The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-03-27
THE WORLD
TODAY
By JAMES MARROW

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from the beginning in the belief
it had enough votes to beat Sen.
Mccarthy no matter how he and
others tried to block approval of
Charles E. Bohlen as ambassador
to Moscow.
So it treated Mccarthy cody all
through his attack, which shifted
from Bohlen to Secretary of State
Dulles. He began by challenging
Bohlen's fitness but wound up chal.
longing Dulles truthfuIness and
judgment.
In this episode Mccarthy was
also indirectly questioning the
Presidents Judgment since Eisen-
hover and Dulles, both of whom
had known Bohlen for years, had
recommended him for the Moscow
assignment.
But if Mccarthy was beaten in
this head-on collision with his own
Republican administration he can
argue that Dulles did not emerge
completely unscathed.
Mccarthy attacked Dulles truth
fullness and judgment so sharply
his fellow senators took extraor-
binary steps to be sure they knew
what they were doing before voting
for Bohlen.
Instead of taking Dulles word
there was nothing in the, FBPs
report on Bohlen to disqualify him
as ambassador. the Foreign Re-
lations committee sent two of its
own members to examine the re-
port and review it for the Senate.
Dulles had summarized this FBI
report for the committee through
three hours of questioning and had
stated Bohlen was all right.
The committee at the time was
so satisfied with what Dulles said
that it voted unanimously to ap-
prove Bohlen. ALI that was still
needed was full Senate approval.
1t was at this point that Mccarthy
began criticizing Dulles.
He said there was information
in Bohlen's FIJI file that would
make the senator's consider him
unfit if they just see the file them
selves, instead of relying on Dull
les say-so.
It was after this that the com.
mittee picked Senators Taft, Ohio
Republican, and Sparkman, Ala
bama Democrat, to look over the
report in Dulles office.
Taft and Sparkman told news
men yesterday, after examining
the file they had not found any.
thing that Dulles had not already
reported.
The point on which Mccarthy
challenged Dulles truthfulnesS was
this: He said he understood Dull
les security officer in the State
Department, r. w. Scott Mcleod,
had refused to approve Bohlen af-
ter seeing the FBI file. Dulles told
news conference there was no
difference between him and Nc
Leod on Bohlen. That statement
was an untruth, Mccarthy said.
But no senator challenged Nc.
Carthy to explain how much Of his
opposition to Bohlen was based on
rumor and how much on per-
sonal knowledge, although McCar.
thy kept mixing his statements Of
what he knew" with talk about
''rumors.
This whole case raises a serious
question for Dulles: Can he have
any effectiveness as secretary of
state If he runs into any more
situations where the Senate is not
satisfied to accept his judgment
but decides to check for itself?
And in permitting Taft and
Sparkman to examine the FIJI
summary on Bohlen. Dulles may
have opened the door 10 future
grief for himself. With few excep.
tons, the executive branch tradi-
tionally has resisted congressional
demands to see its secret files.
As If aware that other commit.
tees may demand in other cases
the same privilege given Taft and
Sparkman in this one, Dulles said
his action on the Bohlen file can
not be considered a precedent.
At no time in the argument about
Bohlen. and it has been going on
for month, has anyone in the
Eisenhower administration said a
critical word about Mccarthy, at
least publicly.
In this IL seems 10 be pursuing
. fixed policy Of saying nothing
unpleasant about a member Of Con-
greSs, perhaps on this theory:
If you don't make an enemy Of
the man who is against you today.
you may get him over on your
side against somebody else who
is against you tomorrow.
This might work with most mem.
bers of Congress but it's doubt
full it viii with Mccarthy. He never
acts like . man who Ia a soft
touch for . soft touch.