Evening star., 1950-03-28
Sweeping Probe
0fUndesiirab|es
In Jobs Sought
Maj. Barrett Admits
Locking Up Files on
Reds and Perverts

Reds and Perverts
New moves were under way on
Capitol Hill today for a sweeping
investigation of a District officials
report that three -fourths of
Washington's estimated 5000 sex
perverts are Government en-
ployes.
The developments:
l. Reported naming of a special
subcommittee in the Senate to in
quire into the subject and recon-
mend procedure, particularly in
the matter of jurisdiction.
2. Partly substantiated reports
that Senate subcommittee, is
preparing to ask for the Metropol-
ltan Police Departments files on
subversive elements and those on
sex perverts.
3. An admission by Police Supt.
Robert j. Barrett that those files
have been locked. Normally, they
have been open to the intelligence
departments of the armed serv-
ices. A representative of Navy
Intelligence was refused use of
the files this morning.
Barrett Has Key.
When a reporter asked Mai.
Barrett if he knew they were
locked, he replied:
Il ought to. I have the key"
Estimate on the number of per-
verts in Washington was made
to the Associated Press this morn
ing, quoting a member of the ap-
preparations subcommittee study
ing the problem of routing homo
sexuals from Government pay
rolls.
Members Of the subcommittee
were in general agreement that
the estimate was Shocking" and
that immediate action should be
taken. Shortly after this concen-
sus was disclosed, new unit was
repeatedly named to act for the
subcommittee in investigation.
Names of the members were not
Immediately available.
Circumstances indicating the
subcommittee has asked for police
files on homosexuals and sub
versives arose today at the Com
missioners' meeting.
In answer to rumors that
Senate Appropriations Subcom-
mittee had subpoenaed the files,
spokesman for the Commissioners
would say only that the files were
discussed at the meeting.
Argue on Assignments.
One Of the pending proposals
before the Senate subcommittee
Is said to be the assignment of
extra men to the Metropolitan
Police Department, for the specific
Job of assembling evidence against
perverts believed to be holding
Government jobs. A drive against
such persons was suggested last
week on the argument that they
are an easy prey for Communists
seeking stooges within Federal
agencies.
But even if this is ordered, there
is an argument of several days
standing, it is said, as to whether
extra men added to the Police De-
parment should be detailed only
to such special work or left to
assignment, as needs arise, by re-
sponsible officials.
Behind all this, however, was a
deeper argument as to whether
the appropriations subcommittee
in charge of the District supply
bill had proper jurisdiction. On
this. informants said, Republican
subcommitteemen argued the Hill
subcommittee should act, and
Democratic members voiced doubts.
The whole issue was dumped
into the lap of the Hill subcommit-
tee last week by Senator Wherry
Republican, of Nebraska, Senate
Republican floor leader, who is a
member of the District funds
group.
Acts After Report.
His action came after a State
Department official had reported,
at a session of the Senate subcom-
mittee investigating alleged Com
munist infiltration, that 81 per-
verts had been fired by the State
Department.
A jurisdictional issue arose yes
terday. some said, on the question
of whether new legislation was
needed to permit departments to
get rid of sex offenders found on
their payrolls, rather than to let
them merely forfeit small sums of
collateral deposited with police.
If stricter law was needed, some
argued, it would be a legislative
matter beyond the scope of the
appropriations subcommittee.
Republican members are said to
have argued that an attack on
the problem could be made by
providing funds for more police
and by directing that they be as
signed to cases against the per-
verts. Related to this was an
earlier proposal that it should be
mandatory for police to relay
their information on sex offenses
by Government workers to Gov
ernment officials.
r. l nIl NlF