Evening star., 1950-03-03
Truman S Statement
On Anti-Red Action
Challenged by COP
By the Assoeiofed Pres,

Republicans challenged today
President Truman's assertion that
he has taken the lead in roofing
Communists out of the Govern
ment.
Instead, Senator Bricker, Re
publican, of Ohio said the Presi-
dent had acted "only when Con-
gress was so close on his heels he
felt he had to do something"
Senator Mccarthy, Republican,
OF Wisconsin said Congress, not
the President. dug up the facts"
about Communists.
Senator Ferguson, Republican,
OF Michigan objected, too, to the
Presidents news conference state
ment OF yesterday that he alone
has made any concrete effort to
get at the bottom of the security
problem arising from Communist
activities in the Government.
Mr.. Truman didn't do anything
about getting Alger Hiss out of
the Government, Senator Fergu-
son observed.
Convicted of Lying.
Hiss. former State Department
Official who resigned to take a
private job, was convicted of lying
about meetings with an admitted
Communist courier who said he
got secret Government papers
from Hiss.
THE State Department had the
facts about Hiss as early as 1945
but it didn't do anything about
getting rid of him and there
wasn't any prosecution until after
the congressional hearings which
Mr.. Truman described as a red
herring" Senator Ferguson said.
However. Senator Lucas of Il
linois, the Democratic leader,
backed up the Presidents asser-
ton that he had pushed the prose-
cution of those suspected of dis
loyalty.
mo other administration has
ever done as much to weed out
Communists from the Govern
ment," Senator Lucas said.
As for the Government LOYALTY
boards Mr.. Truman mentioned he
had set up, Senator Bricker said
he doesn't think much of them.
Called Fraud and Sham
These boards are just a fraud
and a sham, set up to protect the
administration from the public's S
finding out about disloyal en-
ployes," Senator Bricker said.
There are many such employees
left in the Government and it will
be impossible to ferret them out
unless the President gives his
help.
Mr.. Truman promised to do just
that In connection with a Senate
Foreign Relations Subcommittee s
investigation of charges by Sena-
tor Mccarthy that a number of
Communists and fellow travellers
are still working for the State
Department.
The President said that when
the time comes he will decide
about letting the investigators
look at secret State Department
loyalty files of the persons whose
names Senator Mccarthy expects
to submit in a closed committee
session.
Senator Mccarthy said in a
statement-all the other senatorial
comment was in that
Mr.. Truman seems to be "becom-
ing reluctantly aware of the fact
that the public will have no part
of secrecy orders which serve no
purpose except to protect Com
munists in Government"
Delay Doesn't Make Sense"
Senator Mccarthy has con-
tended an investigation would be
useless if loyalty files aren't
opened to the committee.
senator hnoWland, Republlcan,
of California disclosed that loyal
ty checks of 257 State Department
employees have been pending more
than year. He got the informa-
ton in a letter from John E..
Peurifoy, Deputy Undersecretary
Of State.
OF 326 persons being checked
for loyalty. Mr.. Peurifoy said 81
cases have been pending for 8
months, 10 for 9 months, 18 for
10 months, 10 for II months, 10
for IL months and the remainder
for more than year.
Senator Knowland said the de-
lay in clearing up such investiga-
tions doesn't make sense