Evening star., 1953-06-07
Nee Corthy's Opposition
Promotes His Popularity
Writer Says Senator Thrives
On Exuqqerutions and Abuse
By Fronk R. Kent

WHteI says Senoror InrIveS
On Exuggerotions and Abuse
BY Fronk R. Kent
It has gotten so that In this country
to say word about Senator Mccarthy
not denunciatory or even mildly IA
vorable is to subject ones self to q
more violent denunciation from the
anti-McCarthy elements than comes
from the pro-McCarthy elements when
their man is denounced or slurred.
This is not written to defend Sena-
tor Mccarthy. On the contrary, 1t is
written by one who thoroughly dislikes
his methods, his manners. his admitted
deviations from the facts and further
more. dislikes him as man. It is
written solely for the purpose of point
ing out that the violence and viru-
lence Of the nti-McCarthyites has
reached a point where it no longer is
doing Mr.. Mccarthy harm but is actu-
ally building him up into being q con-
Siderably more potent public figure
than he actually is. In short, Senator
Mccarthy is profiting by the assaults
Of his enemies.
This, OF course, Is not to say that
Senator McCarthy's misStatements Of
facts should be allowed to 60 uncon-
tradlcted. 1t is to say that the passion
with which he is being daily aSailed-
and sometimes unfairly-defeats its
purpose and gives to Mr. Mccarthy an
Importance to which he is not entitled.
The best example of this was the re-
cent convention in Washington of the
Americans for Democratic Action, an
organization dedicated to the principles
OF the late Franklin Roosevelt, Harry
Truman and Adlai Stevenson, whom it
supported. AS The Star editorially
pointed out, none of these heroes domi-
mated the convention. Practically every
session was dominated by Mccarthy.
Actually, the proceedings were SO
saturated with Mccarthy denunciations
that everything else the convention
did got Scant notice. Mccarthy was in
nearly every headline resulting from
the Six-day gathering. Chairman
Francis Biddle started things off by
tying Mccarthy up with the Republican
Party, and Arthur Schlesinger, jr,
one Of the good Adlai's speech writer's,
pursued the same line. Terrific anti
Mccarthy speeches were made by Sem
ator Lehman of New York, who made
the keynote address, and by Senator
Humphrey of Minnesota, who intimated
that Mccarthy had taken over the di-
rection of foreign policy from PreSi-
dent Eisenhower James WechSler.
whose exploitation of his experience be-
fore the Mccarthy committee has been
carried to absurd lengths and whose
contention that the freedom of the
press" is endangered by Mccarthy has
become rather a joke. contributed
ment.
Also, the intrepid radio commentator,
Elmer Davis. portentously warned of a
Mccarthy administration in 1856 and
James E. Carey. treasurer of the CIO.
pictured the Wisconsin Senator as
"snuggled close" to the Eisenhower
bosom. In addition to all this, resolu-
tions and reports denouncing Mccarthy
were passed and the formal policy
statement adopted at the close reeked,
as The Star said, with either outright
attacks or veiled references" Alto
gether, its obsession with Mccarthy
ism" was so intense that the convention
laid itself open to considerable ridcule
and can justly be accused of promoting
Mccarthy by OVERRIDING it's attacks.
Shrewdly, Senator Mccarthy, who was
in the hospital for a medical checkup
during the convention, made no answer
OF any kind. Apparently his opponents
were doing a better job for him than
he could do himself.
The ADA, of course, Is not the onlv
agency which is keeping Mr.. Mccarthy
in the news. For weeks now the New
Deal-Fair Deal columnists and COM
mentators have been almost frantically
calling upon President Eisenhower to
"break with Mccarthy" and express
his adherence of "McCarthyisn.
Hardly day goes by that they do not
prod him Ito act" AS David Lawrence
wrote the other day, sort of anti
Mccarthy phobia has grown up here
and even spread to Britain, where not
long ago some public man inquired who
is running our foreign policy. Eisen-
hover or Mccarthy? You cannot get
much sillier than that.
Nor could Mr. Eisenhower easily
commit any greater stupidity than to
UcCOHlc lIlVOlVeQ III DraWl WIN SEN
ator Mccarthy, which would obscure
and confuse every other issue about
which he is concerned and lead only to
more Mccarthy headlines Mccarthy
already has been called all the names
possible and charged with all kinds Of
misdemeanors and wrongdoings. He
seems to thrive on abuse and it is
unintelligent for his opponents to keep
up ceaseless. barrage without more
effective ammunition-particula as
there usually is more than a trace of
truth in his grossest exaggerations. 1t
merely plays his game. 1t also plays
the game of the Kremlin. whose Daily
Worker shouts "McCarthyism" in
almost every issue. The truth is that.
irresponsible and exaggerated as may
have been the Mccarthy charges Of
Communistic infiltration in our Gov
ernment. they are not as much so as
the stand of those who contend that
there has been and is none.
Annie l. Clark sang INV ALL" Others