Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-04
Continued From First Page


security cases is contemplated
The latest official security risk
figures for the Army are Asst EN-.
ployes fired and 778 resigned
while under investigation. The
Army has 433,197 citizen en-
ployes. of whom 37.80l are in
the Washington area.
The Army Discharge Review
Board presently is re-evaluatine
all its military security risk
separations since November 10
1948-about 700 Of them-in
light Of the Brucker directive
and Of the Defense Department.;
new policy calling for discharges
based on the character OF q
mans service and not on his pre-
induction activities.
The Brucker directive, after
stating that mere existence Of in.
formation falling within the
scope Of security criteria does
not, in itself, constitute a bar tc
acceptance or retention in the
Army, contains this key sen.
tence:
'The determination that ac-
ceptance or retention is not
clearly consistent with the in
terests of national security
must be based upon competent
information which indicates
that the individual is
motivated OF Influenced by, or
is sympathetic to subversive
aims or ideologies."
The directive made it clear
there was to be no automatic
guilt-by association, guilt-by-
kinship or guilt-by- character
reference.
Some security experts say the
directive may be of benefit to
officials preparing allegations
against employees in view of the
Army Special Regulations for
civilian personnel, section /, par
agraph 6. which reads in part:
q. membership in. affiliation
with, contributions to and asso-
citation with members of pro-
scribed organizations may be
considered as rejecting adversely
on Federal employees"
Wife Cleared Of Same Charge
Both Mr.. Foster and his wife
testified last November before the
Senate Subcommittee on Con-
stitutional Rights. Mrs. Foster,
who has a sensitive job at the
Seattle Port of Embarkation,
also was suspended on security
charges. but eventually was
cleared.
Later, the subcommittee said
the Foster cases cast doubt on
the view that individual rights
are only abridged for grave rea-
sons of national security. 1t
added:
Since he had been previously
cleared on the same charges
under the loyalty program, Mr..
Foster confidently went into a
hearing without a lawyer and
argued his own case. AS a re-
suit, the hearing board split 2
to 2, and he was terminated as
q security risk.
Later, Mrs. Foster was sus-
pended on the same charges OF
her husbands alleged associa-
lions. But this time the family
retained a lawyer, and the wife
was cleared and reinstated.
UNLESS the national security
Is pictured as capriciouS and
tickle woman. it is hard to I'M
derStand why national security
should condemn the husband
and clear the wife on the basis
Of the same facts"
The Army advised the SUBJ
committee last February that,
after several reviews, it had de.
cided not to reinstate Mr.. Eos
ter. 1t explained that Mrs
Foster was cleared because ii
was determined that she. was
not susceptible to significant
and demonstrable influence OF
domination" by her husband.
The charges against Mr.. F'os-
ter were these: That he was
a member of the Albina Victory
Club of Vanport. Ore, said to
be a branch Of the Communist
Party, in 1914; that he at
tended Red meetings in Portland
in 1913; that he resided with
and associated with one Robert
Cannady, alleged to be a card
carrying Communist, and that
he gave the Rev. F. Benjamin
Davis as a character reference
The Army said Mr.. Davis was
listed in a left-wing newspaper
as a sponsor of a dinner fol
Paul Robson, given under the
auspices of the Joint Anti.
Fascist Refugee Committee, ar
organization cited by the Attor'
ney General as subversive.
In his testimony before tn,
subcommittee Mr.. Foster denied
he ever belonged to the Commu.
mist Party or knowingly attended
any of its meetings. He said h,
had been cleared by the Arm!
once and again by the ONCE O
Naval Intelligence in 1949 on tn,
same charges. He worked for tn,
Navy in Kodiak, Alaska, for /:
months in 1949-50.
Mr.. Foster explained that HI
first met Cannady in Alexandria
Va. on a construction job IL
1943 and that three weeks late,
they were hired by Kaiser Ship
yards for work on the Yves
Coast. He said he lived in tn,
same house with Cannady TO
about six months after which
Cannady returned to the Distric