Evening star., 1959-06-07
Look at the Record

l.N' Senator Monroney, Democrat Of
Oklahoma, has written separate mi
Enority report recommending that the
eEenate refuse to confirm Admiral
Strauss as Secretary Of Commerce. And
This report is good illustration Of why
1T is important to examine the whole
record in the Strauss case-not the
testimony of one witness or the views
iof one Senator.
XII, Senator Monroney based his objec-
,tion to Mr.. Strauss on two things-the
Testimony of his fellow Democrat, Sem
iator Clinton Anderson, and his own OBJ
,'sarvation of Mr.. Strauss during the
tc6mmittee hearings. The incidents dis
tctlsSed by Senator Anderson in opposing
IMr. Strauss reflect, according to Senator
llMonroney, "a continuing pattern Of re-
lfusal to deal frankly and openly with
Congress; of withholding information
(which there was statutory obligation
to divulge; Of evasion and obfuscation."
Furthermore, said Senator Monroney,
his own association with Senator An
4 ssderson who is chairman Of the Joint
Congressional Committee on Atomic En-
ergy, convinced him that the Anderson
testimony was product Of deep con-
yoyiction born of personal experience"
Z and, in any event, he thought that Mr..
strauss adhered to the same pattern
during the confirmation hearings
- Standing alone, this might be per-
suasive. If one examines the record,
however, or even the full committee re-
lport, 1t cannot stand alone.
a. The majority report brought out
significant additional information
NOTABLY, that the four men who preced-
sed Senator Anderson as chairman Of the
Joint committee disagreed with his es-
timate of Mr.. Strauss.
2,ns5 The late Senator Brien Mcmahon,
I Democrat, wrote Mr.. Strauss in 1850
: praising his service on the Atomic En-
4 ergy Committee and inviting him to be.
come a consultant to the joint commit
tee The second chairman, Senator
lHickenlooper, submitted a statement
supporting Mr.. Strauss and testifying to
his "fine cooperation" with the joint
committee. The third chairman, former
Representative Cole, sent message to
s the same effect, and the fourth chair
man, Representative Durham, said that
y Il called as witness, he would testify to
ga cordial and cooperative relationship
:, with Mr. Strauss reaching back more
01an 20 years"
-aT Thus, of five committee chairmen,
only Senator Anderson found Mr..
Strauss to be uncooperative and evasive.
And he has been feuding with Mr..
. Strauss for years.
-! It is important also to note the in
dividual views expressed by Senator
Pastore, another Democrat. He is
) member of the Commerce Committee,
(which held the hearings on the Strauss
; domination, and also is member OF the
Joint committee. In the latter capacity,
he worked closely with Mr.. Strauss,
), found him to be cooperative, and praised
him as patriotic, honorable and COM
petent." AS member of the Commerce
Committee, sitting with Senator Mon
roney during the hearings he did not
share the latter's impression that Mr..
r. Strauss conduct as witness confirmed
Senator Anderson's adverse testimony.
p i This is what the whole record shows
ON this matter. We do not mean to sug-
+, agest that Senator Monroney was trying
to cover up the testimony favorable to
Mr.. Strauss. He would not do such a
. thing, and, in any event, he knew 1t was
!, being brought out in the majority re-
port. The sole point is that fair judg-
nlent of Mr.. Strauss necessarily must be
based on an examination Of the entire
!. record-and we hope that all Senators
;, will take the time to study it before the
Anal .roAo o,a non Aia,a