Evening star., 1950-05-10
Full Probe Called Cure
For Rash Of Charges
Made by Lawmakers
Country Seen Confused
By MeCurthy's Crusade
Against Left-Wineers
By David Laurence

LEU WluSeTS anu SOOC
many neutral people who have
been impressed by the arguments
about the unfairness of congress
sional committees, and particular
ly Of Senator Mccarthy, now want
to choke him of altogether OF
abolish congressional immunity
as If this wouldn't raise many q
suspicion among the totalitarians
that free debate and sluggine
match Of political invectives are
too much for tolerance in free
America.
Time was when the Democrats
dished it out to Herbert Hoover
in one Of the most efficiently or
ganized smears in political his
tory. Time was when the cleft
wingers" carried on dozens Of con-
gressional investigations and at
tempted to convict business men
and bankers as a class-and when
even the President of the United
States used his exalted post to
excoriate those who didn't agree
with him. The right wing
didn't come up with any propos-
ais then to end congressional in
vestigations or to abolish congress
sional immunity. Bad as the smear
business was, the right wing" re-
Spected constitutional rights.
Righteous Indignation.
A lot of righteous indignation
is being expressed on the subject
of the damage being done by the
Mccarthy inquiry. The great good
fortune Of the cleft wing" really
is that someone as extreme as the
Wisconsin Senator is handling the
prosecution. Given one-tenth OF
the evidence that Senator McCar-
thy has brought forth, the powers
of skillful demolition such as were
possessed by the late Senator
James Reed of Missouri, Demo-
crat, or the late Senator Tom
Walsh of Montana, Democrat, or
former Senator Burt Wheeler OF
Montana, still active in law prac-
tice here, would have made a bet
ter case out Of the strange in
huences at work in developing
Americas policy in China in re-
cent years. Nor would there be
any outcries today about squelch-
ing United States Senators.
Incidentally, it was another
Wisconsin Senator, the late Rob-
ert M. LaFollette, who aroused
the ire of the country by his anti
war speeches in 1917 and 1918,
and there was talk of. finding a
way to silence him. But the Sen
ate didn't move into totalitarian
paths then, and it probably will
not do so now.
The truth about Senator Nc
Carthy is that he rushed in with
out taking up such an important
crusade with his fellow Repub-
1ican Senators. He was put on
the defensive the moment he
made his charges. Senator Lucas
of Illinois, Democratic leader.
goaded him into naming names.
Both men should have exercised
more control and insisted that the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee make the inquiry without
publicity.
Today the country is confused.
The loud denunciations which
have now been turned toward the
Wisconsin Senator have convinced
many Of his supporters that a
whitewash has been in progress or
that Senator Tydings of Mary
land, an aspirant for second place
on the Truman ticket in 1852, has
gotten the hearings into an un-
necessary tangle.
Toughest Job In Career.
Actually the Maryland Senator
has been up against one of the
toughest assignments in his ca
reer. No matter what tack he
takes. he is subjected to bitter
criticism from those who think he
is holding back or protecting
somebody.
Administration Senators could
have ended the Mccarthy crusade
almost at the beginning by re-
quiring that the Wisconsin Sena-
tor become a member of a special
committee and by insisting that
this committee then hold its ses-
sions In secret. This would have
given the Wisconsin Senator every
opportunity to prove his case tc
his fellow Senators without at the
same time involving innocent per-
sons in public smears.
What is needed now is a sep
arate court to handle loyalty ques.
tions. Congress is too political tt
prosecute the real culpritS and toe
political to give clearance to those
who may have been accused by
mere association. Loyalty board.
are part-time affairs anyway. Tht
question is too important to bt
given such casual treatment. A
panel Of Federal judges, with 6
staff of its own, could dispose o1
loyalty cases on judicial baSi.
and every one would be inclined tt
accept such judgments. Today
even a loyalty boards clearance
doesn't always get political clear.
ance.
The cure for a rash of congress.
sional accusations is to be found ii
a thorough probe. of the charge.
. rather than in trying to shut of
the accusers. The only way tx
deal with baseless charges is really
to prove them baseleSs.
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