Evening star., 1950-03-16
The Political Mil
Resentment in Congress
Rises on Navy Clusters
Censure by House and senots
Seen on Witness SiIencino
By Gould Lincoln

who have had the temerity to voice their
own convictions on national defense
problems Contrary to the policies of ths
Administration before congressional
committees Is mounting and may result
in sharp censure by the House or Senate,
or both.
Underlying this resentment is a feel
Ing that congressional committees will
be hamstrung when it comes to getting
all the facts, as well as opinions, from
witnesses they call before them. With an
Administration sword hanging over their
heads, witnesses may be compelled to
choose between their own convictions
and their careers In the service. This
may happen In all branches Of the
armed service, and also in the civilian
departments Of the Government
We don't want TO hear only yes
men. ," the congressional critics Of the
Administration are saying. 1--WE scream
about the gag rule Of Communist die
tators-but any gag rule applied by any
government is just as bad"
Stirred by New Moves.
Two factors have stirred up again this
feeling of resentment. The first is the
j recent transfer of Rear Admiral Joel T.
Boone, who testified before House
committee in opposition to the plans Of
the Department of Defense to eliminate
flve service general hospitals. He was
removed from q high medical post be-
cause he had been "unco-operative"
Admiral Boone told the House COM
mittee he had been given no instance
Of non-co- operation when he asked,
The second Is the publication In Col
lier's Of Admiral Denfelds own story
of his removal from the office of Chief
of Naval Operations. Admiral Denfeld
has not hesitated to say that he was
displaced in retaliation for the testi-
mony he gave before the Armed Services
Committee of the House. He pulled no
punches in his article for Golfers, but
said: II was the first victim of the
reprisal visited upon naval witnesses
whose testimony before a congressional
committee last October offended Secre-
tary of Defense Louis A johnson and
Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Mat
theWs."
Members Of Congress, too, feel that
the question Of national defense plans
is paramount. They have to enact the
laws and appropriations for national
defense-and they don't want to take
chance that q dictatorial official
who shuts the mouths of his own officers
may be wrong in his recommendation.
Two Open Fire In House.
Two members Of the House opened
fire this week, Representatives Jackson
OF California and Gavin of PENNSYLVANIA.
Mr.. jackson served in the Marine Corps
during the last war, with two years.
combat duty overseas.
The custer of Rear Admiral Boone"
Mr.. jackson told the House, who, in
cldentally, is the most decorated medical
officer in the Nation Che holds the Con-
gressional Medal of Honor among others)
is further evidence of the iron curtain
that is being lowered by the admins
tratlon over all sources of information
In the Government to which Congress
and the American people should hays
access" He added that the removal
Of Admiral Denfeld as Chief of Naval
Operations was apparently merely a
forerunner Of purge OF all those IN
the armed services who do not conform
to the policies laid down by President
Truman and his Secretary of Defense
or who dare to raise their voices In
protest.
The iron curtain" which Mr.. Jack
son says is being lowered by the ad-
mlnlstration on information desired by
congressional committees, has not been
confined to matters of national defense.
Congressional committees have been in
the past refused information in connec-
ton with charges of subversive elements
alleged to be on Government payrolls.
Repeated attacks were made, too, on
the House Committee on Un-American
Activities by both the Roosevelt and
Truman administrations. And just the
other day strong supporter of the ad-
ministration. Senator Humphrey of
Minnesota, proposed to do away with
the Byrd committee on non-essential
expenditures Of the Federal Government
"a constant critic of the administra-
tion's big spending and big taxing
policies.
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