Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-17

cused. no matter how I'M
pleasant the offense. no mat
ter how disreputable the
offender. no matter how I'M
pleasant the social conse-
quences of taking on such a
client.
Mr.. Williams is such a
man. He represented Senator
Mccarthy when his career
was at lowest ebb after the
catastrophe of the Army
hearings. He represented
Igor Melekh, accused by the
FBI as a Russian spy. at the
very time of the U-2 Incl
dent. He represented Adam
Clayton Powell in the face
Of charges that the Eisen-
hover administration had
traded an income tax charge
for the delivery Of Negro
votes. He represented Frank
Costello and Jimmy Hoffa,
when they stood low on the
popularity polls.
Calls for Courage
This took courage and in
dependence. and courage and
independence are the mark
of the man throughout the
book. He pulls no punches
in his criticism of his client
Joseph Mccarthy. He criti-
cizeS the Senator for expo
sure for the sake Of expo
sure" for transgressing the
rights Of witnesses and for
his attack on Joseph Welch's
legal assistant which culmi-
mated in that unforgettable
speech by WEIGH.
Yet later he represented
Mccarthy in the censure
hearings with great skill. OF
the original 46 charges, a
were dropped by the Watkins
committee itself and the full
Senate dropped a 45th. Only
one of the original as
charges was sustained and
this had nothing to do with
the Army hearings. Even
here he continues criticism
Of Mccarthy, deploring the
personal attacks on Watkins
and his associates, and ques-
tioning McCarthy's judy
ment in refusing to accept
the innocuous compromise
proposed by Senator Dirk
sen and urged on Mccarthy
by Senator Goldwater.
Mr.. Williams is a Catho-
lie. Yet he does not hesitate
to criticize the Catholic
Bishops National Organiza-
ton for Decent Literature,
for improperly in the prep
aration of do not patronage"
lists Of stores and theaters
who decline to Cooperate"
with the organization. Nor
will he defend the right of
any Catholic group to force
its moral views upon others
by coercive methods.
Curiously. the closing chap
ter Of the book departs from
the main stream. Mr.. Will
liams leaves his study Of our
Constitution and the rights
and privileges of our citizens
and plunges into the treach-
erous waters of international
affairs. He speaks knowingly
about the need for a rule OF
law" in world affairs and
forcefully supports the repeal
of the Connally amendment.
But he catches himself in
the trap which opens when
ever one argues for a rule of
law" in world affairs and in
the same breath denies the
need for any form of govern
ment in world affairs. He
wants to build "a world Judi
ciary for resolution under law
of conflicts between nations"
But he does not explain how
there can be courts in a place
has no government.
Nor does he explain how
there can be law without
some governmental apparatus
to make the rules, enforce the
rules and enforce the de-
cisions Of the courts. He
states categorically that there
is no community of words or
ideas between the West and
the Communist world, and no
common denomination in eco
politics or morals.
How do you create law and
courts in the absence of COM
and a common de-
nominator? 1t is regrettable
that this topic, so foreign
to the rest of the book,
should have been chosen as
its climax.
Read this book-slowly and
carefully. Every thoughtful
American who loves this
country and its institutions
will profit from it.
PHILIP w. AMRAM.
Mr.. Amram is a member OF
the District OF Columbia and
the Philadelphia bars Nth
long experience in the fields
OF ciUil liberties and of inter-
national affairs.