Evening star., 1955-02-04
Mccarthy Rebuffed,
Soldier 10 Receive
Honorable Discharge

honorable UISCndIge
A new dispute between Army
Secretary Stevens and Senator
Mccarthy came to a head today
with the scheduled honorable
discharge of an Army private.
Senator Mccarthy had de-
manded that Pvt. Marvin S. Bel
sky, who invoked the Fifth
Amendment last year before the
committee then headed by the
Senator, be given a dishonorable
discharge.
Secretary Stevens refused to
do this without information to
establish subversive conduct" on
Pvt. Belsky's part, declaring that
such action would be both illegal
and damaging to Army morals.
Pentagon Releases Letter.
In a letter to the Senator,
dated February l and released
yesterday by the Pentagon. Mr..
Stevens pointed out that Pvt.
Belsky comes up for discharge
today. He urged that the Senator
submit before today any evidence
: or information upon which evi-
dence can be developed with re-
ference to any alleged subver-
sive conduct on the part Of
Belsky."
The Pentagon said this morn
ing that a reply had not been
received and that the honorable
discharge of Pvt. Belsky would
go through as planned. Pvt.
Belsky, Bronx. IN. " doctor
who was drafted but was not
made an officer because he re-
fused to fill out loyalty forms is
stationed at Murphy Army Hos
pital in Waltham, Mass.
In his letter, Mr.. Stevens
stated a general policy of not
taking action against Army per-
sonnel solely on the basis of
their invoking the Fifth Amend
ment.
Bad Effect on Morale Seen.
He noted Senator McCarthy's
suggestion that Pvt. Belsky be
dishonorably discharged "be-
cause he invoked the Fifth
, Amendment before your COM
mittee," and then declared:
. In the absence of any evi-
, dence of subversive conduct. this
&. would mean that a person who
IT. was forced into service by in
duction and required to serve
two years must look forward at
the end of this obligated service
to a dishonorable discharge,
merely because he has availed
himself of a right guaranteed
by the Constitution, no matter
how well he shall have performed
his assigned duties. Aside from
legal considerations, such pol
icy in terms of morale and dis
cipline in the armed forces would
be most impracticable"
He said that, in addition, he
had been advised such action
would be "untenable, and would
be in direct conflict with the re-
cent pronouncement of the Su-
preme Court on this very sub
ject.''
Therefore. unless the Army
can secure information to estab-
lish subversive conduct" Mr..
Stevens wrote. "the Army must |
act in accordance with the Su-
preme Courts guidance"
The Stevens letter was one Of
q series that have passed between
the Secretary and the Senator on
the Belsky case.
In an earlier exchange, after
Senator Mccarthy demanded a
dishonorable discharge for Pvt.
Belsky, Mr.. Stevens told him the
Army did not intend to let a
draftee escape his service by in
voking the Fifth Amendment or
failing to fill out loyalty forms.
Once Promoted to Corporal.
Pvt. Belsky was once promoted
to corporal but the Army later
rescinded the promotion and rep
rimanded a colonel who author
lied it. Senator Mccarthy had
protested the promotion.
On January 25, Senator Nc
Carthy told newsmen that Mr..
Stevens, in a letter on January
%, had requested that the Sena-
tor provide the names of his in
formants in the Belsky case. SEN
ator Mccarthy said he had de-
clined to do so.
In his latest letter to the Sena-
tor, Mr.. Stevens wrote:
II did not request the names
of informants, who Gas your
letter states) gave us the in
formation on Mr.. Belsky,' and I
do not at this time request such
information.
Mr.. Stevens also again told
Senator Mccarthy that Army in
vestigations of Pvt, Belsky "do
not provide grounds for court
martial action against him."
The Army said Pvt. Belsky was
assigned to a 'nonsensitive" job
which assured that he had no
access to secret material, but
Senator Mccarthy said he was
In contact with individuals
working on a secret radar prof.
ect.
Begins Third Year in Post.
Mr.. Stevens today began his
third year of a career as Army
Secretary that has been marked
by a long feud with Senator
Mccarthy.
The feud had it's beginning
when the Senator charged the
Army with coddling Communists
and Mr.. Stevens countercharged
that Senator Mccarthy had
abused one of his generals, Brig. |
Gen. Ralph w. zwicker.
Their dispute was aired in
last summers sensational Army |
Mccarthy hearings and figured |.