◆ SpookStack

ome ee Te a dele ne lS = ee et Skt i ek De rs whee aes. vy .t H a? te. Of all offices and agencies of the government what one has a hichcr rating in public confidence and respect than does ‘he office and organization of J. Edgar loover, FBI chiet’ The simple answer is none, The reasons are well known. ‘ £° The FMI stands high because it has done its job wells, ' it has preduced results, still is producing them. For the, regults ac. mplished the east is by no means excessive. ~ If it were possible to take a vote all over the country on the question as to what government agency would be: most likels ic do, thoroughly, speedily, fairly and rel- atively cheeply, the job which Senator McCarthy has taken it vppon himself to do, we are certain that the FBI would be nominated by an overwhelming majority. - So far we have refrained from bringing up the ques- tion whether ct not the task could be assigned to the VBI, Attempts to answer that question would run na- turally ints the matter of the attitude of Congress, and Senator McCarthy in particular. We doubt if congres- sional ser:!imrut would be favorable, and we are almost certain that the sensationally-inclined young Senator would werome the loss of his limelight role. But it must be said—and, without any, intention whatsoever to demote Congress in the public eye, it is said—that Congress and its individual committees and ‘nembers will gnin in pubsic esteem by showing a disposi- tion to work with other government branches, agencies and entities to the fullest extent consistent with best interest of the people and publie service, Tt is possille that in this specific ease the creation ATR special court of inquiry, to be established ang Opet- VaLLEY TUS North Hollywood 3~30-50 ae 2 et G me ae fe oe Beene. ee the, z cc ae TTT eee ee ne AU at AT ee ce ated on an independent basis, might have certain ad- vantares, But there are advantages on the nthor aida ton, Varuages. aul oltre are aval ges Ol it Vuri oil ott One of them is progress toward a more permanent solu. tion of the investigation problem. Congressional committees and members are being diverted further and further from their real job, the business of making laws. It was never intended that the legislative arm of the government should be a permanent court of inquiry, trying anybody and everybody before the court of public opinion. ~ ‘There is no objection te an arrangement for closer co-operation between FBI investigators and congression- al committees. In fact that is highly desirable. It would offer full opportunity for bringing out facts as te any wrongdoing in office, but accomplishing this without sensational broadcasting suspicion, It also would aut-- matically make available the accumulated files related to previous investigations of those now under suspicion or likely to be made so. It would automatically accomp- lish one point about which Senator McCarthy has eom- plained, that relating ta making state department pt:- sonnel records available. As the congressional investigation practice has grown up, as the habit has developed, the procedure is not entirely without point or merit. Neither is it free of abuses; it represents a terrifically high degree of lost motion and high cost. In the present instance, it represents a play into the hands of our Communist foes in that it discredits ‘the democratic system and the American government per sonnel — ; nein: