Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-19
Angered Mccarthy
Elects Army General
From Red HearinQ
BY the Assoeiosed Press

NEW 4OHV6As 1cU. 1S.-0EIlAtOC
Mccarthy, Republican, Of Wis
consin, elected the Army's chief i
counsel and a general from q
closed hearing of his investiga-
tons subcommittee yesterday and
angrily asked how former !
major escaped court-martial as
a fifth amendment Com
munist."
Thrown out of the hearing |
were John G. Adams. chief |
counsel of the Army: Brig. Gen.
Ralph w. zwicker, commandment
of Camp Kilmer, N. j.. and his
aides.
After the session, Senator Nc
Carthy heatedly told newsmen
he had been questioning an UNI
identified lieutenant colonel and
Gen. wicker about an honor
able discharge given earlier this
month to DR.. Irving PereSS, q
Queens dentist
At morning open session, DR..
PereSS refused to answer 80 ques-
tons about possible Communist
links, invoking the fifth amend
ment against self determination.
Demanded Court Martial.
DR.. Peress served at Camp
Kilmer. He was promoted from
captain to major in the Reserves
last November. He was given an
honorable discharge after Sen
ator Mccarthy had demanded
his court-martial.
1t was reported the lieutenant
colonel refused to answer some
OF Senator McCarthy's questions
concerning DR.. Peress. The Of |
f1cer said it would violate Army
regulations.
Then Senator Mccarthy or
dered Mr.. Adams to take the
stand, 1t was reported. but Mr.. I
Adams also refused saying he
was at the hearing as an OBJ
server for Secretary Of the Army
Robert T. Stevens.
Senator Mccarthy then Or !,
dered from the room Mr.. Adams
and all the Army officers, except
the lieutenant colonel.
The Senator, the only member
OF the subcommittee present, Or
dered Mr.. Adams and the Army
officers to return for a public
hearing next Tuesday. He also
told Mr.. Adams to bring with
him as a witness, Mai. Gen. I
William E. Bergin, the Army's
adjutant general. /
Charges "COver Up"
Senator Mccarthy declared he
was trying to find out who is
responsible for covering up and
protecting fifth amendment
Communists.
Gen. Zwicker gave the most
revealing part Of the testimony
regarding why men like Irving
PereSS could continue in service
after it was known he was a
Communist" Senator Mccarthy
said.
THE general said all the evil
dence heard here was known by
him and the Army for a long
. time"
Senator McCarthy's summary i
OF his testimony angered the /.
general. Gen. Zwicker called il 4
a colored and slanted version
twisting everything he could so
that his version of what l said
was absolutely not a truthful
one"
Issues Ultimatum.
The Senator said he would give
the Army "a hours to produce all
names OF Army personnel in
volved in DR.. Peress' promotion
and honorable discharge.
Mr.. Stevens said in a letter to
the Senator that he has ordered
probe On the Peress affair. Mr..
Stevens said Senator McCarthy's
suggestion that DR.. Peress be
contaminated was "impracti-
cable" since separation of an Of
f1cer from the service is a final
action. and there is no precedent
to reverse it. !
Mr.. Stevens added that the
only real evidence the Army has
against DR.. PereSs is his refusal
TO answer subcommittee ques-
tons.
Balky Faces Discharge.
Later, in Washington. Mr..
Stevens ruled that henceforth
any reserve officer who refuses
to answer questions on loyalty
data when properly asked" will
forfeit his commission and be
discharged under conditions
other than honorable"
Mr.. Stevens also said he is
trying to work out a system
whereby Regular Army officers
can be forced to answer loyalty
questions. Regular officers are :.
governed by different laws than .
reserves.
Today in Albany the Senator's
subcommittee looks into possible
espionage or sabotage at the /
General Electric Co. plant at
Schenectady.