Evening star., 1948-09-15
State Department Takes Action
|Agoinst Aide mum. Spy Charge
Alexander to Fight
Under Civil Service
Rules; Counts Secret
By Sornett D. Horner

The State Department has
started disciplinary action
against Robert C. Alexander, as
sistant chief of its Visa Division,
as result of his charges that
subversive agents have entered
this country under cover of the
United Nations, it was learned
today.
Mr.. Alexander's allegations before
a Senate Judiciary subcommittee
staff last July brought him into con-
flict with Secretary of State Mar
shall, who said no case of actual
danger to American security from
aliens attached to the U. N. had
arisen.
A committee of three private citi-
zens appointed by Gen. Marshall re-
ported September that there is no
basis" for the charges made by Mr..
Alexander and two other subordi-
nate Visa Division officials, and said
it was shocked" by the manner in
which they were made.
AS a result, formal charges have
been preferred against Mr.. Alexan-
der under Civil Service Commission
procedure which gives him oppor-
tunity to reply in writing and at
tempt to refute them before final
action against him Is taken. If the
charges against him stand, he Is
subject to reprimand, suspension or
discharge.
Mr.. Alexander, a veteran employe
who entered State Department serv-
ice in 1917 as a clerk and worked
his way up to recognition as an ex-
pert on technical visa matters, plans
to fight the case vigorously His
friends report indications of con-
siderable support for him on Capt.
tol Hill.
1t is understood his defense will
be based in part on contention
that civil service employees are
entitled to protection against dis
ciplinary action by their depart
ments for testimony they give be-
fore congressional committees.
Any move for disciplinary action
against two other officials who sup
ported Mr.. Alexander's testimony
before the Senate group-William
M. Harlow, chief Of the Diplomatic
Visa Section, technical branch, and
r. Clyde Larkin, chief of the Public
Safety and Security Section-will
await outcome of the Alexander
case, officials indicated.
The specific charges against Mr..
Alexander are held confidential by
the State Department. They are
understood to involve formal alle-
cations of neglect of duty and mis-
conduct and to be based largely on
the report of Gen. Marshall's In
quiry Committee.
That committee was composed OF
B. M. McKelway, editor of The Star;
James H. Rowe, jr., former Assistant
Attorney General, and Marcellus C.
Shield, retired former clerk Of the
House Appropriations Committee.
"Poor Administration" Hit.
The committees report provided
the basic for a neglect of duty
charge in a section stating:
$50 far as we can determine, the
subordinate officials who testified,
even If they were disturbed over the
SERIOUSNESS, as they saw 1t, Uf q
developing situation, had never
made any persistent effort to bring
it to the attention OF the responsible
policy making officials of the De-
partment of State. In any field of
governmental activity. SUCH failure
reflects poor administration. More
particularly is this true in the
delicate field Of foreign relations. /.
MIR. Alexander Is expected to at
tempt to show that he had taken
sufficient action to bring his views
to the attention Of higher officials
in the department.
It Is understood that Mr.. Alex
ander is accused of misconduct for
making serioIls charges before the