Evening star., 1951-11-04
Donohue Sidesteps Queries on Police
Questlonnoire Revolt. Poee AIS

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Donohue Sidesteps Queries on Police
Questionnoire Revolt. Poqe AIS
Itinct possibility" that the police
men would be subpoenaed to ap-
pear at a public hearing and then
asked each of the 1,700 ques-
tions which appear on the 27-page
QUESTIONABLE.
The spokesman also said that
another possibility is to subpoena
the officers, hand them the ques-
! tionnaire on the witness stand.
and then request them to fill it
out and return it at a later date.
Could Be Cited for Contempt.
This would nullify any action in
a current court test of an order
by District Commissioners requir-
ing the officers to fill out the
QUESTIONABLE. 1t also raises the
possibility off citing the police
men for contempt if they refuse.
More imminent, however, is the
action planned by Arnold Bau-
man, committee counsel. He said
a list OF names of recalcitrant DO
lieemen will be forwarded to the
Commissioners November l3-the
same day District Court hearing
will be held on Police Chief Rob-
ert j. Barrett's suit to restrain the
city heads from enforcing their
order.
In a radio broadcast last night,
Commissioner F. Joseph Donohue
said he believed the first question:
naires should have been sent to
the top three men in the District
government-the Commissioners.
He refused to say whether police
men failing to answer the ques-
tionnaire would be dismissed.
No Questionnaires Returned.
The Today deadline for answer
ing the queStionnaires sent to less
than 100 policemen last week ex-
Ipires next Sunday. AS of yester-
day, Mr.. Bauman said, not single
QUESTIONABLE had been returned.
Mr.. Bauman had planned to
stagger the distribution of the
questionnaires to selected groups
of policemen. His original plan
called for the distribution of an
'other set of questionnaires this
week and another the following
} week. Mr.. Bauman has refused
to reveal the total number Of
questionnaires he plans to send
out.
Mr.. Bauman said he did not
know what action the Commits
sioners could take if Mai Barrett
emerges victorious in the court
battle.
But I think they ought to
know who the policemen are in
any event." Mr.. Bauman added.
Van Arkel Offers Help.
Chairman Neely of the Senate
District Committee said that if
prolonged court battle delays
committee investigators in getting
information about the financial
standing of certain policemen he
will ask the Senate to prolong the
life of the investigating committee.
Legislation authorizing the inves-
tigation of crime here expires
January 81.
Senator Nicely said he has not
seen a copy of the controversial
QUESTIONABLE. but has asked his
office staff to foreward it to him
at his home in West Virginia.
I'VE wanted to give Mr. Bau-
man the widest possible latitude
to do what should be DONE" SEN
ator Nicely said in explaining why
the QUESTIONABLE was not cleared
with him.
Gerhard Van ArkIe, counsel for
the District Committee, yesterday
offered Corporation Counsel
Chester H. Gray the full assistance
OF the committee staff in fighting
the Barrett suit.
Association Backs Barrett.
He will consult Mr.. Bauman
before deciding whether the COM
m1ttee should ask Judge Kirkland
for permission to intervene in the
suit. Mr.. Van Arkel said.
My own feeling right now is
that we should not intervene mas
much as the committee was not
named in the suit" Mr.. Van Arkel
said.
Action of the Policemen's Asso-
citation of the District of Columbia
IN pledging its entire resources to
defray all costs of the Barrett
suit made prolonged court fight
seem inevitable. The police chiefs
attorneys, Charles E. Ford, Austin
Garfield and William T. Hannah,
have declared they would appeal
in the event of an adverse deci-
sion in District Court.
City Heads Can't Act.
Although several policemen have
declared they would have no OBJ
lection to answering a financial
QUESTIONABLE if they received one.
the overwhelming majority of po-
Ilicement are resentful of the
length Of the committees docu-
ment and the searching nature Of
it's questions. Directors declare the
QUESTIONABLE goes far beyond
financial matters to delve into in
innate family matters which are
no business of the committee.
AS a result of Mai. Barrett's
lacti0n in fling crit oy, hohoIf -