Evening star., 1954-07-07
Demands for Cleanup
Of Mccarthy Aides
Nearing Showdown
By jones Y. Newton

A climax to demands for q
"housecleaning" Of the McCar-
thy Investigations subcommittee
stan was shaping UP today but
no date had been set for q show
down meeting.
Senator Mccarthy, tanned and
rested from an 18-day vacation
In Mexico, said he would call q
meeting Of the subcommittee of
which he is chairman anytime
any member wanted one or when
ever the Democrats get back to
town." But he was not St all
specific when the meeting would
be called.
It was known that the Wis
consin Republican has received
ut least two written requests for
immediate converting of the sew
en-member subcommittee for
discussion Of staff problems.
Acting Chairman Mundt or the
subcommittee which conducted
the Army-McC Carthy inquiry de-
hvered to Senator McCarthy's
ONCE yesterday one such request.
Another has been made by an
unidentified subcommittee DEM
0crat.
Two Due Back Today.
Two of the three absent mem
bers, Senators jackson, Demo-
crat. Of Washington, and Potter,
Republican. of Michigan, were
due back today. The other alb
sentee, Senator Mcclellan, Dem
ocrat, Of Arkansas, was cam
paigning for a July q primary
election. But it was understood
he would either return for a sub
committee meeting or send a
proxy to Democratic colleagues.
The demands for staff
"housecleaning" have come from
the three subcommittee Demo-
Gratis and from Senator Potter.
Those demands resulted from
developments in the Army-Mc-
Carthy inquiry. Senator Potter.
said the hearing record was sat
urated" with untruthful state
ments and demanded a STAFF
shakeup.
Senator Mundt's written re-
quest for a subcommittee meeting
soon dealt, among other things.
with the denial by the Depart
ment Of Defense of security
clearance to two staff members.
They are Donald A. Surine, for
mer FBI agent, and Thomas La
Venia, former Secret Service
agent. Charges against the two
have not been made public. but
were said not to involve loyalty.
Mccarthy to Fight.
Senator Mccarthy indicated
he would fight down the line to
preserVe intact his staff. He re-
peated that the staff was com
pletely loyal" and said he had
gone over the records of Mr..
surine and Mr.. LaVenia and
found nothing to support" the
refusal Of Defense officials to
give them clearance.
The Senator remarked that
incidentally" the two staffers
were the persons who investi-
gated H. Struve Hensel, assistant
Secretary Of Defense, and at one
time principal" in the Army
Mccarthy row.
Senator Mccarthy intimated
that that fact might have some
thing to do with the failure to
grant clearance.
Near the end of the Army
Mccarthy hearing, Mr.. Hensel
sent an affidavit to the Mundt
subcommittee saying that Sen
ator Mccarthy once had offered
to drop his original charges that
MIR. Hensel "masterminded" the
Army's case against him if he
could do so without appearing
damn fool"
ut is absolutely without
foundation" Senator Mccarthy
said Of the HenSel sworn charges.
The Senator added his in
vestigators had received some
"very disturbing information"
concerning MIR. Hensel. He said
he didn't know whether it was
true and that it dated back a
long time.
Senator Mccarthy said he
knew nothing about reports
Francis P. Carr, subcommittee
stan director, who was dismissed
aluz