Evening star. [volume], May 02, 1950, Page A-6, Image 6

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
McCarthy Has Failed
To Back Up Charges,
Peurifoy Declares
By Garnett D. Horner
Deputy Undersecretary of State
John E. Peurifoy asserted today
that Senator McCarthy, Republi
can. of Wisconsin “hasn’t backed
up” his charges that there are
Communists in the State Depart
ment.
He added that he would leave
it to the Senate Foreign Rela
tions Subcommittee investigating
^the McCarthy charges to decide
whether they have subjected the
American people to “deceit and
fraud.”
Mr. Peurifoy’s statement was
issued in response to questions
about assertions by Representa
tive Karsten, Democrat, of Mis
souri that the people have been
“hoodwinked” with the charges
that the State Department is sat
urated with Communists.
Mr. Peurifoy, in charge of loyalty
matters in the State Department,
recalled that Senator McCarthy
began charging in February that
various numbers of Communists
were in the department.
“Hasn’t Backed Up” Charges.
Senator McCarthy hasn’t
backed up even the highly general
charges he made on February 20,”
Mr. Peurifoy said.
Mr. Peurifoy recalled that Sen
ator McCarthy said in his Febru
ary 20 speech that he based his
charges on information from
“loyal” State Department em
ployes and had digests of the flies
he was talking about.
"Actually,” he asserted, “all Sen
ator McCarthy had done was to
shake two years dust off of some
old reports and produce them as
his ‘newly discovered evidence.’ ”
Mr. Peurifoy recalled that the
Appropriations Committee asked
to look over the department s se
curity program in the fall of 1947.
Committee investigators then com
piled a list of 108 cases which the
department was questioned about.
Mr. Peurifoy said only 40 of those
108 noW worked in the State De
partment and that they have been
found to be “absolutely loyal.”
Aired Thoroughly, He Holds.
During the Republican 80th
Congress, he added, that list of
108 cases was gone into by the
Senate as well as the House Ap
propriations Committee, the House
Expenditures Committee and the
House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. Peurifoy added:
“When Senator McCarthy was
making his ‘charges’ on the floor
of the Senate on February 20, he
was simply reciting, somewhat in
accurately, items from this shop
worn list of 108 cases.
"Those are the facts.
“I don’t think it is appropriate
for me to state whether the Amer
ican people have been subjected
to deceit and fraud.' ”
Primaries
(Continued From First Page.)
advance by both Republicans and
Democrats. The former said that
his defeat would indicate a trend
against the Truman administra
tion nationally. The Democrats
held that the Pepper-Smathers
race is more of a personal nature.
Smather’s Backs Labor Law.
8enator Pepper’s campaign
stressed his backing for more Fed
eral financing, broader public
services, increased old-age bene
fits and a national health pro
gram. Mr. Smathers has urged
less in-the-red financing and more
free enterprise. He called the
Taft-Hartley Labor Act basically
good and opposed what he called
'•socialized medicine.”
In Alabama, where a voting
turnout of 400,000 is expected. 158
persons are running for 72 places
on the State Democratic Commit
tee. which will control the Ala
bama party machinery for the
next four years.
Of these, 92 say they favor re
turning to the National Demo
cratic Party organization. 59 want
to stick with the State's Rights
group, where Alabama’s presiden
tial vote went in 1948, one entry is
claimed by both sides and six by
neither.
Convention votes may Be invoivea.
Senator Hill, seeking Demo
cratic renomination, has been in
the forefront of the fight to re
turn the Alabama organization
to the national party.
Alabama's 26 Democratic con
vention votes in 1952 may be in
volved. In 1948 the State cast its
convention vote for Senator Rus
sell. Democrat, of Georgia in pro
test of the President's civil rights
stand. Its 11 electoral votes went
to the States’ Rights ticket.
In both Florida and Alabama
Democratic nomination is tanta
mount to election.
Senator Hill is opposed in the
Alabama primary by Lawrence
McNeil. Former Navy Capt. John
Crommelin, who figured in the
battle over unification, has an
nounced he will oppose the winner
in November, running as an inde
pendent.
