Welch Assails M'Carthy's 'Cruelty' And 'Recklessness' In Attack On Aide; Senator, On Stand, Tells Of Red Hunt
Welch Assails M'Carthy's 'Cruelty' And 'Recklessness' In Attack On Aide; Senator, On Stand, Tells Of Red Hunt
Welch Assails M'Carthy's 'Cruelty' And 'Recklessness' In Attack On Aide; Senator, On Stand, Tells Of Red Hunt
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(Special to Nasty Letters To Crooked Politicians)
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Exchange Bitter
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Counsel Is Near Tears as Crowd Applauds Him at Finish
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By W.H. LAWRENCE
Special to The New York Times
(W)ashington, June 9, 1954--The Army-McCarthy hearings reached a dramatic high point today in an angry, emotion-packed exchange between Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and Joseph N. Welch, special counsel for the Army.
Irritated by Mr. Welch's persistent cross-examination of Roy M. Cohn, Senator McCarthy suddenly injected into the hearings a charge that one of Mr. Welch's Boston law firm associates, Frederick G. Fisher Jr., had been a member of the National Lawyers Guild "long after it had been exposed as the legal arm of the Communist party."
Mr. Welch, almost in tears from this unexpected attack, told the Wisconsin Republican that "until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness." He asked Senator McCarthy if any "sense of decency" remained in him.
"If there is a God in heaven, it [the attack on Mr. Fisher] will do neither you nor your cause any good," Mr. Welch declared.
Spectators Break into Applause
The crowded hearing room burst into applause for Mr. Welch as he abruptly broke off his conversation with Senator McCarthy. Mr. Welch refused to address any more questions to Mr. Cohn, counsel to the McCarthy subcommittee, and suggested to Senator Karl E. Mundt, South Dakota Republican who is acting committee chairman, that he call another witness.
Senator McCarthy thereupon was called and took the stand on the thirtieth day of the hearing.
Senator McCarthy had interrupted Mr. Welch's cross-examination of Mr. Cohn to denounce Mr. Fisher. He asserted, despite contradictions by Senator Mundt, that Mr. Welch had tried to get Mr. Fisher employed as "the assistant counsel for this committee" so he could be in Washington "looking over the secret and classified material."
Senator Mundt said Mr. Welch never had recommended Mr. Fisher or anyone else for a subcommittee job. Mr. Welch explained that he had planned to have Mr. Fisher, a leader in the Young Republican League of Newton, Mass., as one of his own assistants in this case until Mr. Fisher told him that he had belonged to the National Lawyers Guild while at Harvard Law School "and for a period of months after."
The violent, unforseen character of Senator McCarthy's attack seemed to upset Mr. Cohn, himself, whose facial expressions and grimaces caused Senator McCarthy to comment: "I know Mr. Cohn would rather not have me go into this."
Senator Mundt has daily cautioned the audience to refrain from "audible expressions of approval or disapproval" of the proceedings on pain of being expelled from the hearing room. But he made no effort to control or admonish the crowd that applauded Mr. Welch's retort to Senator McCarthy.
Disputes Obscure the Issues
The McCarthy-Welch exchange, and another hot battle between Senators McCarthy and Stuart Symington, Missouri Democrat, served to divert attention from the basic issues in this controversy.
The Army initially charged that Senator McCarthy and Mr. Cohn had sought by improper means to obtain preferential treatment for Pvt. G. David Schine, who until he was drafted, was an unpaid committee consultant.
Senator McCarthy and Mr. Cohn, in turn, have charged that the Army held Private Schine as a "hostage" and tried to "blackmail" the committee out of investigating the Army.
Other highlights of the day were:
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, hearing the dispute, formally requested the Adjutant General of New York to authorize a delay in the military training of Mr. Cohn, who has been ordered to report to Camp Kilmer, N.J., this week-end for a two-week duty with the National Guard. Senator McCarthy had said a recess would be necessary during Mr. Cohn's training because it would be unfair to continue in his absence. Acting for the Army, Mr. Welch suggested that a delay be requested, and the subcommittee approved his proposal.
Mr. Welch's cross-examination of Mr. Cohn cast doubt on how much work Private Schine did for the McCarthy subcommittee during periods he was on authorized leave from Fort Dix, N.J., to work on committee business.
Mr. Welch chided Mr. Cohn and, inferentially, Senator McCarthy because they had not immediately notified Robert T. Stevens, Secretary of the Army, early in his tenure in office that they had received a Federal Bureau of Investigation report about alleged Communists at Fort Monmouth, N.J. He brought out that while Senator McCarthy received the report last spring, it was not brought to Secretary Stevens' attention for several months. Mr. Cohn had testified "time was of the essence" in eliminating security risks.
