Evening star., 1954-10-27
MeCarthy Rekindles
Row With Army Over
Peress Promotion
BY james Y. Newton

Senator Mccarthy today re-
newed his demand that the Army
furnish him the names Of who
was responsible for the promo
tion and honorable discharge Of
Maj. Irving Peress, former Army
dentist whom the wisconsin Re-
publican called Fifth-Amend-
ment Communist.
Senator Mccarthy wrote Sec
retary of the Army Stevens that
while q list of some 80 officers
who had something to do with
the Peress case was furnished
his Senate Investigations SUBJ
committee, significantly, you
omitted the name of the in
dividual who signed the honor
able discharge" He said also
left off the list was the name of
Maj. Peress' commanding officer
at the time he was discharged
last February.
One of the two charges made
against Senator Mccarthy on
which the Senate will consider
censuring him at the special
session starting November 8 was
that he abused Brig. Gen. Ralph
w. Zwicker, commanding officer
at Camp Kilmer, N. j.. where
Maj. Peress was stationed. The
alleged abuse took place at a
closed session of the Mccarthy
subcommittee February 18.
Continues Offensive.
Continuing on the offensive
against his critics, Senator Nc
Carthy also aimed new charges
of fraud" and prejudice" at
members of the special Senate
committee which has recon-
mended that he be censured on
the two counts.
He accused Senator Watkins,
Republican. of Utah, chairman
of the special committee, of
"ducking" invitations to go be-
fore the Mccarthy subcommittee
and tell under oath what he
knows about who was responsible
for the promotion and honorable
discharge of Maj. Peress.
Senator McCarthy's latest
blast was made to reporters
after Senator Watkins. in Salt
Lake City. Utah, had refused to
discuss two sharp letters Sem
ator Mccarthy had sent him.
Senator Mccarthy had blasted
both Senator Watkins and Sena-
tor Erwin, Democrat. of North
Carolina, another member of the
six-Senator special committee. in
a letter to the chairman made
public earlier in the day-accus-
ing them both of pref judic e
against him. Earlier he had chal-
enged the impartiality of third
committee member, Senator Ed
win c. Johnson, Democrat of
CT dorado.
Senator Erwin said at his
home in Morganton, N. c.. that
he accepted appointment to the
committee with the full con-
sciousness that I could pass on
the charges solely upon the evi-
dence. This I did,"
He said that before appoint
ment of the special committee
he had told a Winston-Salem
Journal reporter jokingly that
he could be disqualified by
either side" because of previous
statements about Senator Nc
Carthy. II said this merely by
way of joking, not ever expect
ing to be appointed" he de-
clared.
"It seems to me-" Senator
Erwin continued, that the only
question for the Senate is
whether the recommendation of
the Watkins Committee is cor
rect. (McCarthy) might
serve a better cause by showing
that the decision was unsound
rather than by trying to take
potshots at a little insignificant
Senator like myself" ,<,-..- ,ss
Four Questions
He also suggested Senator
Mccarthy might clarity the
issue by explaining how the
other five members arrived
at the same conclusion as I did
In his letter to Mr.. Stevens