In Ohio. State Auditor Joseph
T. Ferguson and Toledo's Mayor
Michael V. Disalle generally are
regarded as leading candidates for
the Democratic nomination to
oppose Senator Taft, who is un
opposed in the Republican pri
mary. Whoever wins is likely to
inherit strong general election
support from organized labor
units gunning for Senator Taft
because of his authorship of the
Taft-Hartley Act.
Six of Ohio's 23 members of
Congress have no primary opposi
tion. three of them Democrats and
three Republicans.
In Indiana, a primary battle
involving a woman first-term
member of Congress. Representa
tive Cecil Harden of Covington,
.is stealing the show in an other
wise dull election to pick nominees
for 11 House seats.
Mrs. Harden, a member of the
Republican National Committee
is being opposed by State Repre
sentative Russell I. Richardson.
Indiana picks its senatorial can
didates in June conventions, witl:
the Democratic race apparently
wide open for an opponent foi
Republican Senator Capehart.
r
Alfred Heitmuller, 101 Today,
Never Saw a Spring Like This
Alfred Heitmuller and David Lingbach—almost a century
apart. —Star Staff Photo.
Alfred Heitmuller, the oldest
member of the Association of Old
est Inhabitants, is 101 years old
today.
The last year has weakened him
a oit. On his 100th birthday he
hoed his garden for photographers.
"I'm all right physically,” he
said yesterday, “but my legs aren’t
what they were.”
He looked the Biblical patriarch,
with his face pink and his beard
and hair pure white, as he sat
with his great-grandson, 3-year
old David Lingbach, for a birthday
picture.
One thing he’s sure of: Since
his birth here in 1849 he has
never seen a spring in Washington
like this one.
Once he started talking the
reminiscences came pouring out
with an occasional pause. Some
Limes he said, “I don't remember,
but it will come back to me.”
They were reminiscences of
playing with slave children in
Washington in the 1850s, of his
trip to St. Louis before the Civil
War. where he thinks he saw both
Grant and Lincoln.
When he returned to Washing
ton he saw Lincoln occasionally
as he drove past the Heitmuller
farm on Fourteenth street near
Gambling
(Continued Prom First Page.)
Thomas F. Kelly, general mana
ger. and Joseph M. Lebit, chief ac
countant, started out to give the
names of the men who run the 24
outlets served by Continental
throughout the country.
As each name was mentioned,
subcommittee Chairman McFar
land asked about the clients’ repu
tation in their community. The
two witnesses took turn describing
their customers variously as a
“very high class fellow,” "a for
mer deacon,” and "a man of high
character.”
When they reached Pioneer
News Service of St. Louis on the
list, Mr. Lebit said the man he
did business with there was Wil
liam Molaskey, and Mr. Lebit
called Mr. Molaskey a man of
high character.
Senator Tobey then asked the
witness if he knew Molaskey had
spent a year and a day in jail on
a charge of defrauding the Gov
ernment of $77,000. Mr. Lebit
said he knew that.
Law Student Owns Service.
At that. Senator Tobey accused
Mr. Lebit of falsifying and telling
half-truths and asked him, “how
many more of these fellows have
served time?”
Both Mr. Kelly and Mr. Lebit
said they did not know of any
other customers with criminal
records.
In a prepared statement ear
lier, Mr. Lebit testified that Ed
ward J. McBride, a law student,
is sole owner of Continental Press
Service. Mr. Lebit reported that
the wire service grossed $2,366,
648.99 in 1949 and netted $692,
207.64 before taxes.
Balk at Revealing Income.
At first the witnesses and their
attorneys, Walter Gallagher and
William Dentsey, both of Wash
ington, balked at telling the sub
committee how much each sub
scriber pays for the service. Sen
ator McFarland told them that by
innuendo Continental has been
charged with running a crime
syndicate.
Senator McFarland said how
much the customers pays for the
wire service is important because
"it has been assumed they are
dividing gambling profits with
you."
The witnesses repeatedly denied
that and finally an agreement was
reached that the amount would be
given, but not tied to Individual
customers.
One Client Pays $6,000 Weekly.
