Evening star., 1950-06-09
BiddIe Says 'Hysteria
On Loyalty Program
Is Growing Worse

The Federal loyalty program is
Physically all wrong" in the
opinion Of former Attorney Gen
eral Francis Biddle.
The present chairman Of Amer
leans for Democratic Action told
an audience here yesterday that
loyalty tests for Federal employees
should be based wholly on Sc
curity.
Only those with access to in
formation of use to a possible
enemy should be considered, Mr..
Biddle said. He suggested to
Amvets, at luncheon in their
clubhouse, that Americans might
very well curb their "hysteria"
and follow the British pattern.
The FBI, like Scotland Yard.
should institute proceedings
against suspects in a position to
hand over information valuable
to the Communists. The final de-
termination, he added, ought to
be made by an independent tri-
bunal.
Hysteria Getting Worse.
In response to a question, Mr..
Biddle said "the hysteria Is getting
worse all the time"
"As long as the wild charges
now going around are based on
what can be made Of them po-
litically," he said, leach side, Dem
ocrats as well as Republicans, will
compete in Red batting"
Mr.. Biddle was asked If he
thought Federal Departments
should fire or transfer perverts.
He replied that, while he
couldn't qualify as an expert on
the subject" he felt that Congress
should read the Kinsey Report
before starting an investigation.
Maybe the members would find
there are no more abnormal per-
sons in Government than any
where else-no more than in Con-
gress itself, for that matter"
Cites Bailey Case.
With regard to the loyalty ques-
ton, Mr.. Biddle said the program
has been handled with care, but
the dismissal of Dorothy Bailey
is only one proof that it is basic
ally all wrong"
He explained he had read the
whole record of the case and could
find no evidence that Miss Bailey
was a Communist. She was fired,
he added, on the "unconf1rmed
evidence of unknown informers." ;"
To brand such persons as dis
loyal, the speaker continued,
comes very near to the most Sc
we're punishment we can devise.
How can such persons obtain new
employment"
To punish a person who has
been denied the right of subpoen-
ing and questioning the accusers,
he said, is fundamentally un-
American. Better the British sys-
tenn, he said, based on "a decent
Anglo-Saxon law that public en-
ployes are not subject to political
test"
Unworried by Mccarthy.
The methods of Senator Nc
Carthy, Republican, Of Wisconsin,
show "the situation is serious
one. and we must stand up and
resist it," Mr.. Biddle declared. He
added, however, II don't worry so
much about men like Senator Nc
Carthy as men like Senator Taft,
who hold their arms around him
men of integrity"
Mr.. Biddle told the Amvets he
considered as Outrageous" the
action of Commerce Secretary
Sawyer in taking steps to dismiss
William w. Remington, an econo-
mist, because Senator had told
Mr.. Sawyer he would investigate
the Department, unless Mr.. Rem
ington was fired.
"The hysterical obsession in this
country today" Mr.. Biddle de-
clared, "is similar to that in Eng
land after the French Revolution
It was an impulse which blocked
all reformation for years.
Liberals Fined for Ideas.
professors were fired for lib
eral ideas. Royalty oaths were
collected by volunteers, tavern
keepers outlawed certain political
discussions on their premises. The
utterly trivial business OF men
blowing off steam over their beer
was made to seem dangerous"
The sedition laws of 1917 and
1910, he said, are profoundly un-
American" and impractical as
well, because they are likely to
trap the harmless takers and
drive dangerous men underground.
Thomas Jefferson felt the young
Republic was strong enough, when
only 25 years old. to stand criti-
cism without seeking to jail the
critics, Mr.. Biddle added.
Southern India has replaced