Evening star., 1954-12-27
Major Shakeup Due
House Red Probers
In Next Congress
BY The Assoeiosed Press

BY The Assoeiosed Press
The House Un-American Ac-
tivities Committee seems headed
for one Of the biggest shakeups
on Capitol Hill when the Demo-
Gratis take control Of Congress
next week.
Changes are shaping UP in the
committees 41-man staff. its
appropriations and. perhaps. in
its controversial procedures in
hunting for subsersives and in
putting its findings before the
public.
Only one switch is due on the
committee membership roster
itself: The 5-4 ratio in favor OF
Republicans during the SD Con-
gress changes to a similar edge
for the Democrats in January.
But Representative Walter.
Democrat Of Pennsylvania. who
takes over the chairmanship
from Representative Velde. Re-
publican of Illinois. says the
committees activities viii be
handled differently.
Ban on Committee Dropped.
Mr.. Walter at one point sug-
gested doing away with the COM
mittee altogether when the
Democrats regain control. Party
leaders repeatedly decided that
course might be risky politically.
Mr.. Walters idea was that the
House Judiciary Committee, on
which he is the second ranking
Democrat, could best handle for
the House all Red-hunting and
legislation against subversives.
AS things now stand the Un-
American Activities group. with
fewer members than any other
regular House committee. has
just about the biggest bank ac-
count of the 19 committees. It's
1953-54 appropriations totaled
$575, 900, topped only by the
$685., 900 for the House Govern
ment Operations Committee
which handles a wide variety of
investigations dealing with the
Government.
Touchy Personnel Situation.
But Mr.. Walter says the Un-
American Activities group can
do just as well on less money
next year. Besides, the Demo-
Gratis are repeatedly unhappy
about part of the present staff
lineup.
Latest hot potato in the staf1
situation is the hiring Of Rea
Van FosSom November "a as an
$8.200-a-year investigator. Com
mittee sources say Mr.. Van Fos-
son was an Air Force intelli-
gence agent who gave the COM
mittee secret FBI data and then |
was forced to resign from the
Air Force.
Mr.. Van Fosson and the Air I
Force have refused to comment,
but Mr.. Walter has made clear
he referred to this incident and
perhaps others in denouncing
what he termed "the outright
pilfering of files from security
agencies" . =
Besides Mr.. Van Fosson. others
on the staff whose jobs are re-
portedly in jeopardy include:
Robert L. Kunzig. chief COM
mittee counsel under the Re-
publicans; Raphael I. Nixon, di-
rector of research, and Chief
Clerk Thomas w. Beale, sr. Each
of these jobs pays about $11,600
a year.
Seek Better Methods.
Mr.. Walter has declared that
during his administration the
staff will be closely held" to
methods under which congress
sional investigating committees
can work in good faith with
the other agencies of the Gov
eminent" He has also voiced
concern privately over 'leaks"
of committee information to
pewsmen.
The main unsettled question
about committee membership
next year is who will be added
to the Democratic roster. The
G. o. P. list was automatically
shortened with the defeat OF
Representative Clardy of Michi-
gan.
On the Democratic side Repre-
sentative Dies Of Texas, first
chairman of the committee when
1t was set unp in 1888, may want