Evening star., 1954-05-01
Move Launched
By Republicans
To End Hearing
Probe Has Reached
Ridiculous Stage,
Nixon Declares
BY Gould Lincoln and
james E. Roper

A Republican move to end
Senate hearings on the Army
Mccarthy controversy today
drew the support of Vice Presi-
dent Nixon.
Mr.. Nixon told reporter that
the hearings are getting to the
ridiculous stage.
But the Republicans didn t
have a firm program on what
to do about it.
The Senate Investigations
subcommittee, which is conduct
ing the televised inquiry, met in
closed session last night, and
then dispersed for the week end
with members under instruc-
tionS to think about" what
course the hearings should take.
Republican members anxiously
consulted among themselves.
Stevens Returns Monday.
Secretary of the Army Stevens
was on the witness stand late
yesterday for the seventh day
and is scheduled as the first
witness when the hearings are
resumed at 1890 Monday.
But Senator Mccarthy and his
aide. Roy Cohn, seemed ready
to conduct unlimited cross-exam-
ination Of the Secretary. the first
principal in the controversy to
testify.
Mr.. Nixon expressed concern
over what he considered to be
the extraneous issues that are
brought into cross-examination.
He suggested that one way to
shorten the inquiry would. be
for all sides to stipulate that
only certain issues would be
studied.
The Vice President also said
that, in his opinion, the right
of croSs-examination should be
limited to members of the in
vestigating subcommittee.
This would shut of cross
examination by Senator Nc
Carthy, who has temporarily
stepped aside as chairman, and
Mr.. Cohn, as well as Joseph N.
Welch, the lawyer representing
Secretary Stevens.
Would Violate Rules,
But there was no chance that
this could be done. The rules
of procedure set up for the hear
ing state that all principals
shall have the right Of cross
examination.
The rules were approved by
the full Government Operations
Committee. Acting Subcommit-
tee Chairman Mundt said they
can not be changed without a
vote of the full committee. But
Senator Mccarthy is chairman of
the full committee and, accord
ing to Senator Mundt, is the
only one who could call the
full committee together to
change the rules.
And Senator Mccarthy has
emphasized that he has no in
tention of giving up his right of
cross-examination. He limited in
open session yesterday that he
would WELD his power as chair
man of the full committee to try
to keep the hearings going the
way he feels is proper.
Mr.. Nixon feels that the situ-
alton stems at least partly from
what he considers to be an orig
inal mistake of trying to conduct
the hearings under something
similar to court procedure. with
all sides entitled to conduct
cross-examination.
Intervention Denied.
Although President Eisenhower
said Thursday he hoped the
hearings could end promptly. the
White House denies that it is
intervening to shut of the in
vestigation. A feeling is growing,
however, that public reaction to
the hearings-much of it un-
favorable-eventually will have
its effect in shortening or post
poning the inquiry.
Senator Mundt said an at
tempt may soon come to shorten
the inquiry by narrowing the
issues.
Senator Mundt said the in
quiry group discussed at its
closed session yesterday the pos
sibility that opposing counsel
could get together on this.
Asked about the possibility of
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