Evening star., 1954-05-27
The Political Min
Sound Plan Offered
To Control Probes
Bush Rules Would End
0ne-Mon Investigations
By Gould Lincoln

one-Mon Investigations
By Gould Lincoln
Senator Prescott Bush, Connecticut
Republican. has presented his col.
leagues sound program to bring about
q much-needed reform-rules to assure
fair play In senatorial investigations,
hearings and the handling Of nomina-
tions for high Federal ONCE. His pro-
posal is to write into the rules Of the
Senate itself procedures which Will
govern all senatorial committees and
subcommittee.
AS Of today, each individual COM
mittee makes its own rules. Generally
speaking. the committees live up to
their rules. Occasionally, they ignore
the rules, or put new interpretations
on them-with unfortunate results. If.
however. the rules of procedure are
laid down by the Senate itself. they
can be lodged only with o threat of
harsh action by the Senate itself.
The introduction Of the Bush resolu-
ton followed close on the heels of q
prediction by Senator Knowland Of Call
ifornia, Republican leader of the Sen
ate, that at the opening Of the new
Congress next January, O serious at
tempt to amend the rules Of the Senate
by writing in rules Of committee pro-
cedures would be NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the Republicans or the Democrats con-
troll the upper house after the Novem.
ber elections.
Republicans Study Plan.
The plan has been under considera-
ton by the Republican Policy Commit
tee of the Senate Senator Bush met
with the Policy Committee week or
10 days ago, at its invitation, to discuss
the studies he has been making of the
desired amendments.
Other Senators, both Republicans
and Democrats, have either prepared
or are preparing programs of their
own. At one point along the line, the
Senate Committee on Rules, which 10
headed by Senator Jenner of Indiana,
will be called upon to deal with the
proposed amendments.
The Connecticut Senator has fallen
in with the suggestion of Republican
Leader Knowland that the problem
Of amending the Senate rules be al.
loved to 60 over until the new Con-
gress. To bring it before the Senate
now might seriously delay the Senate
in its drive to complete its legislative
work-the Eisenhower program and
the appropriation bills-and prevent
an adjournment by August /. or earlier
in July.
In drafting his resolution for rules
amendment. Senator Bush has given
consideration both to proposals drafted
earlier by the Republican Policy Com
mittee and to a report on the subject
of congressional hearings and investi-
cations made by q subcommittee of the
House Rules Committee. He has en-
bodied procedure rules proposed by
both committees.
Need Brought In Sharp Focus.
The Mccarthy investigations-in-
cluding the hearings in the pres
ent Army Mccarthy controversy-have
brought the need Of q code Of pro-
cedures into sharp focus. AS Senator
Bush has said. the establishment of
such code is a responsibility the Sem
ate itself must face.
The Nation. he said. has been wit
Messing IAN unpleasant spectacle" in
the Army Mccarthy hearings. He ad-
mitted, on the one hand. that
any member Of Congress who seeks to
expose Communists becomes automatic
cally a target Of attack by those in
volved in the Communist conspiracy"
He admitted, too, that many patriotic
Americans have become alarmed at
''abuses Of the investigative power:
as practiced by some committees. His
aim is to have set up fair and just in
vestigating methods. while not ham
stringing congressional Investigations.
That's how it should be.
President Eisenhower, without at
tempting to dictate to the Senate or the
House what their rules shall be. has
indicated strong interest in the whole
problem. Last March 4. he said: I'VE
must be increasingly vigilant in every
phase of governmental activity to make
certain there is no SubverSive penetra-
ton. In opposing communism, we are
defeating ourselves If either by design
or carelessneSS. we use methods that
do not conform to the American sense
Of justice and fair play"
End Of Man Probes.
The Bush rules would strike down
"one-man" congressional investiga-
tionS. and provide for committee ac-
ton by vote Of o majority Of quorum.
Subpoenaes for witnesses are to DO issued
only by authority Of the committee
unless otherwise provided, presumably
by the committee itself.
They also provide that witnesses may
be advised by counsel. Whenever an
investigating committee determines
that evidence relating to q question
under inquiry may tend to defame, de-
grade, or incriminate witnesses. ten
specific rules are laid down governing
procedure. intended to assure fair
handling Of witnesses.
Demands for a fair-play code in con-
Quoting congressional investigations
are not new-but q code Il long over
due.