THE STATE DEPARTMENT COVER-UP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040126-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 126
• Content Type: NSPR

ppi ved FOr Release : CIA-R
THE NEWSPAPER is an institution
developed by modern civilization
,.to present the news of the day,
to foster commerce and industry,
to inform and lead public opinion,
CPYRGHT and to furnish that check upon
government which no constitution
has ever been able to provide.
-THE TRIBUNE CREDO
THE STATE DEPAR'; MENT
COVER-UP
CPYRGHT
Jr its letter to the secretary, the com-
ittee has charged that a high official of
The Senate judiciary committee has e department gave false testimony to
taken the unprecedented action of dis- e subcommittee under oath. The whole
patching a United States senator to deliver attern of interference with the subcom-
by hand to Secretary of State Rusk a ittee's inquiry suggests that the state
letter from the full committee. The letter apartment knows that it Is culpable and
is described as commanding the secretary trying to suppress a scandal which could
to cease obstructing an investigation of ock the administration. ,
frightening breaches of security within the This is not the first time that an attempt
department or accept the consequences of Ias been made to push Otepka out of the
yublic exposure. cpartment. Two years ago the adminis-
The letter was carried to New York City, atioa announced that 25 trained security
where Rusk is conferring with the soviet i cents were to be hacked out of the depart-
and British foreign ministers, by Sen. ent's bureau of security and consular
Thomas J. Dodd, vice chairman of the (fairs for rea sons of "economy." Their
Senate internal security subcommittee. Mr. wo chiefs, Otepk?i and r'Imer Hipsley,
Todd was accompanied by the subcom- c,-e to be ditched with them. Because of
mittee counsel. The senator also delivered in uproar in Congress, Otepka was per-
a covering letter from Sen. James 0. East- pitted to keep his title, :out his duties were
land, chairman of the judiciary committee, invited.
Informing Secretary Rusk that the commit It might he thought that the administra-
4ee intended to meet the. challenge posed tion would be eager to expose security
try a state department order forbidding risks, to get rid of them, and perhaps to
employes to testify. prosecute them. But it is not. The reason
The department has brought charges for this strange attitude Is that President
igalnst one officer who did testify before Kennedy, Atty. Gen. Kennedy, and ether
Die subcommitte. The witness, Otto F. leaders of the New Frontier are on record
C tapka. chief of the division of evaluations as having said that there was little or no
1~ the department's office of sec>rity, is danger of internal subversion. In their
a,. used of disclosing to the subcommittee view, communism was strictly a menace
department reports which were classified from out: ide, aliho these days they are not
d th t he cn actin-f as if they believed that.
u
as "confidential. IL is unde.sto o et r
detailed evidence of suspected disloyalty So it is embarrassing to Gave public
which appalled senators servants challenging the official thesis by
The judiciary committee ha:: notilied'turning i:p instances of disloyalty within
Secretary Rusk that it will defend Otepka's !tile aclir,inistration and imparting the in-~
fc,rm,'in t?> a Senate body which has been
right to testify under provisi%rs of the
United States .'xlr and it cnnfr,mity with atalous in exposing subversi'?r infiltration
conciu?rent re a-l,,tioi,s of J Ilcu e :!n c i the n yn~ernrnent What wo,I1d become of
Senate ad;tl,:ed in 1?5',. Llr Rusk Iia tl:i' ai itsent that t'nere is nothing to
respondeA th^t lie Wi:i ai i~ cf'?re ,;; rs it.ilc if another Alger Iliss scandal
committee and present s dep?r?,rneni: :Ir;C l?rudgb to light?
view.
Sanitized - Approved For R .060.0040126 6