Evening star., 1953-08-09
Mcleod Says Probes
Now Get Full Support
OF State Department
By Gornett D. Horner

day that Senator McCarthy's in
yestigating subcommittee and
other congressional investigators
are now receiving the complete
and unequivocal support of the
State Experimentation the first
time in 20 years"
The statement was made in a
speech prepared for delivery be-
fore the American Legion con-
vention in Topeka, Kan.
The text of the speech was
made available at the State De-
partment here. But a Spokes-
man said Mr.. Mcleod was
expressing his own views, and
that the speech and not been
cleared with top officials Of the
department.
Mr.. McLeod's expression of
"unequivocal" support for Sena-
tor McCarthy's subcommittee
raised some eyebrows here. in
view of recent indications that
the Eisenhower administration
was standing up to the Wiscon-
sin Senator on several issues.
Incidents Recalled.
Recalled in this connection
were the blocking of Senator Nc
Carthy's effort to investigate
Central Intelligence Agency en-
ployes, the recent relaxation of a
Mccarthy induced ban on use in
the Governments overseas Ii
braries of books by authors ac-
cuSed as Communists or pro-
Communists, and the State De-
partment's announced decision
against the Senator's advice last
week to issue a limited passport
to william P. Bundy, CIA official
whom Senator Mccarthy wants
to question.
Mr.. Mcleod told the Legion
naires that when he took Office
on March 3 he found most State
Department employees were good,
honest, loyal Americans" but a
minority had blackened the rep
utation" of the department, he
added.
Mr.. Mcleod said he could not
say that there are no Com
muniSt agents, no fellow
travellers or no homosexuals still
employed in the State Depart
ment, but he emphasized: Il
have no knowledge of any single
case in the above three cate g,
gories where the person is still
employed"
8. The executive branch of the
Government will never utilize
its power to shield or to suppress
the facts from the Congress con-
cerning any individual who has
been engaged in subversive
activities and who should be
brought to account for his con-
duct" Mr.. Mcleod SAID.
"UnequivOcal Support"
For the first time in 20 years
I can assure you that the House
Committee on Un-American Ac-
tivities under Chairman Velde,
the Senate Internal Security
subcommittee, under Senator
Jenner, and the Special Investi-
gative subcommittee, un der.
Senator Mccarthy have received
the complete and unequivocal
support Of the State Depart
ment."
Recalling that nearly a year
ago the people had voted for
a change in Washington" Mr..
Mcleod said "the progress to-
wards change has not been as
rapid as many of us had hoped
1t would be-"
He pointed out that most peo-
pie in Government now are hold
overs from two decades of
Democratic administration. He
added:
Sometimes it is extremely
difficult because of the Civil
Service Act, the Veterans Pref
erence Act, and the Foreign
Service Act to replace an indi-
vidual whose viewpoint does not
coincide with that of the Re
publican Party.
I'm the second, third and
fourth echelon of employees, the
policy which originates at the
top must be implemented. Until
such time as we can re-educate
those employees or replace them
with proper personnel, the prog
ress which we make is some
times very SLOW"
Statements Questioned.
MI. McLeod'S remarks about
Senator Mccarthy were not the
only ones which surprised in
formed persons here Here are
some others with which many
VI IneIn IOOk exception:
/. Under the old Truman
program before a person
could be discharged from Gov
eminent employment . it was
incumbent to prove before Spe-
cial hearing boards before
counsel that the individual was
'diSloyar." The Eisenhower pro-
gram is on a much sounder basis,
since it takes into account the
various behavior patterns which
may render an individual a
security risk.
Actually, the State Depart
ment has had a double -barreled
loyalty-security program since
1947. On July 18, 1947-under
the Truman administration-th
department set up a Personnel
Security Board to rule on dis
miSsal of employees accused as
security risks. On October z.
1947. the department made pub
lie principles guiding the security
program. Among factors to be
considered in whether a person
should be deemed security risk
it listed such things as habitual
drunkenness and sexual per-