Evening star., 1954-09-16
Inquiry Centers
On kcC,arthy's 5
Plea for Data
FBI Letter Handling
And wicker Case
Also Main Topics
By jones Y. Newton

By jones Y. Newton
The special Senate Censure In
vestigating Committee today was
reported concentrating on three
charges against Senator Nc
Carthy in preparing it's report
to the Senate.
Receiving the most attention
from the six-member committee,
headed by Senator Watkins, Re-
publican, of Utah. was the charge
that Senator Mccarthy encour-
aged Government employees to
violate the law and their oaths
of office by inviting them to turn
over information to him.
The two others to which the
committee apparently attach the
most Importance involve Sena-
tor McCarthy's handling of the
classified two and one-fourth
page FBI letter" and his alleged
abuse of Brig. Gen. Ralph w.
zwicker during a Mccarthy In
vestigations subcommitte hear
ing last February 18.
Two Get Little Attention.
The remaining two of the
five general charges taken up
by the committee during the
recent nine-day censure hearing
repeatedly were getting little
attention.
1t was held possible the Wat
kins group would recommend
dropping of the last two
charges. One holds that the
Wisconsin Republican was in
contempt of the Senate for re-
fusing to testify in 1851 and
1852 before a Senate Privileges
and Elections subcommittee
which was investigating his f.
nances and other affairs. The
other accuses Senator Mccarthy
of abusing Senate colleagues.
The special committee was
meeting again today, but Chair
man Watkins was saying little
about the deliberations. BY the
end of the week the group hopes
to have blocked out the general
framework of its report. 1t was
expected the entire job will be
finished in about 10 days.
Precedents Studied.
Senator Watkins committee,
it was learned, is devoting con-
siderable time looking into the
law and precedents concerning
Senator McCarthy's invitation
to Federal employees. Senator
McCarthy's attorney, Edward
Bennett Williams, has been ques-
toned at length in the closed
sessions on the point.
The charge concerns Senator
McCarthy's repeated invitation
during the Army -McC Carthy in
quiry to furnish him with infor-
nation. His accusers say the
Senator asked for confidential
or classified material. Senator
Mccarthy denies this, saying he
was merely seeking evidence of
"wrongdoing" in Government,
pertaining to corruption, treason
ovI 0cYoyn1inicr,o
Closely related to the above
charge is the allegation that the
Wisconsin Republican made un-
authorized use of the contro-
versial 21a-page document about
suspicion of espionage in the
Army. Senator Mccarthy first
produced the alleged letter"
with the name of FBI Director
j. Edgar Hoover typed at the
end, at the Army hearing. He
said it was given him by an
Army intelligence officer.
Impressed by Defense.
Senator McCarthy's defense
against two of the charges were
said to have impressed the COM
mittee particularly.
He said he received only one
request to give testimony before
the Privileges and Elections sub
committee, and that he received
that request after he was sup
posed to have appeared.
Senator Mccarthy claims he
was provoked into the alleged
abuse of two of his Senate COL
leagues, They are Senator
Flanders, Republican, of Ver-
mont, the author of the censure
resolution who has made repeat
ed attacks on the Wisconsin Re-
publican, and Senator Hendrick-
son, Republican, of New Jersey.
In interviews with reporters,
Senator Mccarthy described
Senator Flanders as ''senile" and
said Senator Hendrickson was
"a living miracle E. without
brains or CUTS" Senator Nc
Carthy also contends that if any
action was to be taken against
him for those remarks it should
have been taken at the time he
made them.