Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-22
Senutor Mccorthy Held
Secure for Some Time
Departure Seen Only After
He Becomes d Public Bore
BY Frcnk r. Kent

a 4
Wherever you 60 these days the
question is sure to be asked, what
viii the Senate do about McCarthy?"
A good many erudite and detailed
articles have been written as to what
sort Of report the new special COM
mittee will make and what the Senate
will do with it.
Upon one thing the politicians and
journalists seem in accord. Regardless
of their individual feelings about Mr..
Mccarthy, his methods and manners.
they are all quite sure the committee
will not recommend his expulsion, and
that If 1t did the Senate would not
approve. The reasons are clear. First.
no case for expelling Senator Mccarthy
has been made; second, his expulsion
is not being asked; third, If he were
expelled few doubt that the effect
would be to make a martyr out Of Mr..
Mccarthy. that he would return to
Wisconsin and be elected by bigger
majority than he got two years ago.
This is merely being politically realistic.
Other things, too. can be set down
as certain about this new Mccarthy
trial. Certainly. he will not be exon
Grated. indicated or commended That.
at least, Is clear. What then Is going to
happen TO the Wisconsin Senator when
these investigators make their report?
In private, most Senators are reported
answering that question with single
nothing" On the other hand,
some Of the more clearheaded insist the
committee is bound to do something.
It cannot go through with its task with
out reaching some conclusion. That
would make the committee ridiculous.
Obviously 1t cannot "whitewash" Sem
ator Mccarthy. Just as obviously 1t
cannot act drastically against him
when fully aware that drastic action
will get nowhere in the Senate.
sH
Under these circumstances, what &C
ton is open to the committee except to
recommend the adoption Of a somewhat
modified version of the Flanders reso-
luton of censure? And If that is
adopted, what then is the situation? It
is then established that majority of
the Senate disapproves the crude man
ners of Senator Mccarthy in dealing
with witnesses, and condemns the ex-
travagance of his improved charges and
language. Most people do. But what
does that prove? Mr.. Mccarthy Is &C
cused of no crime and can be convicted
of none. Most Of his colleagues dislike
him and would welcome a way to get
rid of him. But none of this is sufficient
to throw Mccarthy out or to take away
from him his following. Some Senators
and great many persons outside of the
Senate would like to see both Of these
things happen. Some have based their
hopes upon the financial allegations
against him-particularly of having &C
cepted $4,000 from the Lustron Com
pany for ghost-written article.
With no desire to defend Senator
Mccarthy. who is reckless man In
regard to the truth and quite ruth
less in his methods and use Of power,
there are several things to be said
about the financial charge. The first.
of course, is chat 1t is old. He was
charged with the Lustron-fee affair
long before he ran for reelection, in
Iceland was overwhelmingly elected
by voters who knew all about 1t. The
second Is that the $4,000 fee from the
Lustron Company, while possibly UNI
ethical and improper, Is, nevertheless.
not criminal or unprecedented. Other
Senator'S and some Presidents could be
similarly indicted. y So
Perhaps 1t will be recalled that tho
late Mr.. Roosevelt and various mem
bers of his family capitalized the pres
idency to totals running well into the
millions. What contrast all this Is
to ex-President Herbert Hoover, who
never kept for himself any salary from
the Government while in the presi-
dency tit went to charity, and at 30
still is working, without compensation,
to serve his country!
But to get back to that question
What is the special committee going
to do to Mccarthy? Certainly there
is no way in which it can divorce
him from his popular following. Nor
is there any discernible way in which
he can be kept out of the headlines.
1t is true the Catholic Church found
a way to take Father Coughlin, who
at one time had millions of followers.
off the air and shut him UP. But
Senator Mccarthy is not q priest and
cannot be dealt with as such. The
most reasonable assumption is that we
will continue to be afiicted with SEN
ator Mccarthy until he becomes an
intolerable public bore-vhich may be
sooner than you think.
Nance losing two wives and Mrs Black