Evening star., 1953-07-12

churches for their support of capi-
talism at one stage of his career,
for instance, and attacked them
for fellow-traveling at another
stage.
It was soon obvious to Senator
Mccarthy that he would lose on a
vote on Matthews. But instead Of
fighting back until the bitter end
as he did against the confirma-
ton Of Charles E. Bohlen as envoy
to Moscow, Mccarthy indicated he
would back down and fire Mat
thewS.
clergy's BIost
Then three leaders of the Ma
tional Conference of Christians
and Jews-one of them a Catholic
and another a Jew-sent a tele-
gram to the White House asking
President Eisenhower If he did not
agree that "the sweeping attack
on the loyalty of Protestant clergy
men and the charge that they are
the largest single group support
Ing the Communist apparatus is
unjustified and deplorable?"
It was certain that Matthews
was on his way out of his Govern
ment job, and 1t was obvious that
the telegram was referring direct
ly to Matthews. So the President
could have stayed out Of the con-
troversy on his usual ground that
he does not deal In personalities.
Instead he wired back immedi-
ately: II fully share the convic-
tions you state"
Senator Mccarthy then an
nounced that he was accepting
Matthews resignation.
The Senator was defeated on the
Matthews issue, but he continued
to fight back on the challenge to
his powers to hire and fire. He
called a meeting of his subcom-
mittee Friday and put the question
to vote. He won, on. strict party
lines. All Democrats promptly re-
signed their subcommittee posts.
Another fight, which could involve
the entire Senate, seemed to be in
the making.
But there was one question left
unanswered in the Matthews case.
Why did Senator Mccarthy back
down? In the past he has listened
to even more violent criticism
without giving an inch. He has
changed direction or form of his
attack, sent up smokescreen or
hollered "Smear!" but never be-
fore has he knuckled under.
The answer probably was that
the Senator was surprised when
the case against Matthews devel-
oped into religious controversy.
It would do Mccarthy, a Catholic,
no good to be identified with an
attack on Protestants. His stock
in trade lies in the role Of all
American, God-fearing, non-sec-
tartan white knight fighting athe-
istic communism wherever 1t may
be found.
So he dropped Matthews and
moved away from religion.
A New forget
In an attempt to draw attention
away from the Matthews episode.
Senator Mccarthy aimed sharp
assault on the Eisenhower team
late last week. He blasted Allen
Dulles, director of the Central In
telligence Agency and brother Of
John Foster Dulles, for refusing to
let a CIA employe testify before
the Mccarthy subcommittee. The
Senator announced that Allen
Dulles and other CIA officials
would be hailed before his subcom-
mittee-or what was left of 1t.
Then he jumped on DR.. Robert
L. Johnson, administrator of the
international Information Admin
istration. DR.. Johnson had just
announced the final, definitive
Oatest of 12) administration di-
rective on books to be removed
from State Department overseas
Libraries.
That controversy had started
in February when Mccarthy de-
manded that books written by per-
sons suspected of Communist lean
ings be purged. The IIA at first
complied, ordering books by con-
troversial authors off the shelves.
Then in subsequent clarifying or
ders the IIA thoroughly confused
the job of deciding exactly which
books and which authors should
60.
New Criterio
Finally, last week, IIA returned
to it's pre-McCarthy position and
ruled that content should be the
only criteria for judging books and
that any book which "affirmatively
served the ends Of democracy"
even If written by a known Com
munist, could remain in the
Libraries.
This order squared with the
views of the President and was
said to have been approved by
him.
But 1t didn't square with the
views of the wisconsin bibliophobe.
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