Evening star., 1953-11-20
|Hendrickson Prods
Justice Clark 10 Talk
On White Case Role
By the A.soeia,ed Pres.


Senator Hendrickson, Repub-
lican, of New Jersey said today
he personally feels Supreme
Court Justice Tom c. Clark has
public duty to explain his role
in the Harry Dexter White case.
Justice Clark was Attorney
General in 1916 when White, now
dead. was appointed by former
President Truman as United
States director of the Interna-
tional Monetary Fund-an ap-
pointment Attorney General
Brownell says was made in the
face of FBI information that
White was Russian spy.
Mr.. Brownell's charge, first
voiced in a speech November 6,
set off a political controversy
and spurred a Senate Internal
Security subcommittee investiga-
ton Of communism in Govern
ment.
Will Request Invitation.
Senator Hendrickson, a men,
ber of the subcommittee, told
newsmen he would get in touch
with Chairman Jenner as soon
as possible and propose that
Justice Clark be invited to
testify.
Justice Clark declined last
week to heed a subpoena of the
House Un-American Activities
Committee, but offered to con-
slider questions submitted in
writing. He based his refusal
on the constitutional separation
and independence of the three
branches of Government.
Mr.. Truman and James F.
Byrnes, who was Secretary of
State in 1916, similarly rejected
House Un-American Activities
Committee summonSes. Mr..
Truman cited the same grounds
as Justice Clark. Mr.. Byrnes,
now Governor of South Carolina,
said the committee could not re-
quire him to leave his duties but
that he would respond to ques-
tions if committee members
came to him. They have
dropped plans to do so-a deci-
sion protested by Representative
Moulder, Democrat, of Missouri,
who said he was not consulted.
Truman Subpoena Stands.
Representative Velde, Repub-
lican, of Illinois, chairman of
the committee, said at Cleveland
yesterday his subpoena of Mr..
Truman still stands. He said
he planned no contempt cita-
ton against Mr.. Truman but
hopes the former President will
see the necessity" of appearing
voluntarily.
However, Democratic men,
ber of his committee, Represent
ative Frazier of Tennessee, said
he sees no reason why the House
group should not leave the in
quiry to the Senate subcofn-
mittee.
Mr.. Truman stuck by his mo
comment" position. He addressed
a Young Democrats meeting at
Kansas City last night, but made
scant reference to what he called
simply the controversy this
week."
Senator Hendrickson- said that,
if Justice Clark were unwilling
to appear before the Senate
probers, he would not object to
written question and = answer
procedure.
Stresses "Public Duty"
But he declared:
IF ! were a Supreme Court
justice who had been Attorney
General in this period, I would
consider it public duty to try
to clear it up"
Senator Jenner has indicated
he feels any decision to call the
Supreme Court justice now would
be premature.
While Republicans made plain
they intend to push ahead with
the probe, Senator Olin John
Ston, Democrat, South Carolina.
a member of Senator Jenners
subcommittee, said, in an inter-
view, Congress instead ought to
be investigating rising interest
rates and falling farm income
under the Eisenhower admins
tration.
Of the investigation of the