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SALT LAKE TELEGRAM SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH FEBRUARY 14, 1950 EDITORIAL By: H. F. KRETCHAN, Editor J.F. FITZPATRICK, Publisher Irresponsible Gossip Or Derelict Officials Senator Joseph R. McCarthy of Wis consin dropped a bombshell when he stopped in Salt Lake City the other day: on his way to attend a Republican rally in Reno, Nevada. He said there were. 57 card-carrying Communists in the state department, and that he could give Sec- retary of State Acheson their names. Many of the 57, the senator said, are in the higher salary brackets and hold in- fluential positions. He charged that one man, John Service, "was picked up by the FBI for turning over state department secrets to Communists"' but was strange- ly not prosecuted. Joseph Grew, who in- sisted on prosecution, was forced to re- sign. Service was reinstated and promot- ed, and is now en route to India to repre- sent the state department there. think," said Senator McCarthy, Should be recalled before we establish th? same kind of policy there that we had i. China.d This accusation is simply staggering. If it is true, it establishes a degree of : vicious Iaxity in the administration's ef- fort to eliminate disloyal officials that: amounts to a betrayal of trust. Frankly, it is difficult to believe any Ioyal, responsible American officials could be so faithless. But the charge has been made by a United States senator. It cannot be shrugged off. Either Senator McCarthy is an irresponsible purveyer of unsubstantiated gossip and rumor, or trusted American officials, from the president on down through the ranks of Btate department heads, have been in. famously derelict in their duty. We ought to know which is correct. It. Jis dangerous to permit the poison of su. picion and doubt to eat away the conf. Jence Americans have in the integrit. of their government and its ability to guarantee national security. t ?34 749- ENCLOSURE 1Q1-23278-8