The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1962-04-20
WATCH ON THE POTOMAC
By ROBERT G. SPIvACK, Washington. D. C.

DC moral oasis Tor FEDERAL policy.
, No man did more to awaken us to
the insidious influence of organized
crime than Kefauver a decade ago
in series of hearings that created
chaos among the mobsters. You may
recall the famous televised sessions
during which high officials in the
New York City government tried to
laugh off their relations with Frank
Costello and others in the rackets.
In New York today the still faltering
clean-government movement is the
beneficiary of Kefauver's relentless
crime expose.
More recently Kefauver exposed
the enormous profiteering of certain
segments of the drug industry which
preys ON the needs of the innocent,
unwilling and desperately sick.
Now Estes Kefauver is engaged
in a new crusade, with Implications
just as far reaching as his earlier
activity. So far his is a lonely
voice, Joined only by Sen. Wayne
Morse of Oregon and few others
in the Senate. Kefauver is con-
cerned that the billions and billions
of taxpayer dollars used for re-
search on our huge outer space pro-
gram should not be handed over,
free, to a few privileged communi-
cations companies.
Once again he is locking horns with
the giant trusts. 1t may be thankless
undertaking, but here is his reason
ing: hs
The U. S. taxpayer will invest
about s25, 100000 (billions) in
the research and development pro-
grams that eventually will result in
an outer space, satellite communica-
tions system. 1t will either be gov
ernment-owned system, along the
lines of IVA, or a private monopoly
dominated by the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph Co.
If it should be the latter, then the
u. S. taxpayer will pay twice for
what he has already paid once. The
private companies will charge all of
us for using the system, just as we
now pay telephone rates.
Sen. Kefauver considers this a
huge ''giveaway" of the kind SO Wig
orously condemned by liberal Demo-
Gratis when attempted during the Ell
senhower Administration.
Not only does the taxpayer get hit
again; this could turn out to be
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS monopoly Gre
ated at the very moment the Justice
Department is engaged in its anti
trust campaign, aimed at restoring
the free, competitive system.
American taxpayers may have be-
come groggy over the continuous eff
forts by private corporate giants to
skim the cream off the milk. But Ke-
fauver feels this is no time to relax
vigilance. The same thing was tried,
Of course, with the atomic energy
developed during the, war.
Many of those who loudly 'deplore
government Subsidies of education
Or welfare programs never hesitated
20 press their own interests.
In addition to the domestic
aspects of two bills that would turn
the satellites over to private COM
panies. as in the Kerr and Admin
istration bills, Kefauver poses an
important question of u. S. foreign
policy. Can private monopoly, he
asks, adequately represent the ma
tional interest" in the negotiations
that must go. on with the Soviet
Union and other countries?
There are, of course, other aspects
o the whole problem, and honest men
approach it from different view
,oints. But why should the question
f control be settled now?
;EES NO NEED TO HURRY
''The necessary research and de-
which is almost complete
Y taxpayer-financed, is proceeding
yithout delay-so there is no need
0 settle the organizational question
Kefauver said recent
=. eve can always give the satellite
way. Once given away, however, we
an never get it back"
There is great deal of razzle-
azzle in the news these days that