Mr. Lebit said the most "sub
stantial customer” pays Conti
nental an average of $6,000 a
I week plus an 8 per cent wire
equipment tax. The rates, he ex
plained, are scaled down to a low
of $20 a week paid by the New
SYork Daily News. He said the
Associated Press pays $85 a week
for the service. United Press $60
a week and Transradio $50 a week.
Senator McFarland and Senator
Tobey took turns trying to per
suade the witnesses to admit they
know their service to some of their
24 clients ultimately gets to
bookies. At one point. Senator
McFarland told them, “if it wasn’t
for the bookies you wouldn’t make
that kind of money."
And Senator Tobey told them
,to drop their “injured innocence”
I air.
“You know-well this in
formation goes to bookies,” Sen
ator Tobey declared.
This is the subcommittee’s first
venture into the sending and re
ceiving end of the race wire serv
ice. It has heard earlier from law
enforcement officers, gamblers and
Vermont avenue. The President
would be on his way to or from
the Soldiers’ Home, the summer
White House then.
His life was despaired of when
he was 27, but then he gave up
taking medicine and gave up wor
rying.
“What’s to be is to be,” he said.
Out-of-door work and no worries
are his prescription for longevity.
He has been out only two or
three times this spring, because of
the weather. He still goes up and
downstairs alone—he won’t let any
one help him. The only change
in his way of getting around of
late is that he now uses a cane
in getting around upstairs.
On his 95th birthday, he felt a
little low and said there was noth
ing to live for, his eyesight was
failing and he felt shut in. But
every birthday since he has been
in cheerful spirits, taking pride
in his amazing age.
One thing he recalled yesterday
with relish was how the boys
fought in his day. He told of get
ting into a fight with boys his own
age and being knocked out for two
hours.
“What a black eye I had,” he
said. “But it didn’t stop me from
going back to school.”
Tobey Seeks Bookie
In Senate Building;
Wants Facts, Not Bet
Senator Tobey. Republican,
of New Hampshire wants to
talk to a bookie in the Senate
Office Building.
He's not interested in bet
ting himself, but he's looking
for information.
During yesterday's hearing
Senator Tobey said he had
been “credibly informed”
about the office building
booKie.
“Of course,” he added
hastily, “no Senator would
patronize a bookie.”
telephone and telegraph company
spokesmen.
Spokesmen for the communi
cations industry argued yester
day that the proposed bill would
force them to censor telephone
conversations and telegraph mes
sages. They insisted that police
work should be left to local law
enforcement officers.
Racing Leases Explained.
He said the man hours devoted
to racing leases, while sizable,
| were not enough to allow the re
assignment of employes to other
duties if racing leases were dis
continued. The circut facilities
used in racing leases, he added,
were not suitable for operation of
teleprinter equipment in war in
dustries.
He repeatedly told the commit
tee he had not the slightest idea
what the racing information is
used for. As for Continental
Press, he said, “As far as I know
Continental collects and dissemi
nates news for press and radio.”
Mr. Semingsen reported that
Western Union has 97 leases with
distributors and subdistributors of
racing news, using 29,296 miles
of wire. On these circuits, he
said, are 1,483 “drops” or dis
tribution points.
Kemsley Assails Rise
In Press Censorship
• y tht Aisociattd Pr»»»
LONDON, May 2. — Viscount
Kemsley, head of Kemsley news
! papers, Ltd., deplored today a “dis
| tressing development toward press
| censorship” in the world since the
| war.
In a report published in advance
of his publishing firm’s annual
meeting May 23, Lord Kemsley
said censorship was complete
throughout the totalitarian area
and severe in many other coun
tries.
“In countries which have
achieved a new status since the
war, such as Egypt and Israel," he
declared, “one of the first acts of
government has been to control
the press.
“Even within the British Com
monwealth itself and in areas
where we exercise control, such
as Cyprus and Eritrea, the press
is not entirely free. In this coun
try, too, politicians seem to dis
play a sensitiveness about the
press unknown for 100 years."
Lord Kemsley said his firm,
Britain’s biggest newspaper chain,
made more money off advertising
and circulation last year but the
gain was more than offset by a
bigger outlay for newsprint, wages
and sallies and general purposes.
