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Sir: . . . FBI Chief Hoover says, "This whole network has been under intensive investigation since November 1945 . . ." Thereafter in 1948 you state that the New York grand jury did not indict him, nor have they done anything to all his pals, still living and pursuing various vocations. I am astounded to think Mr. Hoover had White and his cohorts under surveillance for three years, believing them to be spies, and still could not get enough competent evidence on them to get a grand jury to say he or they were probably guilty. Mr. Jenner should certainly investigate Mr. Hoover . . . NAT ALLEN Ryegate, Mont.
Sir: ... If "nobody would accuse Truman of disloyalty," then just what did Brownell do besides shove his department's police arm, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, into outhouse politics? JAMES STREET Chapel Hill, N.C.
Sir: As the head of the U.S. Civil Service Commission during the Roosevelt Administration and most of the Truman Administration, I probably was in closer touch with the President in consideration of disloyalty within the Government service than any other person ... I am astounded that anyone would have the temerity to assert that President Truman was in the slightest degree sympathetic with Communism . . . . . . One must keep in mind that up to 1939 the Civil Service Commission could not even ask an applicant whether or not he was a Communist. In 1939, Congress removed that prohibition by an amendment to the Hatch Act, which provided that no person who favored the destruction of the U.S. Government by force could be employed in the Government. After the war closed, and there was a clearer understanding of the Russian policies by the American people, the danger of Communists in the Government service was more fully realized. Late in 1946 . . . President Truman set up a temporary commission to study the problem [and later] issued an executive order creating a Loyalty Review Board within the Civil Service Commission ... A majority of members were Republicans, and most of them were lawyers. . . . Every agency was required to submit the names of all employees ... to the commission . . . They were transmitted to the FBI . . . The employees so checked numbered 1,734,249. In addition to these employees, applicants for positions were checked to the number of about 1,500,000. The FBI found up to April 28, 1951, which was about the time I resigned . . . that 15,569 employees ought to be investigated for loyalty. Further FBI investigation cleared about 11,000 of these. Of the remainder, 1,744 left the Government service prior to or during investigation. Another 1,405 left the service following investigation but prior to adjudication of their cases ... To say that a man who ordered all this done has any sympathy with Communism is just too absurd and not worthy of consideration . . . HARRY B. MITCHELL Great Falls, Mont.
Sir: Congratulations for your excellent article . . . Attorney Brownell's brilliantly documented facts followed by FBI Hoover's blasting of the fantastic "decoy" story was most satisfying to lovers of truth everywhere. Your accompanying pictures were also most revealing. What will happen to Harry's "red herrings?" JESSIE KEMP HAWKINS Berkeley, Calif.