
paign, nevertheless, Mr. Truman
struck hard at his critics and really
coined the epithet Red herring" in
self defense.
But now, when the campaign is
over, why does he use it? What
Mr.. Truman has been trying to say
Is that he has not altered the view
he held during the campaign. He
still thinks what has been done has
not been orderly and that the grand
Jury and the Justice Department
should do the investigating and
the prosecuting. He isn't trying to
belittle the exposures themselves,
but he thinks the Justice Depart
ment Is doing what should be done
in that direction and that the
House Committee on Un-American
Activities should let the prosecuting
be conducted through the regular
channels-the courts.
The President is entitled to stick
TO that view. It is certainly not
novel. He resents the criticism
that the Justice Department has
failed to act vigorously on the in
formation available. He has a
right to have hurt feelings on the
subject II he is convinced there
has been no skulduggey or at
tempts to evade prosecution OF the
guilty. He has such confidence in
his own administration that his
"Red herring" remark is an answer
30 those who taunt him.
Surprised mt Reaction.
MIR. Truman. therefore, is prob
ably much surprised to learn that
O considerable portion Of the pub
he thinks he has lost the skirmish
with the House committee, that he
Is not a very good loser at heart
and that he is unwilling TO "eat
crow"-aN because he sticks to his
"Red herring" accusation in the
face of shocking disclosures.
The incident may seem trivial toI
some, but 1t will have its psyche
logical influence on many observers
who, since election, have been hop
ing q different Truman would
emerge TO Use above the petty squab-
bles of the day. In this connection.
In an article in the current issue of