Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-28
FIJI Data and Congress

THE Shameful Years." published
December 80. 1851.
There was good reason for its
excellence. 1t was based on a special
FBI study which was delivered to
President Truman in December,
1945.
The directive prohibiting dis.
closure Of personnel security infor-
nation in FBI and executive branch
files without presidential permis-
sion was issued by Mr.. Truman on
March Is. 1913. It has been kept IN
force by President Eisenhower.
There have only been two major
cases since December, l949, in
which the President has made FBI
security files available to members
of Congress. And in both cases, the
files were shown in strict confidence
to small groups Of Senators so that
reports could be made to Senate
committees airing loyalty-security
accusations against presidential APP
pointees.
In the first case. Mr.. Truman al
lowed the complete FBI file on
Anna M. Rosenberg to be examined
by Senators Byrd of Virginia, Hunt
Of Wyoming. Democrats, and Cain,
Republican of Washington. The
three Senators found that the file
supported Mrs. Rosenberg's loyalty
and her nomination to be an Assist
ant Secretary Of Defense was ap.
proved by the Senate.
The BohIen Cose
The second case came in Mr..
Eisenhowers first term. 1t involved
the nomination of career diplomat
Charles E. (Chip) Bohlen to be AM
bassador to the Soviet Union. Sem
ator Mccarthy raised a question in
March, 1858. as to Mr.. Bohlen's Sc.
curity clearance. Another front.
page row was stirred up. Senators
Taft, Republican Of Ohio, and
Sparkman. Democrat of Alabama,
were permitted by Mr.. Eisenhower
to read a 30-page summary of the
FBI file on Mr.. Bohlen. The two
Senators reported that they found
nothing in the report which raised
a question as to Mr.. Bohlen's fitness
to serve and he was quickly con-
hrmed for the Moscow post.
No discussion of the release or
disclosure of FBI files would be
complete without a mention of At
torney General Brownell's testi-
timony before the Senate Internal
Security Subcommittee in Noyem-
Der II, 1858.
Mr.. Brownell two weeks earlier
had accused Mr.. Truman Of
promoting Harry Dexter White. a
top Treasury official in 1946, to
membership on the International
Monetary Fund in face of FBI
reports that he was a Russian
spy.
This heavy attack on the former
President provoked a storm Of
denunciations of Mr.. Brownell by
Democratic leaders who accused
him OF cheap demagoguery'' and
politics" Mr.. Truman himself
said that the Attorney General
lied. He explained that he pro-
NOTED White as a strategem to
allow the FBI to keep him under
surveillance and not jeopardize a
broader investigation Of Commu-
mist activities.
Mr.. Brownell and FBI chief
Hoover both told the Senate sub
committee, in effect. that Mr.. Tru.
mans decision on White ham
pered" rather than aided the
Bureaus investigation.
While on the stand, Mr.. Brownell
disclosed parts of two FBI reports
to the White House on the matter
OF Soviet espionage. White figured
in both.
1t can be seen that White House
permission for the disclosure Of
confidential FBI data has been
rare-at least, the cases which
have come to the public's attention
have been few and far between.
Although many persons feel that
even limited use of such data is
dangerous, release by the President
may be easily regulated.
What presents a more difficult
problem is the covert disclosure
Of FBI material on the working"
level. How to shut it of or control
1T is a question that apparently
has not received much attention
from the officials involved.