Evening star., 1950-05-28
Help! Help! Help!

Revived agitation for a commission to take
over investigation of the Mccarthy charges sug-
geSts an effort to lock the stable after the horse
has been stolen. Even more apt is the comment
OF Washington wit on the voices now filling
the air-including that of our good neighbor the
Washington Post-pleading for commission.
They reminded him of Democracy, lost in the
wilderness, wailing for its mamma.
When the Mccarthy charges hit a sort of
political jackpot, much to the surprise of a
lot of people, there were several sugges-
tions that the business be turned over to
commission of eminent men. One wise old
Washington observer, Stephen T. Early, the Dep
uty Secretary OF Defense got some, but not
enough, support for the idea. Representative
Richard M. Nixon of California, as responsible
as anybody for final exposure of the Hiss case,
suggested the commission approach. Senator
Lodge of Massachusetts,, a member of the sub
committee investigating the Mccarthy charges,
was another who proposed a commission.
But the timing in such circumstances is one
OF the most important of all considerations. And,
as the commission plan was rejected so early in
the Mccarthy game, it Is hard to believe that it
could provide the answer now. In Thursdays
New York Times Washington Correspondent
Arthur Krock unveiled what seems to be the
current idea-which others are attributing to
Senator Tydings, the harassed chairman in
charge of McCarthyism Investigations Under
this plan the President would enlarge the panel
of the Loyalty Review Board by the addition of
men who are supposed to be held in high esteem
by the American people and are free from the
faint of political partiSanShip. Proceeding under
the leadership of Seth w. Richardson, who fully
deserves the confidence he has won as chairman
of the Loyalty Review Board, this new panel
would take over the Senate investigation of the
Mccarthy charges 1t would share the Loyalty
Review Boards access to the files And its report
to the President, the Senate and the people might
calm fears by producing facts accepted as the
truth.
Of course, this makes sense The Canadian
Royal Commissions investigation of the Canadian
spy case also made sense. But the timing and
the atmosphere are not conducive now to the
success of an approach that in other circum-
stances might have been assured. The President
and his administration are dealing with state
of mind not series of facts that lend them
selves to rational analysis. 1t is easy to say that
the people are sick and tired of McCarthyism.
But the Senator's endless speeches around the
country and the goggle-eyed attention he is
receiving everywhere he goes would indicate quite
the contrary. It is easy to say that the people
are alarmed over the evident threat to our ira
ditionS of fair play, etc, and are anxious that
something De QOne. IL is prOpaDly more reallStlc
to admit that the people love fight and are
enjoying this one immensely 1t takes their minds
off even more troublesome things
The appointment of commission now would
be an excellent way to remove Senator Tydings
and his committee members from the hot spot.
But the Senator's esteemed colleagues of the
Republican persuasion know that full we'll. They
are not inclined to take any Democrat off the
hook. 1t is not difficult to hear in advance the
cries of "whitewash" and Elk" that would greet
an administration attempt to switch the Senate
investigation from the Tydings committee to
panel of the Loyalty Board no matter how
eminent and above suspicion the men on that
panel-up to the time of their selection
might be- And who are the eminent men willing
to get themselves involved in this mess?
The truth of the matter is that Senator
Mccarthy has scared up lot of chickens that
are noisily coming home to roost. Their squawks,
the dirt and the confusion may be very annoy
ing But until the people really get tired of it,
and the Senate investigation, initiated by the
Democratic leadership is completed ina manner
that erases some of the errors of judgment made
at the outset, there is not much hope of sue
cessful resort now to one of the oldest devices
of disturbed politicians-the appointment of
another commission.