Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1953-12-25
Washington Letter
By ROBERT NELSON TAYLOR

warming send-ofT at the Seoul air
port, shouting Come back, come
back"
We presume the State Department
will figure out how this is to be
done.
Half.Baked
Whether the scheduled hike in
the Social Security tax from ~ to
2 percent ION employee and employer
alike) is cancelled as President
Eisenhower has asked, or goes
through as Chairman Dan Reed
of the House of Ways and Means
committee thinks it should; we
think it is time for our elected
leaders to make up their minds
whether it is insurance or charity.
If it is insurance, whoever has
kicked in for it should get it at
! age 65-even if he should want to
keep working, and earn SIS or
! $500 month. If it's charity, then
it shouldn't go to people with large
incomes.
And certainly. in these times,
when brains and experience are
needed, any law that penalties a
useful citizen for working after
age IS is downright immoral.
DOT For Defense Industries
In following it's announced policy
of firing all employees who admit
being Communists or engaged in
espionage or sabotage, we do not
expect many of General Electric's
100000 employees in 131 plants
Throughout the nation will be getting
the sack. For, it should be apparent
by now, that it is not in the nature
of Commies and fellOw-travellers
to admit subversive connections or
activities.
Thus, the further decision to
suspend, pending clearance, all
those who hide behind the Fifth
Amendment when questioned on
such matters in a public Govern
ment hearing, or who have so re-
fused answers in the past six
months, is far more significant .
and should set the pattern for all
industries now engaged in defense
work, or likely to be in a time of
national crisis.
But already there are those who
decry this action as high-handed
and destructive of the sacred
American rights of the individual.
To such people, it might be pointed
out that GE, as an essential factor
in national defense, is merely
following the lead of President
Eisenhower who, several weeks
ago, issued an even tougher direc-
tive to the Government department
heads General Electric, in fact
leans backward in it's effort to be
fair to the individual During the
80 day suspension period, his pay
goes on and if his cleared by q
Congressional committee or other
Government security agency, he will
be reinstated.
The one weakness in the plan is
: pointed out by GEES president R.
Cordiner, himself. In a fOrma
E statement, he says: THE COmpan.
! is aware of, and regrets the fac
= that, to it's knowledge, no Govern
} ment agency has yet established
= any procedures whereby employees
can apply for and obtain an opinion
t or certificatiOn of the nature de
1 scribed ." He urges that sucl
facilities be provided, if not by al
existing agency, then by a specia
= act of Congress.
Government action in this direc
! ton, either by the Executive De
I partment, or by the Congress,
vital to the protection Of the sacre,
= rights, not only of the employ
under the shadow of suspicion, bu
n of 100 million of us to sa
t nothing of the sole remaining hop
s of the free world. We need sue
e action NOW.
n .. But No Recess
r BY next January 18th, an IS ma
g salary commission, set up b
=" Congress before it knocked o
e last August 1st,, will report {
/ President Eisenhower and to Coz