531 'Risks' Ousted by State Department, Evening Star (Article, July 1953)
Full Text
531 'Risks' Ousted By State Department In Last 3 Years
The State Department has fired or accepted the resignation of 381 [employees] during the last three and a half years as a result of investigations of homosexuality, a House committee disclosed today. Employment of 74 of them was ended since January 1 this year.
Chairman Brownson of the House Committee on Government Operations revealed this in a report from R.W. Scott McLeod, State Department security administrator. It showed that another 150 quit or were ousted during the January, 1950, to July, 1953, period because of "some security question."
Mr. McLeod provided the material in response to committee questions at a June 23 hearing on President Eisenhower's proposed reorganization plans for the department's information program and foreign aid operations.
No Known Reds on Rolls.
Besides a question about the "number of Communists, perverts or other controversial people," whose employment was terminated, there were queries about the number of Communists in the department now, and whether any of the 57 persons referred to in a February, 1950, speech by Senator McCarthy, Republican, of Wisconsin, are still on the payroll.
Mr. McLeod replied that "no Communists, known to the Security Office as such, are on the rolls of the department at this time." He added, however, that "I must always presume that the Soviets are attempting to penetrate an agency as sensitive as the State Department, and I may never conclude that their efforts have been unsuccessful."
As for Senator McCarthy's charges that 57 Communists were active and influential in the State Department, Mr. McLeod stated:
"Although I realize that this answer is not completely responsive, I must advise the committee that department records do not reflect a list which identifies the 57 persons referred to by Senator McCarthy in his speech on the floor of the Senate on February 20, 1950.
Not Named in Speech.
"A search of the department's central files, the files maintained in the administrative division, the files maintained in the Security Office, and the files maintained in the legal area as well as files previously maintained in the consular area, have failed to disclose such a list. I might point out that Senator McCarthy did not identify the individuals except by number in his speech."
Responding to the committee's request for a yearly breakdown on the number of persons discharged, allowed to resign or otherwise terminated from the start of 1950 to the present time, Mr. McLeod provided this statement concerning "persons separated as a result of investigations relative to homosexuality: 1950-54, 1951-119, 1952-134, 1953-75. Total-381.
The number of persons terminated on whom some security question existed were: 1950-12, 1951-35, 1952-70, 1953-33. Total-150.
