Evening star., 1953-01-05
ENJOYS Fear Ruling
On Vincent May Bar
Objective Reporting
By Garnett D. Horner

sNSta
A group of unofflcial spokes-
men for Americas career diplo-
mats charged today that the
Loyalty Review Boards ruling
against John Carter Vincent
implies doctrines" which would
prevent any Of them doing their
full duty" in serving the United
States.
If the ruling stands. they
warned, it may mean that they
will not be able to make objec-
tive reports to the Government
about the strength Of Communist
opposition in vital areas of the
world or about the deficiencies"
Of friendly governments.
They put forward arguments
similar to some advanced by
Secretary Of State Acheson in
getting President Truman to
order a new review of the Vim
cent case.
The Presidents action was an
nounced Saturday night by the
White House, which made public
a memorandum by Mr.. Acheson
asserting the case raises "the
issue of accurate reporting" by
Foreign Service officers.
Say Action Causes Bewilderment.
The Foreign Service Journal
released for publication today a
statement by its editors and the
board Of directors of the Ameri-
can Foreign Service Association.
saying the loyalty boards action
against Mr.. Vincent sis causing
bewilderment and misgiving in
our ranks"
On December Is, the Loyalty
Review Board headed by Hiramn
Bingham notified Mr.. Acheson
1t found there was reasonable
doubt" about Mr.. Vincent's
loyalty, and recommended that
he be fired.
Mr.. Vincent, career diplomat
who once was a key figure in
United States Far Eastern policy
and long has been a target of
pro-CommuniSt charges by Sena-
tor Mccarthy. Republican of
Wisconsin. was suspended pend
ing further study by the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Acheson.
He was ordered home from his
post as American Diplomatic
Agent at Tangier. He is expected
to remain under suspension un-
til a new five-man board reviews
the case and reports to Mr.. Ache
son.
Reveals Diplomats Fears.
The Foreign Service Associa-
tion statement today brought
into the open reports of shat
tered morale in the service and
fears of career diplomats that
they cannot afford to report OBJ
jectively to the Government in
view of what happened to Mr..
Vincent.
The association is an unoffi-
cial organization of Foreign
Service officers. Its board of di-
rectors includes some Of the top
ranking career men.
Members of the associations
board are Tyler Thompson,
chairman; v. Lansing Collins,
jr.. vice president, and Edward
T. Walls, Stephen Winship and
Fred w. landry.
The Foreign Service Journals
editorial board is made up Of
Avery F. Peterson. chairman; j.
Graham Parsons, Louis j. Halle,
jr.; Ray Thurston, Charles r.
Knox, Edmund Gullion and
Richard A. Poole. All but Mr..
Knox, who lives in Warrenton,
Va, are Washingtonians.
Their statement today ex-
pressed principal concern about
implications of the Loyalty Re
view Boards assertion that it
noted "Mr. Vincent's studied
praise of Chinese Communists
and equally studied criticism Of
the Chang Kai-shek govern
ment throughout a period when
1t was the declared and estab-
lished policy Of the Government
of the United States to support
Chang Kai-shek'S government"
See Contradiction.
This, the statement said, "has
an implication in direct contra
diction" Of q basic principle Of
Foreign Service work.
1t explained:
1--WE believe the members of
the Foreign Service share a
simple and rather stern concep-
tion of their duty in reporting to
their Government: to tell the
truth as they see it about people.