Evening star., 1950-08-27
>Subversive Curb Vote
Due as Truman Signs
Agency Security Bill

A drive to clamp new home
front controls on Communists
and subversives comes to a head
In Congress this week. Mean
while, new powers to rid the
Government of security risks went
into effect yesterday.
President Truman signed a bill
giving key agencies complete
power to fire employees for Sc
curity reasons. 1t applies to III
defense and semimilitary agen-
cies, but provides for extension
by the PresAent to any other
Government department or bu-
reau.
Both House and Senate pre-
pared to take up subversive con-
troll bills going far beyond a set
of security rules recommended
by the Administration. The out
come In Congress may well be
bill bristling with curbs of a type
that Mr.. Truman has condemned.
In that connection, Attorney
General McGrath wrote Senate
Majority Leader Lucas yesterday
that pending proposals to require
registration of Communist organ
izations would be unavoidable and
unneeded.
McGrath Urges Caution.
Mr.. McGrath cautioned against
any Congressional action which
might cause Communists to "go
underground" or which might
prove later to be invalid and
put the Reds in a martyrs role.
The Attorney General particu-
larly hit at provisions of a bill by
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, saying they would be in
effective and impose a "stagger-
ing and perhaps futile enforce
ment burden" on the Justice De-
partment.
Mr.. McGrath said Communist
groups, under the McCarran bill,
could fight registration in the
courts for long peridos and, then.
even If required to register, could
"reappear with a new name and
new officers" to start the process
over again.
THE present world situation"
Mr.. McGrath wrote Senator Lucas,
requires the prompt enactment
Of practical and constitutional
legislation which will give to the
Department of Justice adequate
weapons to deal with the precise
dangers which we face, while pre-
serving our traditions of personal
liberty"
Truman Sentiment Echoed.
That just about echoes what
President Truman has told Con-
gress. in condemning the McCar-
ran and other proposals.
In a further attack on Senator
McCarran's proposal, Senator Kill
gore, Democrat, of West Virginia,
issued statement yesterday call
ing it "the most savage and cum
ming attack on basic rights" in
American history. He said he and
other Senators will file a minority
report this week opposing the Nc
Carran bill.
Under the new Government en-
ploye security law, heads of II
agencies are permitted to suspend
without pay any employe when
ever necessary of desirable in the
interest of national security" The
employe could demand a review.
but the agency head will have the
final say. This is separate from
existing loyalty procedures, under
which finding of disloyalty is
required TO fire an employe. OFF,
cials say many security risks may
not be disloyal.
The II agencies specifically
given the new power are State.
Defense, Army. Navy, Air Force,
Treasury Gin the case of the Coast
Guard, Commerce, Justice, Atom
ic Energy Commission, National
Advisory Committee for Aeronau-
tics.
House Action Expected.
Several of these agencies have
had this power temporarily via
special provisions of appropria-
tions bills. The new law makes the
power permanent and permits its
five separate House and Senate
bills. It includes the Truman ideas
and others.
House debate will start Monday
or , Tuesday on a bill reported by