Evening star., 1954-09-30

Mr.. Stevens Survives
Mccarthy Hearings
Job Seen Safe for Chief Who
Come to Zwicker's Defense
By Gould Lincoln
A select committee of the Senate
has now cracked down ON Senator Joe
Mccarthy for his treatment of Gen.
Ralph w. Zwicker. when Senator Nc
Carthy had the general as witness
before his investigating subcommittee.
It has recommended that the Wisconsin
Senator be censured for that treat
ment. Indeed, the Zwicker case was
the jumping off point in the whole
drama which has led finally to the
select committees report and recon-
mendations.
Robert r. Stevens, Secretary OF the
Army, is, after all is said and done, the
man who first tackled Senator Nc
Carthy, on the case of Gen. Zwicker.
Mr.. Stevens learned that Senator Nc
Carthy had said, among other. things.
to Gen. Zwicker when he replied to a
Mccarthy question: 'Then, General,
you should be removed from any COM
mand. ANY man who has been given
the honor of being promoted to general
and who says I will protect another
general who protected Communists, is
not fit to wear that uniform" Mr.. Stew
ems declared that no more Army officers
were going to appear before the McCar-
thy committee to be so insulted and de-
manded some assurance they would not
be so treated. Subsequently, Secretary
Stevens agreed that Army officers
should appear when called-without
any specific assurance Of fair treatment.
Pressure ON Stevens.
Great pressure, it should be said, was
brought upon Secretary Stevens by Re-
publicans on Capitol Hill, and by Re-
publicans downtown, to get along with
the Wisconsin Senator. At that time
Senator Mccarthy was riding high. The
whole Senate and the administration
seemed to be paralyzed whenever the
name of Mccarthy was mentioned.
Nevertheless, Mr.. Stevens was harshly
criticized in some quarters for having
yielded to Senator Mccarthy. 1t should
be of considerable interest to observe.
however, that no more Army officers
were browbeaten before his investi-
eating subcommittee by Senator Nc
Carthy after that incident.
Later came the charges that Senator
J Mccarthy and Roy M. Cohn, chief
counsel of the Mccarthy committee,
had used improper influence to get
David Schine. an Army draftee who
had been a voluntary investigator for
the Mccarthy committee, special favors
and had tried to get him a commission.
They came in the shape Of report
on their activities prepared in the Army
Department, and Senator Mccarthy
and Mr.. Cohn promptly charged that
this report was an attempt at black
mail to have Senator Mccarthy stop
investigating subversives in the Army.
Amid cries of who's lying now." the
Senate Investigating subcommittee,
with Senator Mccarthy out temporarily
as chairman, held the prolonged Army
Mccarthy hearings. Mr.. Stevens was a
witness on the stand for II days, and
much of the time Senator Mccarthy
was permitted to cross examine him.
He and his testimony were never
shaken. When the investigating COM
mittee brought in it's report, however,
Mr.. Stevens was accused of "appeas-
ing" Senator Mccarthy and of soft
handling of the whole Schine affair
Senator Mccarthy, on the other hand
was merely reprimanded for not having
kept closer rein on the activities OF Mr.
Cohn-the committee declaring that
it was Senator McCarthy's RESPONSE
bility. Immediately there were COM
ments that MIR. Stevens would have to
go-that he could serve no useful pur-
pose by remaining as Secretary OF the
Army.
President Eisenhower and Mr.. Stew
ems did not accept that view OF the
situation. Mr.. Stevens is Secretary OF
the Army and will remain as such un-
less and until the President says he
would like to replace him with another
man, There has been so far no int1'
nation the President will seek to ease
him out. Nor, it is reliably said. Woule
Mr.. Stevens accept any other appoint
ment-for example, an ambassador
ship as limited in some published re-
ports.
Changed Atmosphere.
The atmosphere has changed greatly
since Mr.. Stevens entered the ZWickel
case last February. The Wisconsin
Senator does not dominate 1t any
longer. And if the Senate upholds tht
findings of it's select committee, ne vii
not dominate it in the future. AS ha'
been said, Mr.. Stevens has survived th'
Mundt committee report on the Army
Mccarthy investigation. Friends OF MI
Stevens insist that the criticism IN tina
report on the ground that Mr.. Steven
"appeased" the Wisconsin Senator wa
nothing more than Monday mornln
ouarterbacking" that Mr.. Stevens wa
cooperating with the Senate 1nvestl
eating Subcommittee to the limit, untl
the Zwicker incident; that he believes
il was the duty of the Executive TO co
operate fully with the legislative brancl
of the Government, and that was nj
attitude and his whole course IN deal
ing with the Mccarthy committee.
The demand for a report on IN
McCarthy-Cohn activities In favor G
Pvt. Schine did not originate IN In
Army Department. but the report wa
drafted only after there had been re
peated calls for this information 1rol
members of Congress. it is also learne
on good authority. This Is the repol
which Senator Mccarthy and Mr Con
u,oe ,,cnI a hI0HKm3