Ed Murrow has a distinguished career as a journalist, but the Episode of "See It Now" on CBS in 1954 exposing witch-hunter Joe McCarthy was one of his finest hours -- and a warning to all Americans in all eras, including our own, that government witch hunts can happen here, and that it is an ever-present danger to individual liberty and free expression. Henry_Allen
Edward R. Murrow
See it Now (CBS-TV, March 9, 1954)
"A Report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy"
Murrow: Good evening. Tonight See it Now devotes its entire half hour to a
report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy told mainly in his own words and pictures.
But first, ALCOA would like you to meet a man who has been with them for fifty
years. (Commercial break.)
Murrow: Because a report on Senator McCarthy is by definition controversial we
want to say exactly what we mean to say and I request your permission to read
from the script whatever remarks Murrow and Friendly may make. If the Senator
believes we have done violence to his words or pictures and desires to speak, to
answer himself, an opportunity will be afforded him on this program. Our working
thesis tonight is this question:
If this fight against Communism is made a fight against America's two great
political parties, the American people know that one of those parties will be
destroyed and the Republic cannot endure very long as a one party system.
We applaud that statement and we think Senator McCarthy ought to. He said it,
seventeen months ago in Milwaukee.
McCarthy: The American people realize this cannot be made a fight between
America's two great political parties. If this fight against Communism is made a
fight between America's two great political parties the American people know
that one of those parties will be destroyed and the Republic cannot endure very
long as a one party system.
Murrow: Thus on February 4th, 1954, Senator McCarthy spoke of one party's
treason. This was at Charleston, West Virginia where there were no cameras
running. It was recorded on tape.
McCarthy: The issue between the Republicans and Democrats is clearly drawn. It
has been deliberately drawn by those who have been in charge of twenty years of
treason. The hard fact is -- the hard fact is that those who wear the label,
those who wear the label Democrat wear it with the stain of a historic betrayal.
Murrow: Seventeen months ago Candidate Eisenhower met Senator McCarthy in Green
Bay, Wisconsin and he laid down the ground rules on how he would meet Communism
if elected.
Eisenhower: This is a pledge I make. If I am charged by you people to be the
responsible head of the Executive Department it will be my initial
responsibility to see that subversion, disloyalty, is kept out of the Executive
Department. We will always appreciate and welcome Congressional investigation
but the responsibility will rest squarely on the shoulders of the Executive and
I hold that there are ample powers in the government to get rid of these people
if the Executive Department is really concerned in doing it. We can do it with
absolute assurance. (Applause.)
This is America's principle: Trial by jury, of the innocent until proved guilty,
and I expect to stand to do it.
Murrow: That same night in Milwaukee, Senator McCarthy stated what he would do
if the General was elected.
McCarthy: I spent about a half hour with the General last night. While I can't
-- while I can't report that we agreed entirely on everything -- I can report
that when I left that meeting with the General, I had the same feeling as when I
went in, and that is that he is a great American, and will make a great
President, an outstanding President. But I want to tell you tonight, tell the
American people as long as I represent you and the rest of the American people
in the Senate, I shall continue to call them as I see them regardless of who
happens to be President.
Murrow: November 24th, 1953.
McCarthy: A few days ago I read that President Eisenhower expressed the hope
that by election time in 1954 the subject of Communism would be a dead and
forgotten issue. The raw, harsh unpleasant fact is that Communism is an issue
and will be an issue in 1954.
Murrow: On one thing the Senator has been consistent... Often operating as a
one-man committee, he has traveled far, interviewed many, terrorized some,
accused civilian and military leaders of the past administration of a great
conspiracy to turn the country over to Communism, investigated and substantially
demoralized the present State Department, made varying charges of espionage at
Fort Manmouth. (The Army says it has been unable to find anything relating to
espionage there.) He has interrogated a varied assortment of what he calls
"Fifth Amendment Communists." Republican Senator Flanders of Vermont said of
McCarthy today:
He dons war paint; he goes into his war dance; he emits his war whoops; he goes
forth to battle and proudly returns with the scalp of a pink Army dentist.
Other critics have accused the Senator of using the bull whip and smear. There
was a time two years ago when the Senator and his friends said he had been
smeared and bull whipped.
