Evening star., 1954-05-13
Senators Disclose
Record Of Decision 10
Probe Mccarthy Row
BY the AssoeIoisd Press

ov mO NSSoetoJoo ProSS
The Senate Investigations sub
committee has made public the
stenographic record Of its March
16 closed meeting which led to
the decision to launch its public
Army McCarthy hearings.
The transcript quoted some Of
the members as cautioning
against "hush-up" or white
wash" tactics, and g suggestion
by Senator Dirksen. Republican.
of Illinois that a public airing
could lead "only" to the firing Of
two of the principal characters
in the dispute, Roy M. Cohn and
John G.. Adams.
Senator DirkSen told q news
man he since has changed his
mind and no longer believes that
the dismissals are the "only"
results likely. "I'n have more
to say about that later" the
Senator added.
The subcommittee voted yes
terday to make the transcript
public.
Mcclellan Quoted.
The transcript quoted Senator
Mcclellan, Democrat, Of Arkan-
sas, the subcommittee'S senior
Democratic member, as warning
his colleagues on March 16:
1T is a national issue today,
and think that you would be
opening yourself or exposing
yourself to probably unjustified
criticism If you do not take all
Of this testimony right in
public"
Senator Dirksen, on the other
hand, questioned whether public
hearings would serve the in
tended purpose.
II would like to get back to
what is the primary question
that is here" he said, land that
is the further public ventilation
Of this whole controversy.
cat the end of it, there could
be only a couple Of things.
"One would be to terminate
the committee service of Roy
Cohn, our counsel, and probably
the other one would be to politely
advise the Department of De-
fenSe that by the same token,
perhaps the services of Mr..
Adams ought to be terminated.
I'm my book-and this can go
on the record 1T certainly
would not require public ventila-
tion to accomplish that result"
Potter Fears Perjury.
Senator Potter, Republican, of
Mic hig n, declared at this
point:
obviously perjury has been
committed by somebody, and I
do not know who has committed
It. I think we have no right
to cite a man who is in the
witness chair on another mat
ter which the committee has
investigated. and then when
this comes up, which affects our
own committee organization, to
say, well, perjury may be COM
mitted, but we will sweep 1t un-
der the rug ! think that we
would be criticized"
Senator Mccarthy questioned
Senator Potter's use Of the word
perjury since the charges had
not been made under oath.
Senator Mcclellan interjected:
eff the public statements that
have been made on both sides
are testified to under oath, then
somebody will have committed
perjury"
WhitewaSh Opposed.
Senator Mcclellan said the
subcommittee, which has been
tough on others in its investiga-
tions, cannot afford to do any,
thing that would look like we
are trying to hush it up or
whitewaSh it,"
Senator Potter, Senator SYM
ington. Democrat. of Missouri,
and Senator Jackson, Democrat,
of Washington, expressed SIM
liar views.
In the end the subcommittee
voted to launch the hearings,
and to take all sworn testimony
in public. All it's members voted
"yes" except Senator Mundt,
Republican, of South Dakota,
who voted present" in line with
his stand that the subcommit-
tee should hand the job to some
other Senate group.