Evening star., 1950-06-03
The Political Mil
Both Sides Drew Ire
OfMoine's S Senator
Attoek on 6. O. P. 'Smeors'
Bolonced by Foir Deol Biost
By Gould Lincoln


Fair Deal Democrats who look upon
Mrs. Margaret Chase Smith as their
answer to a prayer because Of her anti
smear. anti-McCarthy speech in the Sem
ate overlook the fact that the only
woman Senator. Republican from Maine.
made the grave charge there are enough
proven cases to convict the Democratic
administration Of laxity in dealing with
Communists. Said Mrs. Smith;
"The Democratic administration has
greatly lost the confidence Of the Amer.
lean people by its complacency to the
threat Of communism here at home and
the leak Of vital secrets to Russia through
key officials Of the Democratic adminis-
tration."
These are harsh words. which might
have been used by Senator Mccarthy Of
Wisconsin himself in one Of his frequent
attacks upon the Truman adminiStra-
ton. But Mrs. Smith did not stop there.
She said:
America is rapidly losing its position
as leader Of the world simply because
the Democratic administration has pitt
fully failed to provide effective leader
ship. The Democratic administration has
completely confused the American peo-
pie by its daily contradictory grave warm
ings and optimistic aSsurances-that
show the people that our Democratic ad-
ministration has no idea Of where 1t Is
going"
Democratic "Smears" Recalled.
Clearly, Mrs. Smith was not seeking TO
excuse the Truman administration for
any OF its shortcomings. and they are
pNyf IN
sational-attack upon the tactics Of Sem
ator Mccarthy at this time Mrs. Smith
made no hit with many of her Repub-
lican colleagues in Congress. Some Of
them recalled the smear" tactics Of the
Democrats against former President
Hoover-and against Republicans gen.
erally--in which the New Deal and Fair
Deal Democrats have engaged for nearly
18 years. Others mentioned the shrieks
of anger directed by New Dealers in some
of these years against the so-called Dies
committee Cheaded by former Repre-
sentative Martin Dies Of Texasl, now
succeeded by the House Committee on
Un-Amerlcan Activities.
1t seems probable that Mrs. Smith
sought to balance her criticisms of the
Truman administration against her sharp
blasts against Senator Mccarthy, whose
name, by the way. she did not use in her
speech. although no slightest doubt was
left to whom she referred. If so, she
failed, for the publicity-and there was
plenty-gave emphasis to what she had
to say about the Mccarthy tactics, her
accusations that they might lead to n
Republican regime embracing a philos-
ophy that lacks political integrity or in
tellectual honesty" and her assertion she
Gid not want to see "the Republican
Party ride to political victory on the four
horsemen OF calumny-fear, ignorance.
bigotry and smear"
FavOrs Silencing Mccarthy.
Mrs. Smiths plea-backed by six other
Republican Senators, Tobey of New
Hampshire. Aiken of Vermont, Morse of
Oregon. Ives of New York, Thye of
Minnesota and Hendrickson of New Jer.
Sey-is for the silencing of Senator Nc
Carthy and his charges of Communist
1nfiltration into the Government, for the
sake OF national unity and national Sc
curity. The statement which the seven
Senators signed is on high plane. The
total inference to be edrawn-particularly
from Mrs. Smiths speech--is that Sena-
tor Mccarthy is doing the country q
grave disservice.
The country would be less skeptical.
less hesitant to follow the thinking of
Mrs. Smith, If the Truman administra-
ton had not shouted 'red herrings"-
when it was not herrings that were
red; If it were not known fact that
the administration was unable to guard
the secret Of the atomic bomb from Conn
munist Russia; if it were not fact that
the administration had failed signally in
its Chinese policy permitting the Commu-
nists to take over that huge country, and
thereby making 1t easier for the Com.
munists to move into Japan when and
II we move out Of that country, and IL
the administration had not rushed to
cover up and avoid criticism.