Evening star., 1950-02-25
keCarthy's Charges
Are No Red Herriinqs,
Writer Declares
U. S. Envoy in Bern
Named as Causing
'Queosy Feeling
By Dorothy THOMPSON

By Dorothy Thompson
The dogged accusations by Sen
ator Mccarthy, Republican, of
Wisconsin, that the administra-
ton harbors Communist sympa-
thizers is Indignantly denied by
administration supporters, who
challenge the Senator to name
names.
The Senator has refused on the
ground that publicity might en-
barrass the investigative agencies.
This column is willing to name
a man who holds IAN important
listening post in Europe" and
whose presence has caused some
queasy feeling. The United States
Minister to Switzerland is John
Carter Vincent, who previously
was director of the Office of Far
Eastern Affairs of the State De-
partment. While in China, he was
constantly under attack for his
strong left-wing sympathies. It
was during this time that the
department saw the Chinese Com
munists as simple agrarian re-
formers and worked for Chinese
coalition government to include
the Communists.
Employed under Mr.. Vincent in
the legation at Bern is an ex-
tremely dubious character, the
Hungarian citizen, George Ottlik.
Ottlik. during the earlier, short
lived Hungarian Communist re-
gime of Bella Kun, was in the
Hungarian diplomatic service, also
in Bern. When Nazism began to
grow in Hungary, he espoused its
cause and as editor of the great
German-language daily. Poster
Lloyd. turned it into Nazi sheet.
Headed Nazi Agency.
When Hungary was occupied by
the Germans he became head of
the Nazi press chamber, whose
duty it was to keep the press in
line. In short, in the world OF
journalism, he was Hungarian
Nazi No. /.
Just why these activities should
recommend his employment in
Mr.. Vincent's legation poses a
question. He is repeatedly en-
ployed merely as translator. But
Switzerland is full of translators
who, in the past. have rendered
loyal services to the Western
cause. 1t seems an odd combina-
tion-a minister with Mr.. Vim
cents views and an ex-Nazi.
The case of Prof. Klaus Fuchs
has been allowed to quiet down.
I do not think it should. 1t is
charged that he began submitting
atomic research information to
Russia in 1945. That same year
the Canadian government, put on
the scent by the Russian cipher
clerk, Igor Gouzenko, uncovered
an extensive Soviet spy ring oper-
ating in Canada. and involving
Fuchs eminent colleague. Prof.
Allan Num- May. Canadian in
vestigation revealed that a larger
ring was operating in the United
States. Prime Minister Macken-
zie King passed on all information
and personally discussed the sub
lect with President Truman in
Washington, when he visited there
in November, 1945.
Worked on Fuchs Case.
One may certainly inquire what
was done to trace down the
Canadian leads in the four years
that elapsed before the arrest OF
Fuchs. Human Events" charges
that evidence justifying the ar
rest of Fuchs has been available
for five years. But the FBI was
not allowed to investigate atomic
espionage until 1947 and, it is
said, has been working on the
Fuchs case for less than year"
It is all very we'll for the Presi-
dent to denounce charges as red
herrings," but the wartime coali-
ton with Russia did introduce
Communists and Communist
sympathizers into important Gov
ernment posts. And no thorough
housecleaning has ever occurred.
In times like these, American
Government officials must not only
be innocent of anti-American
sympathies; they must be free
even of suspicion of such SYM
pathies.
Because there are not un-
grounded reasons for suspicion,
morale is extremely bad in our
official and diplomatic agencies in
many parts of the world (par-
ticularly the Far East where
junior officials distrust seniors and
vice versa.
And morale is more important
than possession of an H-bomb.
Reieased by the Bell Syndicate, Inc)
IS Injured in Crash