Evening star., 1952-01-12
Service Custer RuIino
|Assaied by Foreign
Service Journal

nsSuHN0 UVlyM
Service Journal
The Foreign Service Journal to-
day called for efforts in collective
1self- defense to make certain that
justice prevails" In the loyalty
case Of John S. Service.
Mr.. Service, q veteran Foreign
Service officer, was fired by the
lState Department last month, af-
ter the Loyalty Review Board Of
THE Civil Service Commission re-
ported a reasonable doubt exists
as to his loyalty.
The Journal, publication Of the
American Foreign Service Assoc
citation and thus an unofficial
spokesman for Mr.. Services coli
leagues, asserted that the review
boards attitude can be justified
only by the precision Of hind
|sight and is. in effect. an ex-post-
facto ruling"
Editorial Hits Ruling.
eve respectfully suggest" said
la Journal editorial, "that the
review boards present ruling was
rendered in the light of condi-
tionS in 1851, rather than in l945,
the date Of the indiscretion.
1--WE believe that Judgment
should be reached in consideration
|of American policy in. that car
lier time, when we were allied
with the Soviet Union and our
military and diplomatic missions
in China were under instructions
to seek unification of Nationalist
and Communist forces.
eve think also that Mr.. Serv-
ices motives have withstood ex-
haustive scrutiny and are re-
vealed as those of a loyal, devoted
and effective Government official,
who was guilty only Of indiscre-
tion."
The Journal pointed out that
the case turns on a freely ad-
mitted indiscretion nearly seven
years ago in the transmittal of
information of q non-public
character to the editor of an
American magazine, a journalist
whose bona fides were made
quately examined"
background Information
It added that the information
transmitted did not affect the ma
tional security but was of a back
ground nature which, by direction
of superiors, Mr.. Service had pro-
vided to journalists in China to
explain the political situation in
which the United States was
trying to bring all factions to
contribute to the assault against
Japan"
The Loyalty Review Board as
serted, in its opinion last month.
that Mr.. Services associations
with Philip j. Jaffe, left-wing
editor of Amerasia magazine, to
whom he lent copies Of some re-
ports he had written while on
duty in China, raised a reason
able doubt" about his loyalty.
An appeal by Mr.. Service for
reconsideration Of the decision,
which reversed several earlier
clearances by the State Depart
ment's Loyalty Security Board,
was rejected this week by the
review board.
Mr.. Services attorney, Charles
E. Rhetts, has appealed to Presi-
dent Truman for a new "im-
partial" hearing, charging that
the release last week by Senator
Republican. of Wiscon-
sin, Of what he described as ex-
cerpts from minutes Of a board
meeting early last year raised
doubts about the boards fairness.
Law Held Contravened.
The Journal editorial today ex-
pressed hope that. 'if all recourse
to administrative action should
prove unavailing, the matter can
be considered by the courts"
Declaring that "it is not only
Jack Service and the Foreign
Service that are victims in this
matter, the Journal added:
"To the (State) Department,
the reversal implies that it's Loyalty
Security Board is either inept
or biased or both. For all journal
lists, greater difficulty in obtain
ing news is created, and the ideal
Of an informed public as con-
structive factor in foreign affairs
is made more remote. For the
American people, a fundamental
Of law and government has been
contravened.
Every effort must be made in
our collective self-defense to
utilize all available means, includ-
ing the courts, to make certain
that justice prevails in the case