Senator Symington offered to testify before the subcommittee, as demanded by Senator McCarthy, if the latter would agree in writing to testify under oath before a special Senate committee to be named by Vice President Richard M. Nixon on recommendation of Republican and Democratic leaders.
Senator Symington specified that Senator McCarthy agree to explain whether, among other things, it had been proper for him to accept $10,000 from the Lustron Corporation for a pamphlet on housing, whether funds supplied to fight communism were diverted to Senator McCarthy's own use and whether he had violated state and Federal tax laws and banking laws over a period of years.
Charging that Senator Symington's offer demonstrated "how low an alleged man can sink," Senator McCarthy said he would give a firm commitment, but sign no letter, agreeing to testify before such a committee "if the Vice President or the Senate wants to appoint a committee to investigate these smears."
Calling the exchange's diversionary and "mid-morning madness," Senator Mundt tried to halt the personal feud between the two Senators, but not until Senator McCarthy had charged, and Senator Symington had denied, that Senator Symington, while in private industry, had dealt with a Communist, one William Sentner, and paid him money to settle a strike.
When the hearings recessed today, Senator Mundt served notice that the Republicans would attempt at a closed-door session late tomorrow to fix a final time limit for the investigation to conclude.
The Army and McCarthy sides are willing to end the hearings after Senator McCarthy and his subcommittee staff director, Francis P. Carr, have testified fully and been cross- examined.
The Republican members and Senator McCarthy are seeking a specific date as a time limit, but Mr. Welch has thus far resisted that proposal. He has said he is willing instead to accept a stated number of turns in ten-minute cross-examination periods.
The Democrats, on the other hand, have been fighting against an arbitrary time limit, and have insisted that other witnesses whose testimony may be material to the controversy not be refused the right to appear.
Mr. Welch mixed humor with persistency in his cross-examination of Mr. Cohn early in the day. He made Senator McCarthy angry when he chided "these Communist hunters" for "sitting on a document for month after month" while they waited for committee hearings instead of telling Secretary Stevens about alleged Reds at Fort Monmouth.
He brought out that the altered F.B.I. report "purloined" from the Army's files had been given to Senator McCarthy last spring, but that not during March, April, May, June or July did Mr. Cohn or Senator McCarthy convey the information in it to Mr. Stevens.
The crowd in the room roared with laughter as Mr. Welch added:
"I think it is really dramatic to see how these Communist hunters will sit on this document when they could have brought it to the attention of Bob Stevens in twenty minutes, and they let month after month go by without going to the head and saying, 'Sic 'em, Stevens.'"
Angrily Senator McCarthy said Mr. Welch was being unfair.
"That may sound funny as all get-out here," Senator McCarthy said. "It may get a laugh. He knows it is ridiculous. He is wasting time doing it. He is trying to create a false impression.
"I would like to suggest that after this long series of ridiculous questions, talking about why he wouldn't go over to the Pentagon and yell out 'Sic 'em, Stevens,' that Mr. Cohn should be able to tell what happened after the document was received. That is the only fair thing, Mr. Chairman."
The Symington-McCarthy exchanges, which have been increasing in bitterness in recent days, were indecisive again today, but Senator Symington demanded that the committee call James B. Carey, secretary of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, to tell it about the alleged labor negotiations between Senator Symington and Mr. Sentner. Senator [MISSING COPY] committee room by disclosing he had obtained hotel and night club records indicating Mr. Cohn's expenditures for dinners and parties in New York and Trenton at times when Private Schine was on leave from Fort Dix.
Some of them concerned the Stork Club, but Mr. Cohn swore that Private Schine had not been there during the time he was assigned to Fort Dix. Some of the other expenditures, he said, represented occasions when he had dined with Private Schine, and, on one occasion, when they had been accompanied by girls.
Calls Fisher a 'Fine Kid'
Washington, June 9 (UP)--After his denunciation of Senator McCarthy, Mr. Welch retired briefly to a near-by rest room during a recess. He appeared to be wiping his face.
"I'm close to tears," he told reporters.
"Here's a young kid with one mistake--just one mistake--and he tries to crucify him," Mr. Welch said, "I don't see how in the name of God you can fight anybody like that. I never saw such cruelty * * * such arrogance."
Mr. Welch said Mr. Fisher was "just a young kid starting out * * * a fine kid * * * I like him."
