'Disloyalty List' Increases, Key West Citizen (Article, February 1954)
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'DISLOYALTY LIST' INCREASES
By WILLIAM F. ARBOGAST
WASHINGTON (AP)--The number of officially disclosed 1953 government firings for disloyalty reasons rose to 29 today as the administration took steps toward analyzing 2,200 "security risk" cases.
The figure of 29 covers only five big departments whose officials have been questioned about security operations by the House Appropriations Committee and whose testimony has been made public. The same departments reported 437 "security risks" had been dropped.
Most recent agency to report was the Commerce Department. In testimony made public today, Asst. Secretary James C. Worthy told the committee 132 security firings or forced resignations last year included 23 persons classified as "cases involving alleged subversion or disloyalty."
Previously, the Justice Department had reported 1 former Communist among its 8 security firings the Treasury Department had listed 4 disloyalty cases among 130 dismissals; the Agriculture Department had told of 1 disloyalty case in an undisclosed number of security ousters, and the Post Office Department had reported 166 security releases with no disclosure of how many, if any, were disloyal.
The State Department already has given its figures but the committee has not released them. Reportedly, there have been 534 security firings in the State Department figures unofficial, the committee has received reports showing that out of 971 security cases in six departments, 40 or 41 have involved persons found or suspected to be disloyal.
Sen. Olin D. Johnston (D-SC) said, meanwhile, the administration's promise of a limited analysis of the security risks will not stop his demands for a Senate investigation of the whole issue.
Johnston told reporters the promised analysis "could mean anything--it only confuses the confusion." He said that as he understands the plan the analysis will leave many questions unanswered and there is no assurance the administration will make it public.
Announcement that the Civil Service Commission had ordered an analysis of the 2,200 cases was made late yesterday by Chairman Philip Young.
Young said it would be "futile and meaningless" to attempt an analysis assigning a specific reason for separation in each case. He said it would be the rare case in which only one reason was involved.
He said he had requested from employing agencies the number separated whose personnel files contained information indicating (1) subversive activities or associations; (2) sex perversion; (3) conviction on felony or misdemeanor charges; and (4) any other type of information falling within the government security regulations.
Youn said some of the separations were by dismissal, some by resignation, and that not all who quit were aware their files contained derogatory material. Young's statement did not say whether the report would be made public.
President Eisenhower has said he was looking into the feasibility of making public a breakdown to indicate how many cases of disloyalty were found.
Many Democrats have complained the public has been misled by statements of some leading Republicans that most of the announced 2,200 "security firings" involved disloyal or subversive [employees]. Actually, they say, most of the 2,200 were homosexuals, drunkards, incompetents, or persons who talked too much.
