Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-14
Writer Sees McC orthyHysteio
Buryinq More Vital Problems

dent Eisenhower couldn't shut
Joe Mccarthy up II he wanted
to. No one could. Even if he
could, he shouldn't. If the Wis
consin Senator goes too far. as
ne frequently does, the President
can slap his ears down on the
specific issue as the public has
witnessed. But it may be noticed
he didn't mention Mccarthy by
name nor attempt to throw him
out of the party. which is what
the left-wing Democrats would
like to see happen. For If such
an open public break came. it
wouldn't be just Mccarthy but
at least a half dozen other Sena-
tors who would have to be given
the presidential "bum's rush."
World Conditions Too Critical.
The world picture. including
the national situation. is entirely
too critical to turn the party
responsible to the country for
Government in these serious
times into a bunch of snarling
wolfpacks.
Moreover. 1t is contrary to
President Eisenhower's concept
OF our Government and presi-
dental prerogatives. The last
two decades have witnessed an
enormous growth in executive
power until it was swollen clear
out OF proportion of basic con-
cepts. Ike has sought to get back
to a clear delineation of the
three-Way' responsibility and
powers OF the executive, the leg
lsiatlve and the judicial branches
OF government.
When Mccarthy, for instance
attempts to intrude into the
business of the executive bv
complaining over the dehorning
OF his chief friend in the State
Department, he is rebuffed with
a curt answer that it is none
OF his business. In turn, there
mas been tremendous pressure
on the White House to have il
take the lead in setting up new
rules to make congressional in
qulrles more fair, and certainly
less offensive. The President
even though he personally may
and unqueStionably does feel
such action would be highly de-
slrable, does not regard such a
course as in the province of the
Executive.
Senate's. Not Presidents Problem
The Plain fact is that McCar-
thy is the Senate'S problem child
not that of the White House. If
ne goes too far, it's the business
OF the Senate to curb him. not
the President. That goes for all
congressional Investigations, as
well. II new pattern of con-
gressional inquisition is to be set
up-and no one who studies the
thing through would have such
powers curbed to the point of
destroying the useful purpose
tney often Serve-it must be set
up by the Senate or House. not
by the White House. That's
fundamental.
The public probably doesn't get
1ke's position. Nothing new or
startling really is needed. There
are plenty Of rules and regula-
tons today set up by Congress
already. if the intent were car
ried out. One-man inquisitions
no matter how worthy the pur-
pose-do not set well with the
American sense of fair play.
While chairman, Joe Mccarthy.
after all. is only one member of
the committee. UnqueStionably
the findings or announcements
in Investigations would carry far
more weight if they were bipar-
tisan. There are Democrats on
Joe Mccarthy get away with it?
Well. largely, because he is the
Mccarthy and his colleagues
know it. He is a buzz-saw with
sharp, cutting edges. He has a
popular issue in the Red hunt.
At any attempt to curb his ac-
tivities, all he has to do is shout
do you want to coddle Commu-
nism?" and, believe me, Senators,
conservative or left wingers, are
oversensitive on that score with
elections coming up.
Down One Track.
Even physically, the situation
plays into McCarthy's hands. He
is going down just one track
the Red hunt. His colleagues on
the committee are working on
many important problems. He
sets hearings as chairman. It
gets down to the simple PROPOSE
ton they have to drop practically
everything else If they are going
TO keep up with Mccarthy and
be on hand to curb him If they
think he goes too far. So, it has
become largely a one-man show
because Of all these circum-
stances.
AftG the recent explosion