The Army lawyer strolled down a long corridor and back before returning to the hearing room.
During the recess, Senator McCarthy told reporters that "too many people can dish it out but can't take it."
Welch Assails M'Carthy's 'Cruelty' And 'Recklessness' In Attack On Aide; Senator, On Stand, Tells Of Red Hunt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Special to Nasty Letters To Crooked Politicians)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exchange Bitter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Counsel Is Near Tears as Crowd Applauds Him at Finish
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By W.H. LAWRENCE
Special to The New York Times
(W)ashington, June 9, 1954--The Army-McCarthy hearings reached a dramatic high point today in an angry, emotion-packed exchange between Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and Joseph N. Welch, special counsel for the Army.
Irritated by Mr. Welch's persistent cross-examination of Roy M. Cohn, Senator McCarthy suddenly injected into the hearings a charge that one of Mr. Welch's Boston law firm associates, Frederick G. Fisher Jr., had been a member of the National Lawyers Guild "long after it had been exposed as the legal arm of the Communist party."
Mr. Welch, almost in tears from this unexpected attack, told the Wisconsin Republican that "until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness." He asked Senator McCarthy if any "sense of decency" remained in him.
"If there is a God in heaven, it [the attack on Mr. Fisher] will do neither you nor your cause any good," Mr. Welch declared.
Spectators Break into Applause
The crowded hearing room burst into applause for Mr. Welch as he abruptly broke off his conversation with Senator McCarthy. Mr. Welch refused to address any more questions to Mr. Cohn, counsel to the McCarthy subcommittee, and suggested to Senator Karl E. Mundt, South Dakota Republican who is acting committee chairman, that he call another witness.
Senator McCarthy thereupon was called and took the stand on the thirtieth day of the hearing.
Senator McCarthy had interrupted Mr. Welch's cross-examination of Mr. Cohn to denounce Mr. Fisher. He asserted, despite contradictions by Senator Mundt, that Mr. Welch had tried to get Mr. Fisher employed as "the assistant counsel for this committee" so he could be in Washington "looking over the secret and classified material."
Senator Mundt said Mr. Welch never had recommended Mr. Fisher or anyone else for a subcommittee job. Mr. Welch explained that he had planned to have Mr. Fisher, a leader in the Young Republican League of Newton, Mass., as one of his own assistants in this case until Mr. Fisher told him that he had belonged to the National Lawyers Guild while at Harvard Law School "and for a period of months after."
The violent, unforseen character of Senator McCarthy's attack seemed to upset Mr. Cohn, himself, whose facial expressions and grimaces caused Senator McCarthy to comment: "I know Mr. Cohn would rather not have me go into this."
Senator Mundt has daily cautioned the audience to refrain from "audible expressions of approval or disapproval" of the proceedings on pain of being expelled from the hearing room. But he made no effort to control or admonish the crowd that applauded Mr. Welch's retort to Senator McCarthy.
Disputes Obscure the Issues
The McCarthy-Welch exchange, and another hot battle between Senators McCarthy and Stuart Symington, Missouri Democrat, served to divert attention from the basic issues in this controversy.
The Army initially charged that Senator McCarthy and Mr. Cohn had sought by improper means to obtain preferential treatment for Pvt. G. David Schine, who until he was drafted, was an unpaid committee consultant.
Senator McCarthy and Mr. Cohn, in turn, have charged that the Army held Private Schine as a "hostage" and tried to "blackmail" the committee out of investigating the Army.
Other highlights of the day were:
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, hearing the dispute, formally requested the Adjutant General of New York to authorize a delay in the military training of Mr. Cohn, who has been ordered to report to Camp Kilmer, N.J., this week-end for a two-week duty with the National Guard. Senator McCarthy had said a recess would be necessary during Mr. Cohn's training because it would be unfair to continue in his absence. Acting for the Army, Mr. Welch suggested that a delay be requested, and the subcommittee approved his proposal.
Mr. Welch's cross-examination of Mr. Cohn cast doubt on how much work Private Schine did for the McCarthy subcommittee during periods he was on authorized leave from Fort Dix, N.J., to work on committee business.
Mr. Welch chided Mr. Cohn and, inferentially, Senator McCarthy because they had not immediately notified Robert T. Stevens, Secretary of the Army, early in his tenure in office that they had received a Federal Bureau of Investigation report about alleged Communists at Fort Monmouth, N.J. He brought out that while Senator McCarthy received the report last spring, it was not brought to Secretary Stevens' attention for several months. Mr. Cohn had testified "time was of the essence" in eliminating security risks.
