Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-15
Security Quiz Methods
In 50Coses Reviewed
BY MARY McGRORY

Dy U4CSLSOANA
In october, 1858. a civilia
clerk employed by the Army Sig
nal Corps was suspended on Sc
curity charges.
She was accused. under Publ
Law 1888 and Executive Orde
10450, of maintaining a "clos
and continuing association" witt
her brother. He was describe
as "a close associate of reporte,
Communist Party members an
sympathizers." Six instances Q
the brothers alleged membership
in subversive organizations an,
donations to Communist cause
were listed.
The employee herself was no
charged with any Communist &C
Invites or sympathies.
At a hearing five months later
she testified that she had a.
sisters love" for her brother, VIII,
lived in a different apartment il
the same house, had no knowl
edge of his personal business
and herself had never though
about joining the Communis
Party"
At the conclusion of the hear
ing, the chairman of the hearin,
board told her: 1--WE are yer,
sorry that we had to subject 70,
to this sort of thing. We haven
any say in the matter. 1t is no
our suggestion. We will tax,
action as rapidly as we can"
so Security Cases
Three months later the EN-
ploye received a notice from thu
Executive Secretary of the Sc.
curity Review Board. telling he
that the hearing board hat
cleared her but that the Security
Review Board would recommend
to the Secretary of the Army
that she be dismissed because
such action is deemed necessar,
and advisable in the interest o.
national security"
That case is one of so per-
sonnet security cases which have
been collected in Case Studies
in Personnel Security" which Il
published today by the Bureau
of National Affairs.
The compilation, the first OF
It's kind. was made under the di.
rection of Adam Yarmolinsky, q
Washington lawyer who was
formerly the law clerk of Su.
preme Court Justice Stanley
Reed. 1t was financed by the
Fund for the Republic.
Eventually, a total Of about
800 security cases will be as
sembled and turned over to a
New York City Bar Association
committee on the Fedora
loyalty-security program for
further study and possible
recommendation. One hundred
and eighteen lawyers from all
over the country are contribut-
ing to the study.
Information on the cases was
made available by the people in
volved. Many excerpts from
transcripts of hearings have been
used.
In one case a Government
Printing Office worker who was
suspended and later cleared was
denied a transcript of his hear
ing on the grounds that I'll
might violate security"
In another case where family
relationships rather than suspect
activities or sympathies were in
volved, seaman whose sailing
papers had been lifted was told
at a hearing six and a hall
months later that he was "be.
lived to be sympathetically as
ISOLATED with the Communist
Party or otherwise affiliated with
it."
When his counsel pressed fol
more specific charges. he wa!
told by the chairman: Il an
not permitted under Coast Guarc
classification prohibitions tt
state anything further"
No evidence Of Communist &C
tivity on the part of the seaman
was brought forth at the hear.
ing. The chairman, however
stated that the seaman's broth.
ers, according to a confidential
file not available to the seaman
were believed to be affiliated
with and associated with tht
Communist Party" He went or
to say that hearing boards "art
laboring under increasing bur
dens and difficulties without dis
closing matters in these files"
The seaman said he had NJ
reason to believe that any of hi
brothers would be disloyal anC
that he himself knew nothing
about the Communist Party
The Chairman told him thai
"the basis for the security pro-
gram as it is set up. is not to de-
termine whether he is or nigh
be disloyal, but whether there i!
any doubt as to his loyalty under
any foreseeable circumstances.
The accused was classified as
a risk and barred from working
as a seaman.
Agriculture Clerk Accused
An Agriculture Department
clerk facing some unspecifieo
charges of which she was event
ually cleared, was told at the
outset Of her hearing that the
board would give full considera'
ton to the fact that it might
not be possible to acquaint hel
with certain confidential in
formation which the investiga-
ton has revealed or the source;
of such information"
Mr.. Yarmelinsky told the
press that the matter of speci-
:1city of charges is no longer a
major problem. but that where
it is a problem, it can be ar
acute one"
Another case involved a hus-