Show MARQUIS CHILDS 1 Loyalty Probes Could Grow Into Peril of U. U S. S Liberties WASHINGTON When AtI Attorney Attorney Attorney At At- I torney General Tom C. C Clark appeared before th the th presidents president's civil rights commission In closed session not long ago he came in for something of a grilling Members Member's of the commission wanted to know whether the Truman administration did not Itself threaten civil rights through the executive order on loyalty a am among m o 0 n g gov government rn ent workers ork rs v Most persist persistent nt questioning on this line came from Bishop Francis J. J Haas Hans of Grand Rapids Mich and from Boris of the A FL They pressed down hard on on Clark demanding demanding demanding demand demand- ing to know what right of appeal individual would have from the arbitrary action of department and agency heads Clark replied as he has to all aU such queries that he intends to tobe tobe tobe be s sure re that the broad powers under the loyalty order ar are not abused d. d Bishop Haas Hans on one of the most liberal and courageous churchmen in m America suggested suggested suggested sug sug- that the order had al already already already al- al ready contributed to something very much like a witch-hunt witch Inthe in inthe inthe the government Emphatically Clark denied any intention of witch hunting He repeated that every effort would be made to safeguard the rights of ot those suspected suspect d of disloyalty pointed to the danger of f the precedent which others might misuse Suspicions Raised Here once again is the dilemma ma of our time At the root of It is the perverted loyalty of the communist and the fellow- fellow traveling stooge Their loyalty is to an ideology opposed to our form of society and our govern govern- ment meat Serving that ideology with blind allegiance they will go to any length to do the bidding bidding bidding bid bid- ding of the bosses of communism Now no one except the mem mem- bers of the house un-Am un American un-American rican activities committee who tremble at shadows believes that many individuals of ot questionable loyalty loyalty loyalty loyal loyal- ty have Infiltrated into our gov gov- But no one can doubt that there have been some Their very presence even though they may have done a minimum of ot harm to national security has raised a cloud cloud of f suspicion The e other day t the e state de department department department de- de announced dismissal of ten whose loyalty was in question They were summarily dismissed under the McCarran rider to the state department department department de de- de- de appropriation bill Under the terms of the rider they have no right of appeal Here is is the danger land and it is a serious one By this procedure the individual is prejudged and found guilty without appeal In at least two recent in instances in- in stances it has been proposed in inthe inthe inthe the senate that the F FBI B I be given the right to pass on all new of a particular bureau That would in effect be giving to a pc police lice agency the supreme power of gov government It would be a long step in the direction of the police state The deeply troubling thought In the minds of many men is that in scourging the few who are disloyal we may endanger the whole structure of liberty on which our free society depends In this there js is a terrible irony In combating communism we can get the very kind of totalitarian totalitarian tarlan controls on which communIsm communism com corn inevitably rests Safeguards Safeguard Needed The presidents president's civil rights commission has made a well wen in- in move to point up the dangers in this troubled time and the need for further safeguards In law Public hearings were held A digest of the hearings was used in an effective nationwide nationwide nationwide nation nation- wide broadcast Various subcommittees are arc arenow arenow now studying special phases on discrimination in m employment with the end of the war This will be helpful in giving a push to the new fair employment practices bill recently introduced In congress under the sponsorship sponsorship sponsorship sponsor sponsor- ship of both Republicans and Democrats Shortly the commission will begin putting together the overall overall overall over over- all report A lively discussion is certain on whether it should include a warning on the approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap of the Truman adminis adminis- administration administration to the loyalty gation It Is of course a presidential presidential presidential commission and the final inal form of the report will win be deI determined determined de de- de- de I by the White House The effectiveness of turning over a major problem to a commission commission com corn mission of spirited public-spirited citizens is open to question The members members members mem mem- bers of the civil rights commission commission commission commis commis- sion all have compelling outside outside outside out out- side interests which means that they can give at most only part time to the inquiry The chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man is Charles E E. Wilson Vilson of General Ele Electric With congress in the midst of ofa ofa ofa a chaotic rush to get out no new legislation is likely We Ve may wake up one day to discover discover discover dis dis- dis- dis cover that civil liberties are not just a time spare-time preoccupation Copyright 1917 United Features Syndicate |