Evening star., 1954-02-27
The Political Mil

-. sO
Is No Kid Glove Affair
Reforms Shouldn't Include
Curb on Type Of Questions
By Gould Lincoln
The Senate Republican Policy Com
mittee has set out to find a way to
curb headline hunting, man n-horse-
back" committee chairmen. While they
have not said so, it seems entirely clear
they have in mind Senator Joe Nc
Carthy, Republican, of Wisconsin,
chairman Of the permanent Senate In
vestigating Subcommittee, and Senator
LANCER, Republican, of North Dakota,
chairman Of the Senate Committee on
the Judiciary. The policy committee,
however, has wrapped up the project
in some fancy language, ordering a
study ''of the rules and policies with
respect to investigations for general
guidance on committee or subcom-
mittee procedure"
Senator Mccarthy has been much
criticized for the manner in which he
has conducted Investigations, and most
recently. because he browbeat
brigadier general of the Army while
the general was on the witness stand.
This last inquiry brought Secretary of
War Stevens into the controversy with
an assertion he would not permit Army
officers with honorable records to be
abused by Senator Mccarthy or any
other investigator. Senator LANCER. as
chairman of the Judiciary Committee,
was responsible for delaying action on
the nomination of Chief Justice War;
rem. and for placing in the public rec
ord series of 10 unevaluated charges
ON which no testimony had been
taken-which pictured the Chief Justice
as subservient to crooks and doing their
bidding while Governor of California.
One Way to Do 1t.
If the purpose of the policy commit
tee is to come up with a set of rules of
procedure which would limit a chair
man in the matter of holding one-man
investigations, or would prohibit COM
mittee employees Gncluding commit
Tee counSeD from issuing subpoenas
Tor witnesses, without first obtaining
authority of the investigating commit
tee, that is one thing. If, on the other
hand, the purpose is to tell congress
sional committees how they are to
question witnesses, it is very much an
other question. Proposals to limit a
chairman in his efforts to run with the
ball at any time and anywhere, when
ever he chooses. are entirely proper.
But to limit chairman or other mem
bers OF an investigating committee in the
Find of questioning they may employ
might easily defeat the purpose of con-
greSslonal investigations and make
them ineffective.
Loud outcrles were made a quarter
OF century or more ago because of the
way in which the late Senators Tom
Walsh of Montana and Jim Reed of
Missouri-both Democrats-and for
mer Senators Bert Wheeler of Montana.
Democrat. and Gerald Nye of North
Dakota, Republican, conducted con-
gressional inquiries. The rough-and-
tough handling of witnesses by these
Senators makes the Mccarthy hearings
look not so drastic after all. And be-
cause these senatorial Inquisitors were
aole to go after witnesses without
gloves, the Teapot Dome oil lands scan
dals and others were turned up, and one
CABINET officer. the late Secretary of the
Interior Albert Fall. was put in iail. A
congressional investigation. if the
crooks are to be unearthed, is no kid
glove affair. Further, if such an in
vestigation must observe all the court
rules of procedure, the likelihood of
striking pay dirt will be materially les
Sened.
Committees Can Act.
Senate committees themselves, if the
members have backbone, can lay down
their own rules against one-man in
vestigatlons, against permitting en-
ployes OF the committee to indiscrimi-
nately issue subpoenas for witnesses
10 appear and testify. and rules which
will permit the committee to take up and
act on the employment of any indi-
vldual employe of the committee.
whenever it desires. They can make
rules which say. in effect. that there
must be two or three. or any number
they see fit, members of the committee
present to conduct a hearing. That
would put an end to the one.man
shows that Chairman Mccarthy has
been conducting They certainly can
make rules governing the issue of sub
poenas. and about taking on and put
ting of employees of their own.
Senate committees, too, can use their
own votes to force action on any busi-
ness that may be before the commit
tees. If they feel that a chairman is
stating or delaying such action. They
can adopt rules formally governing all
procedure. and bringing legislation or
presidential appointments up for ac-
ton.
This is not the kind Of thing. how
ever. that will satisfy the critics Of
Senator Mccarthy. They don't like
his methods includes the
questions he insists on asking wit
nesses. They object to his calling
witnesses before him and asking them
whether they have been Communists
or members of subversive organizations.
and trying to pin them down.