Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-06
Probers SET DeadIine
ForU. 5. Aide 10 Reply
To Morals Question

gave a State Department official
until a week from next Monday
to answer a question as to
whether he thought "the know
ledge that a man is a homo
sexual should be denied a
board considering his promotion
in the Foreign Service.
Vladimir I. Toumanoff told
the Senate Investigations SUBJ
committee today it was difficult
to answer the question with a
flat yes or no. because no one
proven to be a homoSexual ever
would come before a promotion
board anyway-"he would have
been fired
Chairman Mccarthy insisted,
however, on a fiat answer and
told Mr.. Toumanoff to supply it
at another public hearing set for
a week from Monday morning.
Questioned on Promotions.
Mr.. Toumanoff, an official in
the performance measurements
branch of the Foreign Service
personnel division. also was or
dered to check the files and ans
wer at that hearing whether he
had recommended for promotion
a man due to be fired who later
recommended Mr.. Toumanoff
himself for a promotion.
Mr.. Toumanoff was questioned
closely about his background. He
said his father had been an Of
ficer in the Imperial Guard
under the Czarist regime in Rus
STA and had fought the Commu-
nists in the White Russian army.
Mr.. Toumanof said he was
born in 1923 at the Russian le-
CATION in Constantinople, Tur-
key, which he had been told was
still under control of the anti
Communist White Russians. He
was brought to this country
when he was five months old
and naturalized as an American
citizen in 1945. He started work.
ing with the State Department
in the Foreign Service Recruit
ment branch in 1949.
Explains Setup.
Under close questioning, Mr..
Toumanof said he approved of
the practice that security in
formation should not be avail
able to selection boards which
grade Foreign Service personnel
for promotion. He explained that
the function of the selection
board is to evaluate "how well a
man has done his job" Then. he
said. names of those recon-
mended for promotion go to the
security division which reports
back on whether there is any de-
rogatory information.
When there is derogatory in
formation, he added, the decision
on the selection boards promo
ton recommendation is up to
Deputy Secretary Of State Car
Isle Humelsine.
Earlier, Chairman Mccarthy
read to Mr.. Toumanoff previous
testimony in an executive session
by a department security officer
to the effect that Mr.. Toumanoff
once had recommended a raise
for Harry Wolf after Mr.. Wolf
had been rated unsatisfactory as
an assistant administrative Off
Ger in Germany and sent to
Washington to be fired.
The security officers testimony
added that Mr.. Wolf later was
in a position to recommend a
raise for Mr.. Toumanoff.
Mr.. Toumanoff said he was
absolutely amazed by that"
and remembered nothing like 1t.
He said Mr.. Wolf is now adj
ministrative officer in the For
eign Service personnel division
and might have supplemented
other recommendations for a
raise for Mr.. Toumanoff, but
that as far as he knew Mr.. Wolf
was never recommended for dis
missal and that he never recon-
mended a raise for Mr.. Wolf.
Says "LOOting" Was COndOned.
Senator Mccarthy contends
that officials of the State De-
partment in the Truman admin
istration condoned footing" of
the files.
His group heard yesterday that