Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-03

4uulbluudIS. II z administration
was urged to adopt it for all civilian
and military personnel security pro-
grams.
Despite these widespread express
sions of approval there has been
no sign the administrator plans to
extend the directive throughout the
executive branch. In fact. the
Defense Department has thrown
cold water on the Brucker order by
declaring that it did not represent
a new policy, that it was merely an
interim measure and that the Air
Force and Navy had no need for
such directive because they have
all along been following a similar
policy! (ThiS despite the fact that
the Brucker directive stated that
review of Army security cases
demonstrated an urgent need" for
changes in procedures and policies.)
chonee for the Better
A few months ago, after almost
q year of study by William Tomp-
kins, Assistant Attorney General,
and his staff, Mr.. Brownell finally
agreed with what Mr.. Cain and
other critics of the program had
been saying for a long time-that
department heads should be allowed
to keep an individual on the payroll
during adjudication of his case.
Giving the department head dis
erection in this matter would be a
major improvement. it is now
agreed on all sides. 1t would elm
mate in large measure one of the
cruelest and most unnecessary
SHORTCOMINGS of the program - the
automatic suspension, without pay.
of an employee upon his being
charged as security risk. A re-
cent case in point involved Sidney
Hatkin, a statistician who was sus-
pended for more than IA months
before the Air Force decided he
could be restored to the payroll.
Although some critics maintain
that discretion could be granted by
executive order. MIR Brownell says
that an amendment to Public Law
1873 is necessary. At his behest,
companion oils have been intro
duced in the Senate and House to
accomplish this. They have been
referred to the respective Post OF.
flee and Civil Service Committees.
No action is expected on either
bill until the Senate subcommittee
investigating the employee security
program makes its final report and
recommendations. Senator Johns
ton, Democrat Of South Carolina,
heads the subcommittee.
AS Of this date, the administra-
ton is seeking no other amend
ments to the basic law. But the
Johnston subcommittee is likely to
call for additional ones and urge
changes in Executive Order l045O.
too. There is danger, however,
that the subcommittee's final re-
port. which probably will not be
ready before early next month,
might get lost in the election-year
adjournment rush.
Coin Hos Some Ideus
Mr.. Cain, who is scheduled to
testify before the Senate Subcom-
mittee on Constitutional Rights
next week, also will have a list of
recommended changes In the law
and order.
Among other things, he wants
the security program restricted to
sensitive agencies. He would risk
Soviet penetration of the Indian
Claims Commission and the Smith
Sonian Institution to obtain this
end. (There is a case heading for
a United States Supreme Court
decision which may settle this
point. A former Federal worker
fired as a risk is contending that
the action of President Eisenhower
in extending Government-w wide the
terms of Public Law 733-which
originally applied only to a few
sensitive OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES illegally
Mr.. Cain is preparing his most
important pitch for his upcoming
face-to-face meeting with Mr.. Els
enhower.
The former Senator from WASH
ington State has not conferred
with the President since he was ap-
pointed to the Subversive Activities
Control Board three years ago and
the chances are against his con-
verting the President to his APP
proach to the security problem.
But Mr.. Cain can be a very per-
suasive person If the other fellow
is willing to hear him out.
1t seems likely, however, that
given the present state of mind of
those executive branch officials
responsible. in this field. Congress
and the courts must be looked to
for the solution of the most vexing
problem internal security in a
democracy presents-the proper
balancing of the national interest
with the rights of the individual.