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al eer EP ef . capers cere FL GN _ eke tp AREER OTE eT MS a7 om A oo Agar &: ccess To Files enator Tydings says that his committe} hés obtained free and unlimited acccss the Toyalty Ales in the State Department co cerning ithe 41 cases, now grown to over a own to Over a hundred, that Senator McCarthy is itching to expose. The announcement was made as if it were the merest routine. But every- body wi nfidential papers rsonnel knows otherwise. It is a de- cision of great consequence. “Let us skip this time over the irretrievable damage to innocent reputations arising from the parad- ing, of hearsay by overt or covert publicity, Think of the precedent that revelation would setiin furnishing a handle to other Senators wht might see in this type of politiking a reddy access to the headlines at election time. i the FBI. FBI is not only afraid of th danger to its information syst n upon exposure, it Is worried over the con- stant pressure that it should evaluate all the tidbits ang idi in thai under its system go into loyalty records. So there should be second thoughts, in our opinion, on this question of opening the Televant files, A dilemma, to be sure, is in- valved. The State Department has offered free and unreserved cooperation ta the com- mittee, Senator Tydinga insisty on a fair penne. and there is the challenge to be et from Senator McCarthy. Surely a com- romise could be found that would satisfy j parties this side of dishonorable conduct and dangerous procedure, We suggest there is such a compromise. All parties in the: present instance seem to have justified cgn- fidence in the chairman of the over-all L ye alty Review Board, Mr. Seth W. Richardsdn, who made a national reputation as counde] to the Senate's Pearl Harbor inguiry. He is a distinguished lawyer, an upright citizen— and he happens ta be a Republican. We should imagine that he is just as much averse to opening files as any other public. spirited person. Why not let him take time | out to study the hundred or so files affected by the McCarthy charges in a kind of special post-audit, submit a report to both the Presi- dent and Senator Tydings, and then stand Prepared to answer questions on his findings efore the Tylings Committee? Surely, is were done, the Tydings Committe ould be in a» position to evaluate the M arthy charges, and eo discharge its obliga: tions under the Senate resolution. Taison, Clege Glavin_ Nicholé Kv Rosen__ Tracy Harbe_ Belmont Mohr A Teje- FP wT =. Mv ad VK 4 NOL RECOR BED 75 APR 21 1950 Times-Herald Wash. Post Wash. News Wash, Star eS a al ‘ \ Fa;