Evening star., 1952-09-04

AuuS HIIVIIICI iWlSI
To McCarthy's Suit
An intercepted private letter
gave a new political twist today to
the So million slander suit
brought by Republican Senator
Mccarthy of Wisconsin. against
Democratic Senator Benton OF
Connecticut.
Lawyers for Senator Mccarthy
declared it will become major evil
dence in the case.
The confidential letter-obvi-
ously unfriendly to Senator Nc
Carthy-was addressed to Senator
Benton's administrative aide,
Charles Stanley Allen. But copy
of it turned up in Senator Nc
Carthy's hands. And his lawyers
made it public yesterday.
They produced it while taking
dispositions in pre-trial session
for the slander suit.
Trying to Trace 1t.
Mr.. Allen Immediately disclosed
that some one had opened the
personal letter before it reached
his Office in the Senate Office
Building. He said he has been
trying to find out why it was mis-
directed and who opened it.
Edward Bennett Williams. at
torney for Senator Mccarthy. re-
fused to tell reporters how he got
q copy of the letter. which was
written to Mr.. Allen by Robert
Fleming, a political writer for the
Milwaukee Journal. The Journal
has opposed Senator McCarthy's
bid for denomination in the
primary to be held next Tuesday.
In the letter dated February 9,
1852, Mr.. Fleming wrote that he
was increasingly distressed about
reports of the attitude of the Gill
lette Senate Rules subcommittee
on THE Project" This presum-
ably meant the groups investiga-
ton of a resolution introduced by
Senator Benton, seeking the ex-
pulsion of Senator Mccarthy on
grounds that his Communist-in-
Government charges were marked
by fraud, perjury and calculated
deceit.
Letter Is Quoted.
The Fleming letter said:
II don't presume to know how
to build fires under (Senators)
Hennings and Monroney so that
they in turn could do likewise unto
Gillette, so 1 have to plot other
devices
II therefore come to wondering
what happens to the committee's S
files if they do nothing on this
case. Are these files around
where Welker or some friendly
clerk can work them over? If so,
could some one else make the
same effort with acother view?
Could Hennings or Monroney be
prodded into getting material. at
least long enough for examination
by an interested citizen from. for
example, Milwaukee? Or if much
simpler-could Benton aSk?"
The writer also said he would
like a reply in confidence and
suggested that both his letter to
Mr.. Allen and the Allen reply
should be destroyed.
Letter Not Destroyed.
But Mr.. Allen said he has not
destroyed the letter and will pro-
duce it later, under terms of a
subpoena from the Mccarthy
lawyers. The deposition-taking
was recessed until this is done.
Senators Hennings and Mon
roney are Democrats on the Gill
lette subcommittee. Senator Wei
ker is a Republican member.
After yesterdays hearing, Mr.
Allen issued a statement contend
ing that Senator Mccarthy owes
postal authorities an explanation
Of how his. Office got the letter.
Tydings Aids Candidate.
During the proceedings yester-
day, former Senator Millard E
Tydings of Maryland, an old foe Of
Senator Mccarthy, testified that
he has been helpful to Leonard
Scmitt, candidate for the Senate
In the Wisconsin Republican
primary next week. Mr.. Tydings
said he had given to the Mccarthy
opponent some photostat copie:
of documents bearing on the 1885,
Senate investigation of Com.
munists in Government.
Mr.. Tydings, who engaged ir
frequest and sarcastic exchanges
with Attorney Williams. deniee
that he has contributed any
money to the Scmitt campaign
He said he knew of no such con.
tributions by members of his fam
lily, including his father-in law
Joseph E. Davies.
Mr.. Tydings called Senator Nc.
Carthy a liar in connection with
the charges of Communists in thu
State Department. He said tht
Senate investigation showed tht
Mccarthy accusations were {
fraud and a hoax. He denied thu
countercharge that the probe wa
a whitewash for the administra
tion.