Senator Symington offered to testify before the subcommittee, as demanded by Senator McCarthy, if the latter would agree in writing to testify under oath before a special Senate committee to be named by Vice President Richard M. Nixon on recommendation of Republican and Democratic leaders.
Senator Symington specified that Senator McCarthy agree to explain whether, among other things, it had been proper for him to accept $10,000 from the Lustron Corporation for a pamphlet on housing, whether funds supplied to fight communism were diverted to Senator McCarthy's own use and whether he had violated state and Federal tax laws and banking laws over a period of years.
Charging that Senator Symington's offer demonstrated "how low an alleged man can sink," Senator McCarthy said he would give a firm commitment, but sign no letter, agreeing to testify before such a committee "if the Vice President or the Senate wants to appoint a committee to investigate these smears."
Calling the exchange's diversionary and "mid-morning madness," Senator Mundt tried to halt the personal feud between the two Senators, but not until Senator McCarthy had charged, and Senator Symington had denied, that Senator Symington, while in private industry, had dealt with a Communist, one William Sentner, and paid him money to settle a strike.
When the hearings recessed today, Senator Mundt served notice that the Republicans would attempt at a closed-door session late tomorrow to fix a final time limit for the investigation to conclude.
The Army and McCarthy sides are willing to end the hearings after Senator McCarthy and his subcommittee staff director, Francis P. Carr, have testified fully and been cross- examined.
The Republican members and Senator McCarthy are seeking a specific date as a time limit, but Mr. Welch has thus far resisted that proposal. He has said he is willing instead to accept a stated number of turns in ten-minute cross-examination periods.
The Democrats, on the other hand, have been fighting against an arbitrary time limit, and have insisted that other witnesses whose testimony may be material to the controversy not be refused the right to appear.
Mr. Welch mixed humor with persistency in his cross-examination of Mr. Cohn early in the day. He made Senator McCarthy angry when he chided "these Communist hunters" for "sitting on a document for month after month" while they waited for committee hearings instead of telling Secretary Stevens about alleged Reds at Fort Monmouth.
He brought out that the altered F.B.I. report "purloined" from the Army's files had been given to Senator McCarthy last spring, but that not during March, April, May, June or July did Mr. Cohn or Senator McCarthy convey the information in it to Mr. Stevens.
The crowd in the room roared with laughter as Mr. Welch added:
"I think it is really dramatic to see how these Communist hunters will sit on this document when they could have brought it to the attention of Bob Stevens in twenty minutes, and they let month after month go by without going to the head and saying, 'Sic 'em, Stevens.'"
Angrily Senator McCarthy said Mr. Welch was being unfair.
"That may sound funny as all get-out here," Senator McCarthy said. "It may get a laugh. He knows it is ridiculous. He is wasting time doing it. He is trying to create a false impression.
"I would like to suggest that after this long series of ridiculous questions, talking about why he wouldn't go over to the Pentagon and yell out 'Sic 'em, Stevens,' that Mr. Cohn should be able to tell what happened after the document was received. That is the only fair thing, Mr. Chairman."
The Symington-McCarthy exchanges, which have been increasing in bitterness in recent days, were indecisive again today, but Senator Symington demanded that the committee call James B. Carey, secretary of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, to tell it about the alleged labor negotiations between Senator Symington and Mr. Sentner. Senator [MISSING COPY] committee room by disclosing he had obtained hotel and night club records indicating Mr. Cohn's expenditures for dinners and parties in New York and Trenton at times when Private Schine was on leave from Fort Dix.
Some of them concerned the Stork Club, but Mr. Cohn swore that Private Schine had not been there during the time he was assigned to Fort Dix. Some of the other expenditures, he said, represented occasions when he had dined with Private Schine, and, on one occasion, when they had been accompanied by girls.
Calls Fisher a 'Fine Kid'
Washington, June 9 (UP)--After his denunciation of Senator McCarthy, Mr. Welch retired briefly to a near-by rest room during a recess. He appeared to be wiping his face.
"I'm close to tears," he told reporters.
"Here's a young kid with one mistake--just one mistake--and he tries to crucify him," Mr. Welch said, "I don't see how in the name of God you can fight anybody like that. I never saw such cruelty * * * such arrogance."
Mr. Welch said Mr. Fisher was "just a young kid starting out * * * a fine kid * * * I like him."
The Army lawyer strolled down a long corridor and back before returning to the hearing room.
During the recess, Senator McCarthy told reporters that "too many people can dish it out but can't take it."
posted by A. J. Franklin @ 09:34
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