Evening star., 1954-05-29
The Political Mill
McC Corthy-Eisen
Showdown Arrives
Challenge to Authority Of
President Forces Breuk
By Gould Lincoln


President Forces Breuk
By Gould Lincoln
The showdown between President
Eisenhower and Senator Mccarthy has
finally arrived.
Senator McCarthy's public appeal To
employees and officials of the executive
branch of the Government to provide
him with secret information, even
though they have been ordered by the
President OF the United States not to
do SO. can only be regarded as a direc-
tive in direct opposition to the Eisen-
mower directive. Two executive heads
OF the United States is an impossibility.
1T just can't happen" one Senator
high in Republican Party organization,
who did not wish to be quoted, COM
mented, when shown the text of the
Mccarthy statement before the Senate
Investigations Subcommittee. and the
statement prepared by Attorney Cen
eral Brownell, declaring that no person
can uSurp the powers Of the President.
The challenge to the Presidents au-.
thority by the Wisconsin Republican
goes beyond the merits or demerits Of
OAAO 1AAAAAJ -4N4NSuA UA1y IOW. ~ IdlSGS n
question whether President Eisenhower
is to run the executive branch of the
Government. or whether Senator Nc
Carthy Is to have the final say. When
Senator Mccarthy was confining his
efforts to running Communists and
subverSives out of the Government he
was to be applauded. When he under
takes to set himself above and beyond
the 1oUS ond fhA -
another thing. The question becomes:
How much personal power does the
Senator seek?
McCarthy's Excuse.
The Wisconsin Senator excuses him.
self by saying that the responsibility Of
the Attorney General (and the Presi-
dent, presumably is to enforce the
laws, while his responsibility is to "ex-
pose any failure to enforce the laws
with reference to graft, corruption, mis-
conduct and treason" But he said,
when he called on 20 million employees"
to give him information it was their
duty. and mo loyalty to a superior Of
ficer can tower above their loyalty to
their country" That's quite mouth
full when applied against loyalty Of
Government employees and officers to
their executive and military chief-the
President of the United States.
The controversy was spanked first
when Senator Mccarthy tried to lay be-
fore the Senate subcommittee letter"
which he said was signed by j. Edgar
Hoover, head of the FBI. 1t turned out
to be not letter, but paragraphs from
a secret report of the FBI. Senator
Mccarthy declined to reveal the name
Of the person from whom he received
the document, and the Senate commit
tee made no effort to compel him to do
so. President Eisenhower said at the
time that any officer who gave out
secret information which he had been
ordered by his superior not to give out
was guilty and should be summarily
dealt with. Flames were later famed
by Gen. Eisenhower's directive to his
Attorney General and others not to re-
January 81, at which a Mccarthy de-
mand for information about a loyalty
board was discussed and at which Sher-
man Adams, assistant to the President.
was reported to have suggested that the
Army's experiences with Senator Nc
Carthy and Roy M. Cohn Senator Nc
Carthy's chief counsel, regarding Pvt.
David Schine, be written out. Senator
Mccarthy criticized the Presidents
directive harshly. The President said
fatty he would not modify it.
New Attitude.
Until recently, the Eisenhower ad-
ministration and the President have
left the handling of Senator Mccarthy
and his investigative methods to the
Republicans of the Senate. Senator
McCarthy's attempted encroachments
upon the prerogatives and powers and
duties of the Executive Department
were the answer to this course of the
administration. The Army Department,
alone, has come to grips with the Sem
ator, with its report of improper press
sure brought to bear by Senator Me-
Carthy and Mr.. Cohn for preferential
treatment for Pvt. Schine, draftee.
Up until now the White House has de-
clined to assume any responsibility for
that report. Secretary of the Army
Stevens has accepted that RESPONSE
bility. Senator McCarthy's Haunting Of
the Presidents directive to the execu-
tive employees and officials apparently
has brought change-not of heart,
but of attitude-at the White House.
Republicans in the Senate admittedly
are mighty sick of the McCarthy-Army
controversy and its spotlighting to the
public via televiSion, radio and press.
They'd like to have it ended. Obviously
it cannot and should not end until all
the facts have been disclosed.