Evening star., 1951-07-16
Morse Backs Truman
On Study Of Federal
Security Procedure
BY the Associated Press


But the order comes at least q
year late" Senator Morse declared
/ Senator Watkins. Republican, oi
Utah said such a study may be
necessary. "but let's be sure We
keep the security of the Nation.
$50 million people uppermost ir
mind in setting standards for 10y.
atty of Government employees"
Mr.. Truman on Saturday asked
the National Security Council anc
the Civil Service Commission te
study the handling of the power:
of Government agencies to fire OF
refuse to hire individuals or
grounds they are poor security
risks.
Mr.. Truman acted just two day.
after the State Department hao
announced suspension of two
high-ranking career diplomats
pending hearings on security
charges.
Action Called Mandatory.
They are John P. Davies, a
member of the departments top
level policy planning staff, and
Oliver E. Club. director of its
Office Of China Affairs.
The department said suspension
of the two was mandatory under
the law once a decision was made
to file security charges and con-
duct hearings. 1t emphasized the
action carried no implication of
guilt pending outcome Of the hear
ings.
The law the department cited
gives agency heads absolute dis
cretion" to suspend or fire en-
ployes in the interest Of national
security. Senators have said.
however. that there is no manda-
tory provision In the law.
The measure does not provide
for appeal. Mr.. Truman sug-
gested that the study he ordered
deal with whether some form Of
appeal should be established. He
also asked consideration Of
whether Uniform standards should
be fixed in the various Federal
agencies for judging poor security
risks.
A poor security risk may not
be person who is disloyal. The
term is applied to persons who
talk indiscreetly or associate with
persons of questionable loyalty.
Morse Waged Futile Fight.
Senator Morse said he agrees
completely with Mr.. Truman "On
the need for a thorough re-exami-
nation of security risk procedure
for hiring and firing Government
employees" He added:
Last year when the law in
question was passed I made q fight
in the Senate for a procedure rec
ognizing the basic principles of
justice-namely, that
employees charged with being bad
security risks should have the
right to appeal and to open hear
ings.
II lost the fight, but the prin-
ciple still needs to be recognized.
Any case of disloyalty or security
risk can best be proved by full
disclosure of the facts rather than
through conducting star cham
ber proceedings as the Commu-
niSts and Fascists do"
Senator Watkins said the Gov
ernment loyalty program should
be founded ION the idea that a
Federal job is a privilege and
that nobody has an absolute right
to one"
Watkins Urges Caution.
Urging caution lest loyalty
standards be relaxed too much,
Senator Watkins declared:
II have heard no case Of any
Federal employe being abused. Il
think it may be the other way
around-that the public has been
abused by too much laxity.
'The loyalty program has been
operated in a way that seems to
place all the concern around job
holders and seekers, rather than
around the security of the peo-
pie"
Over the week end, Senator
Mccarthy, Republican, of Wis
consin, said he might make a
progress report" in the Senate
naming rs State Department en-
ployes whose cases he contends
have been ordered re-opened on
security grounds.
Commenting on Secretary of i
State Acheson's statement last
Friday that the department makes
an effort not to give out proce-
dural information regarding suchI
matters. Senator Mccarthy said: |
"The State Department seems
and perhaps I should |
name the persons involved in these
cases. II their records are so bad
that re-hearings have been or
dered, they certainly should notl
have access to documents in the |
department that not even mem
Der Of Congress can see."
MBa u n