Evening star., 1950-09-06
Quick Probe Pledged
As Senator Charges
Chapman Red Link
CONTINUED From First Page.)

6IOt1Cl VI tllC 4llUCI lOI oCPd1
ment'S Bureau of Reclamation
He accused Mr.. Straus of bein
instrumental in series of event
which the Kansas Senator sal
had blocked some important eco
nomic aid for Formosa.
Attacks Alaska Leaders.
Senator Schoeppel also lashe,
out at persons pressing for state
hood for Alaska. Saying he favor
statehood for both Alaska ant
Hawaii, "but not as adjuncts o
the Department of Interior" h
added:
"I do not want to wake up ane
fnd a so-called American Quislins
doing a job that might be serving
the purposes of Soviet Russia"
The Senator accused Ernest
Gruening, Governor of Alaska
and Delegate E. L. Bartlett, who
represents the territory in Con-
gress, Of having been instrumental,
in hiring a former public rela-
tions counsel for Communist Po-
land to lobby for Alaskan state
hood.
He identified the public rela-
tions man as John Hampton Ran
dolph Feltus and said he was q
registered agent of the Kremlin
via Warsaw for three years be-
fore taking the Alaskan job.
Mr.. Bartlett offered Immediately
to appear before the Interior Com
mittee to reply. Mr.. Feltus was
not available for comment.
William Dougherty, Interior De-
partment spokesman, who said
Mr.. Chapman would have a full
statement later, described the
Schoeppel charges as an attack
on Alaskan statehood. He added
that Secretary Chapman:
!. Had nothing to do with the
appointment of Mr.. Feltus and
did not know him.
2. Never was a member of the
American League Against War
and Fascism, one of the groups
named by Senator Schoeppel.
3. Was a member of the Con-
gress of American-Soviet Friend
ship at a time when Russia was
an ally during World War II, but
had resigned 13 months before the
time when Senator Schoeppel said
the organization was listed as a
Communist front by the House
Committee on Un-American Ac-
tivities.
4. Signed loyalty oaths in 1888
and 1916.
Affidavit Stricken Out.
The statement regarding loyalty
oaths was reference to Senator
Schoeppel's remarks that a loyalty
affidavit appended to Mr.. Chap
mans oath of Office as Undersec-
retary of Interior in 1946 had been
stricken out and that Mr.. Chap
man never had signed it. He de-
manded an investigation to show
whether Mr.. Chapman could have
signed the 1916 affidavit without
committing perjury"
Mr.. Dougherty said it has been
customary in the department to
delete the last two lines of the
oath--attesting to non-menber-
ship In subyersive organizatiohs-
in the case of long time employees
OF the department was are pro-
NOTED within department, be-
cause of the fact that they al
ready have sworn to this portion
of the oath.
Swore to Entire Oath.
However, Mr.. Dougherty con-
tinued, when Chief Justice Vinson
swore Mr.. Chapman in as Secre-
tary last January, Mr.. Chapman
swore to the entire oath, includ-
ing the subversive organizations
clause.
Senator Schoeppel charged that
Mr.. Chapman had been listed as
of the American League
Against War and Fascism in 1889
after Stain had made his un-
holy alliance with Hitler" In the
loyalty oath Mr.. Chapman did
sign, the Senator said, the Secre-
tary swore only "at the time" that
he belonged to no subversive
group.
He may have simply resigned
from these front organizations, I"
the Kansas Republican added,
land gone underground to pre-
serve his official position. which
was so valuable to himself"
Asks About Straus Oath.
The Senator also demanded an
inquiry to determine whether Mr..
Straus had ever signed a loyalty
oath and. if so, whether "he con-
fined himself strictly to the truth -
He said a loyalty affidavit had
been stricken from an oath of
Office which Mr.. Straus signed in
1s45.
Mr.. Dougherty said that Mr.
Straus had signed a loyalty oath
along with all other department
officials in 1916.
Senator Murray, Democrat, OF
Montana, said the Schoeppel
charges justify "the conclusion
that we are rapidly becoming a
mass lunatic asylum" He de-
scribed Mr.. Chapman as one OF
the best Interior Secretaries the
country has ever had.
Senator Anderson, Democrat, OF
New Mexico, said Senator Schoep-
pei had been badly taken in by
somebody"
Senator Johnson, Democrat, OF
Mr.. Chapman'S home State OF
Colorado, expressed confidence in
the cabinet officer and said the