Evening star., 1955-05-30

ants enjoy superior knowledge
Such agents frequently make re-
ports-resulting in defense job
rings-which would be dismissed
by the FBI as inadequate 81
meaningless. Many detectives at
work on security are even less
qualified, work for agencies
without the good name of ma
tional credit groups.
Investigators Investigate
In fact, the security of investi-
gators themselves has been ques-
toned. Representative Francis E.
Walter. chairman of the House
Un-American Activities Commit
tee, has said that military Off
GERS and FBI agents have lifted
official secret files to take with
them to political jobs. When the
Atomic Energy Commission and
Department of Defense were
asked if any security officers had
ever been suspended or dismissed
as security risks, they declined
to answer.
OF course, the agents report is
not the last word. Theoretically
it presents only facts. These are
reviewed by a security officer and
department head. The decisions
Of these men, in turn, are usually
subject to appeal to a board.
There is ample evidence that
the best security investigators
and officers are as subject to er-
ror and prejudices as any other
human beings. Yet, failures to
accept their findings at face
value has often brought the
charge Of "softness on commu-
nism." Worse, the frustrated Of
f1cers have bypassed the system
and slipped their unevaluated in
formation to ongresSion o n a l
friends who used it for political
attacks.
AS a result, the typical Wash
ington department head has
come to fear espionage less and
dirty politics more. It has become
common to drop a man as q Sc
curity risk not because he con-
stitutes a danger to the Nation
but because congressional figures
could use information in the
case to embarraSs the depart
ment.
Powerful political figures have
used the myriad fragments of
security data to imply that mas
sive disloyalty exists throughout
the Government. How justified is
this picture?
4 Million Checked
In the first four years of the
security program, some 4 mil
lion men and women were
checked and 378 dismissed after
appeals. Another 5000 resigned
without appealing, some no doubt
because Of damaging back
grounds but others because ap-
pealS are anguishing and expen-
sive. This record was called
"softness on communism"
During the expanded Eisen-
hover program-with many of
the avenues of appeal elimi-
nated-some 8.008 persons have
been dropped as security risks. "
OF these, 2,096 left while there
was "derogatory information" in
their files relating to loyalty; 655
Tor sex perversion; 2,648 for fel-
onies and misdemeanors; and the
majority. 4,417. for allegations
OF undesirable personal traits
such as gambling. sexual pro-
miscuity. etc.
Thus, three out of four left
for reasons entirely unconnected
with disloyalty. The remaining
Is per cent were never SUBJ
mitted to higher adjudication
which in the past had restored
seven-eighths of such cases to
their jobs.
Using It's vastly more stringent
standards for secret clearance
the Atomic Energy Commission
since l947 has investigated over
100000 employees for Q-clearance.
! or these. one-tenth of l per cent
were denied clearance and less
than l per cent resigned before
a decision.
The campaign to portray
America as honeycombed with
traitors is plainly contrary to
fact. It not only is false, but it
hampers programs to detect real
acts Of disloyalty. j. Edgar
Hoover. director of the FBI, has
said. "Hysteria, witch hunts and
vigilantes weaken internal Sc
curity."
Tomorrow: Security VS.. Science
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