Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-11-05
Truman S Help
Sought 10 Get
Police Incomes
Nicely Requests
President to Order
Tex Data Release

The revolt of Washington police
men against financial question:
naires being circulated by the
Senate District Crime Investigate
ing Subcommittee reached the
White House today with a COM
mittee request for an executive
order releasing Federal income tax
returns of prospective witnesses.
Chairman Nicely of the District
Committee. revealed that he wrote
to President Truman last Friday
requesting the executive order.
Senator Nicely is at his home in
West Virginia.
Policemen who refuse to an
sWer the QUESTIONABLE will be SUBJ
poenaed before the investigating
committee and questioned about
their financial resources under
oath. the Senator said.
Barrett Again Summoned.
Maj Robert j. Barrett, super
intendent of police, who is lead
ing the revolt against answering
the 1850 questions in the ques-
tionnaire. was summoned to the
District Building by the Commits
Isioners this morning. 1t was the
second time the city heads have
called him since Friday, when he
filed suit for an injunction to
restrain them from ordering po-
Ilicemen to fill out the question:
Inaire.
After the conference Commits
sioner J. Russell Young said the
situation remains unchanged.
The Commissioners plan no furth-
er action, he said until after a
District Court hearing on Maj.
Barrett's suit on November 13.
Meanwhile. the rebelliouS police
men received unexpected support
when Senator Welker. Republican,
of Idaho, a member of the Crime
Committee. said the QUESTIONABLE
certainly sounds like it is I'M
constitutional"
I'VE will not engage in any
witch hunts Senator Welker de-
clared. Il will never be a party to
an investigation that violates the
constitutional rights of policemen
or any one else"
Didn't See QUESTIONABLE.
Reached by telephone at his
home in Payette, Idaho, Senator
Welker said he had never seen
"a copy Of the questionable.
I'm rather hurt he said.
that copy was not shown to
me before it was sent out"
I Arnold Bauman, counsel for the
Crime Committee. said more po-
licemen will receive the question:
naires this week, regardless of the
outcome of the Barrett suit. He
has refused to reveal how many
missionaries went out in the
first mailing last week, but Com
missioner Young said he UNDER
stood about so policemen have re-
Iceived the documents thus far.
Mr.. Bauman conferred with
Corporation Counsel Vernon West
who is preparing the Commission
Iers' defense against Major Bar
irett's suit.
A suspended Ninth precinct po-
liceman made a futile effort in
District Court today to restrain
Maj. Barrett and Inspector Clar-
ence Lutz, president of the Police
mems Association of the District
Iof Columbia, from spending any
of the associations funds in the
fight against the missionaries.
'Browbeating" Charged.
The association at special
meeting Friday voted unanimously
to defray all legal costs incurred
by the Police Chief or any other
policemen in fighting the ques-
itionnaires.
Pvt. Ray R. Swank, suspended
Ninth precinct patrolman, charged
in a suit filed by Attorney James
y. Laughlin, that Mai. Barrett
through his henchmen browbeat,
Threatened and coerced members
of the force to attend the special
meeting"
Judge James R. Kirkland re-
fused Mr.. Laughlin's request for
a temporary restraining order.
Mr.. Bauman came to the Dis
trict Building shortly after Major
Barrett left. The Police Chief was
accompanied by his attornev.
Charles E. Ford.
Senator Nicely said he got his
first look at the controversjsl
QUESTIONABLE over the week end
and found nothing in it that ANY
one whose conduct has been
proper should refuse to answer
He could understand, Senator
Nicely said, that some people
might object to the work involved
In answering the lengthy cues
tionnaire, but he felt policemen
should obey the order of the
commissioners and fill out the
documents.
In his letter to President Tru-
man, Senator Nicely respectfully
requested" an executive order sim
liar to that issued for the Ke-
fauver committee. The proposed
order would authorize the Bureau
OF Internal Revenue to make
available to the staff of the in
vestigating committee relevant
income tax returns