Senate Leaders Fear
New Move to Trim
Aid Bill $250 Million
By J. A. O'Leary
Senate Democrats were confi
dent today they will prevent deep
cuts in the foreign economic aid
program for next year. But they
are not sure they can get the *3.3
billion measure through un-j
changed.
They are not worried about Re
publican amendments already
pending to. cut the *3.1 billion
ECA allotment by either *1 bil
lion or *600 million. Adminis
tration lieutenants have felt from
the start they have the votes to
beat the *1 billion amendment of
Senator Kem, Republican, of Mis
souri and the *0OO-million slash
proposed by Senator Hickenlooper. \
Republican, of Iowa.
A move developed yesterday,
however, to seek a *250 million
reduction if the larger figures fail,
and this is giving Democratic
leaders more concern. The House
already has approved such a cut
in ECA. and close observers be
lieve a similar motion in the Sen
ate would attract a combination of
economy and isolationist votes.
The Senate has agreed not to
do any voting until 1 p.m. Friday,
but it is doubtful that the inter
vening time will be devoted en
tirely to debate on the foreign aid
program.
A stiff battle also is in progress
over how far to go in authorizing
President Truman’s Point Four
program of technical assistance to
backward areas of the world. The
House reduced the first install
ment for this phase of the foreign
aid bill from *45 million to *25
million, and some Senators want
to set up a bi-partisan commission
to study the entire subject before
the United States embarks on a
comprehensive Point Four pro
gram. The proposed commission
would report to Congress within
60 days after the 1951 session
starts.
Three of the leading Republi
can opponents of the foreign aid
program took the floor yesterday
—Senators Kem, Jenner of Indi
ana and Malone of Nevada.
1
John H. Hicks, 88,
To Be Buried Today
Funeral services for John H.
Hicks, 88, retired assistant band
leader of the old Army Engineer
Band here were to be held at 1
p.m. today in Fort Myer Chapel.
Burial was to be in Arlington
Cemetery.
Mr. Hicks, a resident of this
area for nearly 50 years, died Fri
day in his home. 1904 North
Wayne street, Arlington, after an
illness of several months. He
observed his 88th birthday the
day before his death.
Born in Frankton, Ind., Mr.
Hicks joined the Army in 1881
in Indianapolis as a bugler. He
participated in some of the last
Indian skirmishes of the old West.
During his career he played in
the bands of the 17th, 18th and
20th Infantries, and the 4th and
6th Artilleries.
Mr. Hicks saw action in the
Spanish-American War. where he
contracted malaria. He joined
the 1st Army Engineer Band in
New York in 1899 and came here
with that organization in 1901
He played at many notable func
tions before he retired from the
Army in 1911. He was an accom
plished player of the violin, alto
horn and the cornet.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.
Lora May Hicks, whom he mar
ried August 31, 1891: a son, Her
bert Hicks, 1918 North Harvard
street, Arlington, and two broth
ers, Theodore S. Hicks, Columbus,
Ohio, and Harry Hicks, Hunting
ton, Ind.
Draft
(Continued From First Page.)
Johnson, Army Secretary Pace or
Gen. Bradley would be asked to
give the committee details.
Gen. Bradley told the committee
that “just as surely as we havje
felt the Soviet pressure and
watched the growing Communist
aggression we have acknowledged
the urgency of Increased prepar
edness.”
"There has been no lessening of
our need for an extension of the
Selective Service Act as an emer
gency standby measure and as a
preparedness measure,” the gen
eral said.
“When I appeared before your
committee in January we had
already learned of the atomic
explosion in the U. S. S. R„” he
added.
He reviewed the Communist
conquest of China, the situation
in Formosa and other internation
al developments and added that
the congressmen were just as
aware as the Joint Chiefs of the
happenings since the hearing in
January.
“Continued trouble in Indo
china and recently the fall of
Hainan, a break in diplomatic re
lations with Bulgaria and further
trouble in Hungary, the shooting
down of an American plane and
demands that the Western powers
withdraw from Trieste: The ques
tion in our minds is what does it
all add up to,” Gen. Bradley said.
“Frankly it gives us little cause
for comfort and little excuse for
delay.”
t
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