Evening star., 1953-01-25
House Unit to Tackle Broader
Inquiry on Loyalty in u. N. Jobs
bills introduced since January 8.

bills introduced since January 8,
has ben urged to recommend:
l. That justices Of the Supreme
Court and judges of lower Fed
eral courts be banned from ap-
pearing in any court as character
witnesses. Sponsors of this pro-
posal explained that their action
Stemmed largely from the testi-
mony of two Supreme Court
justices at the trial of Alger Hiss.
The former State Department
official now is serving a prison
term for conviction on charges
Of falsely swearing he never gave
confidential Government infor-
nation to a Soviet agent.
2. That widows Of justices and
judges be given an annuity by
the Government.
3. That cases in which the
Supreme Court has original
Jurisdiction be decided only by
an affirmative vote of at least
five justices. The Supreme Court
has original Jurisdiction in con-
troverSieS between the separate
States, between the Federal
Government and a State. and
in a few other circumstances
specified in the Constitution. A
reported purpose of these bills
is to assure a clear-cut MAJ ajority
Supreme Court opinion in any
future decision on the dispute
over offshore oil area ownership.
4. That salaries Of Federal
judges be increased.
S. That additional Federal
judges be appointed in several
States, territories and judicial
circuits.
6. That Federal grand juries
be given special attorneys and
investigators. presumably inde-
pendent of the Justice Depart
ment or the offices of United
States Attorneys.
Z. That the President be al
lowed to veto individual items
in budget bills.
8. That persons convicted Of
spying in peacetime in the United
States or advocating violent
overthrow of the Government
be subject to the death penalty.
Battle on McCarran Act.
On top of all this the Judiciary
Committee in the House as well
as the Senate will be involved in
the battle over the McCarran-
Walter Act. That statute, which
went into effect a month ago,
codified and revised the immi-
grafton and naturalization laws.
It has been bitterly attacked
principally by a commission
named by former President Tru-
man last fall. President Eisen-
hover also is on record as favor
ing some changes in the law.
Subcommittee members who
investigated the Justice Depart
ment during most of 1852 said
that this year they want not
merely to wind up some ''loose
ends" of earlier hearings. but
also to operate as a sort of
watchdog over the Justice De-
partment.
Several members have in
dicated they will ask that former
Attorney General McGrath, and
his predecessor, Supreme Court
Justice Clark, be called for ques-
tioning. No such formal request
has yet been advanced. they said
The subcommittee wound up
its 82d Congress career last
month by looking into complaints
that the Justice Department or
the State Department tried to-
interfere with a Federal grand
jury investigation of United Ma
tionS employment of United
States citizens Of questionable
loyalty.
Mr.. Keating and others said
they want to pursue the matter
on a bigger scale to determine
whether any governmental de-
partment or officials were re-
sponsible for letting subversive
United States citizens get or keep
jobs with the UN.