Evening star., 1955-02-13
LeagueUrges
Eisenhowerto
End Job Order
Sees Civil Service
Hurt by Handling
Of Security Issue
By Joseph Young

troversial political job clearance
order.
In one of the strongest-worded
statements in its 74-year history,
the league said that unless the
order is withdrawn, "all the world
and especially the career civil
service will have reason to be-
lieve that the heart of the ad-
ministration is not in civil serv-
ice"
The league. which is headed by
Nicholas Kelley, vice president
and general counsel of the
Chrysler Corp. and is composed
of many of the country's top
business leaders. educators and
civic leaders, also condemned
the administrations security
program.
Prestige Seen Impaired.
"The prestige of the Civil Serv-
ice Commission has been greatly
impaired by the confused hand
ling of the security issue" the
league declared in its annual re-
port. THE political use of this
serious problem has contributed
greatly to undermining the pres
tige and morale of the public
service"
The league also criticized the
Civil Service Commissions &C
ton in removing 900 United
States deputy marshal jobs from
the competitive service.
Turning to the White House
political job clearance order
which was engineered by Charles
Willis, a Presidential assistant,
the league said: 1T is so con-
trary to the nature and spirit
of career civil service that at
best it is confusing and even
demOralizing to the civil
service"
First Crack At Jobs.
The Willis order requires Fed
eral agencies to list top-leVel
civil service job vacancies with
the Republican National Com
mittee and the White House and
to freeze them for 80 days SO
that G. o. P. applicants can get
first crack at the jobs.
The league said it felt that
President Eisenhower's subSe-
quent executive order last No
vember % repeals the Willis di-
rective. The President declared
in the executive order, which set
up the Governments new career
conditional appointment system
that no political consideration
should be given in the filling of
any civil service job.
Therefore. the league last
night urged President Eisen-
hover to concur in this view
and order the Willis directive
abolished. 1t also asked Mr..
Eisenhower to reaffirm his ex-
ecutive order of 1853 which
made the chairman of the Civil
Service Com ission CPhilip
Young, his top advisor on Fed
eral ersonnel management
problems. Mr.. Young had not
been consulted by the White
House before the Willis direc-
tive was issued.
The league warned that unless
the Willis directive is disavowed
by President Eisenhower, THE
consequences will be that the
order of the day is discourage
ment, and that years of patient
and back-breaking effort will
be necessary to repair the trag-
edy."
Career BY Definition.
"A career system of civil serv-
ice by definition and by its ma
ture cannot be part of a political
spoils system or a reservoir of
political patronage" the leagues
report said. THE only means of
keeping a career civil service
permanently useful .. :. is to keep
it scrupulously non-partisan."
If the Willis order is repealed.
then the administrators civil
service record for 1854 can be
considered as having contributed
to the advancement of civil serv-
ice, the league said.
1t commended the career-con-
ditional appointment system, the
various administration -spon-
sored fringe benefits enacted
into law. improved procedures
by the Civil Service Commission
in dealing with agencies and
servicing their needs. and the
appointment Of career men as