Evening star., 1951-08-07
Benton Pushes Move
For Mccarthy Probe;
Colleague Hits Back
By J. A. OLeoy


Connecticut, served notice today
he will press for action on his
resolution for an investigation to
determine whether Senator Nc
Carthy, Republican, of Wisconsin
should be unseated.
A. few hours after introduction
of the resolution in the Senate
late yesterday, Senator Mccarthy
called Senator Benton a mental
midget" who, he said, worked
hand in glove with the crimson
clique" when he was an Assistant
Secretary of State.
Senator Benton based his reso-
luton mainly on Senator Nc
Carthy's part in the 1850 Mary
land campaign in which former
Democratic Senator Tydings was
beaten by Republican Senator
Butler.
Resolution Wide i'm Scope.
The resolution, however, was
broad enough to cover all acts of
Senator Mccarthy since entering
the Senate in 1947, which pre-
sumably would take in the Wis
consin Senator's charges last year.
of Communist influence in the
State Department. Mr.. Tydings
headed the subcommittee which
investigated those charges, and
Senator Mccarthy later accused
Senator Tydings of white washing
the State Department.
Senator Benton's resolution went
to the Rules Committee, which
also has before it the report of
subcommittee which investigat-
ed the Butler -Tydings campaign.
The Rules Committee holds its
next meeting tomorrow, but it was
not certain the Benton McC Carthy
controversy will come to a head
that soon.
: The subcommittee report on the
Maryland campaign, made public
last week, denounced what it
called the "back street" type of
campaign waged against Mr.. Ty-
dings, but decided the evidence
was not sufficient to recommend ]
unseating Senator Butler. ,
Wherry Urges Broader Inquiry. Il
In directing his fire at Senator /,
Mccarthy. Senator Benton was
seeking to focus attention on one
recommendation of the Maryland
investigating group for raising the {
level OF future campaigns. The u
subcommittee suggested that the
question of unseating a Senator (
for acts committed in campaign Z,
should not be limited to the can 6
6idates. +
Senate Republican Leader
Wherry of Nebraska, also on the
Rules Committee. served notice z
that if the Senate is going into S
the Benton resolution it should L
investigate past campaigns in all
48 States. l.
Senator Gillette. Democrat, of 4
Iowa, chairman of the Elections
subcommittee of the Rules Com
mittee, called it somewhat re-
gretahle" that Senator Benton
made an issue of the Maryland
report before the full Rules Com
mittee has passed on it. I
Former Senator Tydings is in 9
Europe, and Senator Buffers Of :,
fee said he was out of the city.
Senator Wherry also protested /
that Senator Benton should not \
have made such a move on the
Senate floor before the Rules &
Committee has had an opportu- +
nifty to study or pass on the find q
ingS of the Elections subcommit- =
tee.
Senator Wherry said "appar-
emily, the Democrats have decided :,
Butler should be seated and are :
now spanking Joe Mccarthy for :,
the fight he's been making on =
communism.
In addition to filing the custer =
resolution, Senator Benton in r
vited Senator Mccarthy to resign !,
or to refrain from taking any
further part in the proceedings of :
the Senate, until the Rules Com d
mittee acts. The Connecticut
Democrat indicated, however, he I
does not expect Senator Mccarthy {
to resign.
The statement issued later by q
Senator Mccarthy read, in part,
as follows:
Benton today has performed {
the important service of helping
to properly label the administra-
tion branch of the Democrat
Party as the party which stands {
for government of, by and for {
Communists, crooks and cronies.
Lucky for this country that
Connecticut's mental midget does
not run the Senate. Benton will =
learn that the people of Con-
necticut do not like Communists e
and crooks in Government any t
more than the people of Maryland K
like them" Is