Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-04

Fight Over Nee orthy
Threatens 6. O. P. Rift
Senator Is Doing His Best
To Accommodate Democrats
By Gould Lincoln
The cleavage between Senator Joa
Mccarthy and President Eisenhower
over methods to be used by congress.
sional committees this case mean
ing methods adopted by Senator Nc
Carthy-threatens an intra-party fight
OF major proportions, provided Joe Nc
Carthy's personal followers go along
with the Senator. Various opinions are
expressed by Republican leaders as to
the importance Of the controversy. It's
a fact. however, that the latest out
burst Of the Wisconsin Senator has left
mighty sour taste in the mouths of
many Of the party leaders who ordi-
narily have been in Senator McCarthy'S
corner. Indeed. some Of them say that
the Mccarthy statement, which asserted
he was going to use any kind of tactics
he wished and which again 1ambasted
Gen. Ralph w. Zwicker, had hurt no.
body but Senator Mccarthy.
Further, the President, when ques-
toned at his press conference about
McCarthy's declaration that he was 60
ing to look into-and presumably do
something about-the action of Secre-
tary Of State Dulles which stripped r.
w. Scott Mcleod of authority over per-
sonnet in the Department of State,
made 1t entirely clear that the assign
ment Of executive department officials
is entirely within the power of depart
ment heads, under the President him.
self. In other words, Senator Nc.
Carthy is on notice that he is not in
control either of placing or of having
officials he may personally like re-
tanned in office. The President clearly
Is entirely correct in this stand.
Past Run-Ins.
Senator Mccarthy has been asserting
MS authority over what should not be
done by some Of the executive agencies.
He has had run-ins with Secretary
Dulles and Harold E. Stassen, head of
the Foreign Operations Administration.
and more recently with Secretary of
the Army Stevens. Finally. he has run
counter to the President himself. He
mad good case against the Army
hanollng OF the discharge of Mai. Irving
Peress, dental officer alleged to be q
Communist. But in developing it, Sena-
tor Mccarthy undertook to browbeat
and dlsparage general officer who has
p record OF loyal and courageous service.
mats where he made a mistake, for
the language he used toward Gen.
wicker was insulting and belittling.
And now the Wisconsin Senator. not
content with having used that kind of
language-has repeated it, although he
did not this time identify Gen. Zwicker
by name.
Senator McCarthy's statement was
made in reply to the formal comment
OF President Eisenhower on tho
Stevens-McC earthly Zwicker-Peress case.
1t was as Incorporate as his comments
on Gen. Zwicker when the general was
before the Mccarthy investigating COM
m1ttee. The President was. on the
other hand. temperate in language.
even though he was firm in demanding
that officers Of the Army and Govern
ment officials be given fair play and
fair treatment before congressional
committees, including McCarthy's. The
president made no mention of Nc
Carthy by name-but there was no
doubt he was criticizing the Wisconsin
senator as unfair. Further, the Presi-
dent in his statement said: I'm oppos-
ing communism, we are defeating our
selves II, either by design or through
carelessness, we use methods that do
not conform to the American sense Of
justice and fair play" Here was COM
ment that could only be construed IS
a slap at some Of the investigating
tactics Of Senator Mccarthy.
Congress Asked to Act.
The President virtually called on the
in Congress. since they
control the organization of both houses,
to see to it that congressional commit.
tees are fair in dealing with witnesses
who come before them. He is head of
the Republican Party and it was in
this political position that he made
reference to the G. o. P. Congressman
and Senators. It remains to be seen
what they will do, if anything. to clip
the wings of Senator Mccarthy. Rules
they may adopt. but in the end it is a
matter of personalities and of the COM
mittee members themselves. Repub-
lean members of the Mccarthy COM
mittee can. If they wish, attend all
meetings Of the investigating commit
tee and raise an effective protest il
Chairman Mccarthy oversteps the
bounds Of fair play and fair treatment
Of witnesses. Few of them have had
the temerity to tangle with Senator
Mccarthy in the past. But on the
question of fair treatment of witnesses
it does seem as though they might take
a stand if occasion arises.
The Democrats have an interest in
4 good row in the Republican Party.
It looks as though Senator Mccarthy
was doing his best to accommodate
them. President Eisenhower and the
other Republican leaders are as strongly
opposed to Communists in Government
as Is Senator Mccarthy. The Red issue
against the Democrats, because of soft
ness by them in the past towards the
and fellow travellers. has
been an effective issue. When Senator
Mccarthy undertakes to say that Re-
publcans are coddling Communists
what does he do to this issue?