Evening star., 1954-05-11
The Political Mill
Me- Corthy's Compoign
Role Not Yet Certain
Much Depends on Outcome
Of Current Senute Heurinas
By Gould Lincoln

W SSOOtO 6tUSOtU
What part is Senator Joe Mccarthy
going to play in the coming con-
gressional campaign? It has been
variously reported that he will be given
no assignments by the Republican
National Committee on the one hand,
and on the other that the National
Committee had signed him on for O
solid three-month speaking tour prior
to the election November 2.
Vat national headquarters it is fatty
denied that the Wisconsin Senator has
been signed on" for any speeches, or
will be. At the same time it was said
that any requests to the National Com
mittee for speeches by Senator Nc
Carthy will be forwarded to him. That
seems to be the situation. The last re-
quest to reach the National Committee
for Senator Mccarthy was on March 5.
and it was sent to him.
Many Requests to Speak.
This does not mean that requests for
the Red-hunting. controversial Senator
have not reached him in considerable
number. AS a matter of fact, the SEN
ator says he has had hundreds of re-
quests to speak all over the country.
What he plans to do in the campaign
he has not said. 1t seems assured. how
ever. he will go into States and con-
greSSional districts to campaign for
those Republican candidates who ask
him to come to their aid.
In the past, a number of Republican
Senators have told the Republican Ma
tional Committee. which maintains q
speakers bureau, they would be avail
able for speaking engagements; that
they would go wherever the bureau
wished to assign them. Senator Nc
Carthy. however has not followed that
practice-at least not recently. He has
preferred to pick the spots where he
would deliver campaign speeches. With
q cold shoulder turned to him by the
national organization, because Of his
violent row with the Department Of the
Army and its Secretary, Robert T.
Stevens, he will undoubtedly follow
such course this year.
Individual candidates for Congress,
therefore, will have to decide for them.
selves whether they want Senator Nc
Carthy to make personal appearances
for them in their campaigns. The Wis
consin Senator has big personal fol-
lowing, and much of it is sticking to
him. despite the attacks and criticisms
which have been leveled against him
since the hearings in the Army-Mc-
Carthy row got under way. This per-
Sonal strength is greater in some States
and districts than In others.
Outcome Of Hearings Weighed.
What will become of this following
and Senator McCarthy's own effec-
tiveness if the Senate Investigating
Subcommittee should report adversely
on him remains to be seen. The Army
Department has accused the Senator
and his chief counsel. Roy M. Cohn, of
exerting improper pressure upon 1t to
obtain special favors, including a COM
mission. for Pvt G. David Schine. one
time volunteer investigator for the
Mccarthy committee. Senator McCar-
thy has countered with q statement
that the Army Department attempted
to "blackmail" him into abandoning
his investigation of Communist in
filtration into the Army. At issue in the
controversy is the question whether
the Army Department is to be run by
the Secretary Of the Army, under
President Eisenhower and the Secre-
tary Of Defense, or whether Senator
McCarthy's influence Is to be para
mount. II the investigating subcommit-
tee should come up with q report sup
porting Senator Mccarthy and denying
the truth Of the charges of Secretary
Stevens against Senator Mccarthy. 1t
would leave the Wisconsin Senator in q
dominating position.
The attitude of some important Re-
publican leaders is that the hearings
in the Army Carthy row are doing
nobody good-except the Democrats.
For that reason they would like to see
the hearings concluded as quickly as
possible. It is understandable that this
reason does not appeal to the Democrats.
But whatever the wishes Of the Re-
publicans, 1t looks as though the in
vestigation must continue, and the
committee must make a report-and
that any attempt at whitewashing will
set mighty badly with the public.
Whatever happens in the Mccarthy
investigation. Republican leaders in
sist that the Communist-coddling is
sue, raised against the Roosevelt and
Truman administrations, will be
pressed in the fall campaign.