Evening star., 1952-12-27
Justice Probers
Describe Caud|e
As 'Scapegoat'
Report Criticizes
Acts of Tom Clark
And Peyton Ford
By Cecil Holland

And Peyton Ford
BY Cecil Holland
House investigators today de-
scribed Theron Lamar Caudle as
"a scapegoat" and the well-pub-
hcized story of his career in
Washington as "the most accurate
reflection of decay within the De-
partment of Justice"
This description of the former
Assistant Attorney General in
charge of the Justice Depart
ment's Tax Division was given in
a formal report by the House
Judiciary subcommittee which has
spent months investigating the
Justice Department.
The report said that Mr.. Caudle,
who was fired summarily by Presi-
dent Truman, and his story seems
a fair look into the innermost
anatomy of sick public agency
1t also raised questions about
the activities of Supreme Court
Justice Tom Clark while he was
serving as Attorney General and
before that as chief of the Justice
Departments Criminal Division.
Clark's Interference" Cited.
The subcommittee. in its report,
said it was much impressed with
the extent" to which Mr.. Clark
"interfered with the routine
functionings" of the department
in the Kansas City vote frauds
case.
1t said that it looked upon MIR.
Clark's actions in lifting" various
cases from Justice Department di-
visions while he was serving as
Attorney General as "a gross de-
parture from the usual channels
OF authority, which has not been
adequately explained or defended
by any of the officials involved"
The report also raped Peyton
Ford, former deputy Attorney
General, as mot equipped to stand
in the stead of the chief legal Off
Ger OF the United States" as the
subcommittee said he did freely
and extensively during the ad-
ministrations of both Mr.. Clark
and former Attorney General Nc
Grath.
The subcommittee charged that
Mr.. Ford, who now practices law
here, built up IAN administrative
empire" in the Justice Depart
ment. and indicated that some of
Mr.. Caudle's difficulties had their
origin in a feud with the former
deputy Attorney General.
Caudle Endured to End.
'It is unfortunate, the subcom-
mittee said, that Ford, who liqui-
dated his empire just before the
public examination of the depart
ment got under way, avoided the
careful scrutiny while Caudle en-
dured to the end; Caudles course
was surely braver-if less saga
cious."
A jubilant Mr.. Caudle remarked
at his home in Wadesboro, N. c.:
IF it hadn't been for the Chelf
Committee I'd have been another
Dreyfus"
(Alfred Dreyfus was a French
officer falsely accused and con-
victed Of treason around the
turn of the century. He later
was vindicated in a new trial.
Received Advance Copy.
Mr.. Caudle, the Associated Press
reported, said he had received an
advance copy of the report and
was "uplifted" by it's contents.
"They meant business but they
were fair to me-" he observed.
They said I was weak" Mr..
Caudle commented, and added:
We'll, everybody to his own opin-
ion. but if anything I was too
friendly. It's just my Southern
way of doing things"
Mr.. Ford told reporter he had
read parts of the report and found
it "a sort of Alice in Wonderland
affair"
so far as I am concerned" he
said, there are just three accurate
things in the report: One, my
name is spelled correctly: two, I
was Deputy Attorney General and,
three, had to take some cases
away from Caudle.
If I hadn't take the cases away
from him the committee would
have criticized me for that, and
they'd have been damn we'll justi-
fed in doing it,"
Justice Clark and Mr.. McGrath
were not Immediately reachable.
Caudle "Unfairly Used"
Of Mr.. Caudle, now practicing
law in WadeSboro, the subcommit-
tee said:
Those members of the subcom-
mittee who heard the full eight
days of Caudle's testimony both in
executive and open session are left
with the clear impression that,
after years of loyalty and service
given to the best of his ability,
he was unfairly used as a public
sacrifice to divert attention from
the shameful weaknesses that were
being exposed throughout the
Treasury and Justice Departments.
Although Caudle was weak and
vulnerable, he was not responsible
for the shortcomings of those
around him, nor for the indifferent
attitude of his superiors which had
made it possible for vulnerable
people to remain in top posts so
long unchallenged."
Rogers Voices Dissent.
This conclusion about the for
mer Justice official drew a sharp
dissent from Representative Rog-
ers, Democrat, of Colorado, who
said that Mr.. Caudle's testimony
should be referred to a United
(See CAUDLE. Page A-3.)