Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-07
Kedting Predicts
CopIon Conviction if
Wire-Tap Bill Passes
BY Allen Drury


Representative Heating, Re-
publican. of New York predicted
today that passage of the adj
ministration's wire-tap bill may
very well permit the conviction
of Judith Coplon when she is
brought to trial again."
Miss Coplon. former Govern
ment girl, was convicted of
espionage. A Federal judge
threw out the case on the ground
that some of the evidence
presented by the Government
was based on overlapping. In
PRODUCTION of such evidence in
court is banned by present law.
Cites Retroactive Feature.
Representative Heating said
in a speech prepared for deliv-
cry that the bill, which contains
retroactive feature permitting
use of such evidence now in
Government files, would let At
torney General Brownell bring
to trial "other individuals whom
he has not been able to reach
under the existing law"
House Speaker Martin, mean
while, told reporters after a
caucus of Republican members
this morning that he was con-
fident that no more than two
or three Republicans" would OPP
pose the bill.
MI. Heating argued that max
ing wire-tap evidence legal in
court would not invade personal
privacy, as charged by the bills
opponents.
I'VE should not delude our
selves any longer" he said, that
in the interest of this so-called
privacy we should continue to
shackle our laW-enforcement
agents with outmoded and out
dated legal principles. If we
continue to operate as we are
now doing, we may well find that
the liberty and the rights which
we believe we are protecting have
already been destroyed by the
very cnes who have had the
benefit of this protection.
Defends Power Provision. -
The New York Republican
also defended a provision of the
bill giving the Attorney General
power to authorize overlapping
instead of veSting the power in
the Federal courts.
May I point out to those who
fear an abuse" he said, that
it would be far easier for the
Congress to control one Attorney
General than to attempt control
over few hundred judges. I
have no fear of the abuse of this
privilege by the Attorney Cen
eral, but I do think that we will
have more control over it by
placing it in his hands than in
the hands of the Federal jul
dietary
Republican as well as Demo-
cratic leaders, looked for
rugged fight over at least
two proposed amendments. One
would legaliZe use of such evil
dence in court only if the wire
tapping were specifically au-
thorized by court order instead
of on written order by the At
torney General.
"Retroaction" Challenged.
The other major amendment
expected to be offered by Demo-
Gratis would restrict court use of
wiretapped evidence to infor-
nation obtained after enactment
of the pending bill. The measure,
as reported out by the House
judiciary Committee last week,
would enable the Justice Depart
ment to prosecute national Sc
curity cases in which evidence
already has been obtained
through overlapping methods.
Some Democrats repeatedly
feel that a retroactive" provi-
sion of that kind might do more
harm than good in the long run.
House Majority Leader Halleck
complained that partisan po-
litical miSstatements" have
aroused unjuStified opposition. 4
He charged that opponents
of the bill have already under
taken a campaign to confuse
and distort the intentions of the
Republican administration in
acting to erect a barrier against
sabotage, subversion and eSpio-
mage"
No Invasion Seen.
Mr.. Halleck also cautioned
against being "sidetracked by
expressions of grief that the anti
traitor bill will invade our pri-
vacy and violate our constitu-
tional privileges"
Mr.. Halleck, Mr.. Heating, who
introduced the bill, and other
sponsors declared the bill offers
adequate safeguards for civil
rights and other constitutional
guarantees.
War Bride Deporfed,