Mr. Keefe: You would sometimes think to hear the quartet that call themselves
"Operation Truth" damning Joe McCarthy and resorting to the vilest smears I have
ever heard. Well, this is the answer, and if I could express it in what is in my
heart right now, I would do it in terms of the poet who once said:
Ah 'tis but a dainty flower I bring you,
Yes, 'tis but a violet, glistening with dew,
But still in its heart there lies beauties concealed
So in our heart our love for you lies unrevealed.
McCarthy: You know, I used to pride myself on the idea that I was a bit tough,
especially over the past eighteen or nineteen when we have been kicked around
and bull whipped and damned. I didn't think that I could be touched very deeply.
But tonight, frankly, my cup and my heart is so full I can't talk to you.
Murrow: But in Philadelphia, on Washington's Birthday, 1954, his heart was so
full he could talk. He reviewed some of the General Zwicker testimony and proved
he hadn't abused him.
McCarthy: Nothing is more serious than a traitor to this country in the
Communist conspiracy. Question: Do you think stealing $50 is more serious than
being a traitor to the country and a part of the Communist conspiracy?
Answer: That, sir, was not my decision.
McCarthy: Shall we go on to that for a while? I hate to impose on your time. I
just got two pages. This is the abuse which is... the real meat of abuse, this
is the official reporter's record of the hearing. After he said he wouldn't
remove that General from the Army who cleared Communists, I said: "Then General,
you should be removed from any Command. Any man who has been given the honor of
being promoted to General, and who says, 'I will protect another general who
protects Communists,' is not fit to wear that uniform, General." (Applause.)
I think it is a tremendous disgrace to the Army to have to bring these facts
before the public but I intend to give it to the public, General. I have a duty
to do that. I intend to repeat to the press exactly what you said so that you
can know that and be back here to hear it, General.
And wait till you hear the bleeding hearts scream and cry about our methods of
trying to drag the truth from those who know, or should know, who covered up a
Fifth Amendment Communist Major. But they say, 'Oh, it's all right to uncover
them but don't get rough doing it, McCarthy.'
Murrow: But two days later, Secretary Stevens and the Senator had lunch, agreed
on a memorandum of understanding, and disagreed on what the small type said.
Stevens: I shall never accede to the abuse of Army personnel under any
circumstance including committee hearings. I shall not accede to them being
brow-beaten or humiliated. In the light of these assurances, although I did not
propose cancellation of the hearings, I acceded to it. If it had not been for
these assurances, I would never have entered into any agreement whatsoever.
Murrow: Then President Eisenhower issued a statement that advisers thought
censored the Senator, but the Senator saw it as another victory, called the
entire Zwicker case "a tempest in a teapot."
McCarthy: If a stupid, arrogant or witless man in a position of power appears
before our Committee and is found aiding the Communist Party, he will be
exposed. The fact that he might be a General places him in no special class as
far as I am concerned. Apparently -- apparently, the President and I now agree
on the necessity of getting rid of Communists. We apparently disagree on how we
should handle those who protect Communists. When the shouting and the tumult
dies, the American people and the President will realize that this unprecedented
mud slinging against the Committee by the extreme left wing elements of press
and radio was caused solely because another Fifth Amendment Communist was
finally dug out of the dark recesses and exposed to the public view.
Murrow (points to a chart): Senator McCarthy claims that only the left wing
press criticized him on the Zwicker case. Of the fifty large circulation
newspapers in the country, these are the left wing papers that criticized. These
are the ones which supported him. The ratio is about three to one against the
Senator. Now let us look at some of these left wing papers that criticized the
Senator.
The Chicago Tribune: McCarthy will better serve his cause if he learns to
distinguish the role of investigator from role of avenging angel...
The New York Times: The unwarranted interference of a demagogue -- a domestic
Munich...
The Times Herald, Washington: Senator McCarthy's behavior towards Zwicker is not
justified...
The Herald Tribune of New York: McCarthyism involves assaults on basic
Republican concepts...
Milwaukee Journal: The line must be drawn and defended or McCarthy will become
the government...
The Evening Star of Washington: It was a bad day for everyone who resents and
detests the bully boy tactics which Senator McCarthy often employees...
The New York World Telegram: Bamboozling, bludgeoning, distorting...
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Unscrupulous, McCarthy bullying. What a tragic irony it
is that the President's political advisors keep him from doing what every decent
instinct must be commanding him to do...
Well, that's the ratio of a three-to-one, so-called "left-wing" press.
Another interesting thing was said about the Zwicker case, and it was said by
Senator McCarthy.
McCarthy: Well, may I say that I was extremely shocked when I heard that
Secretary Stevens told two Army officers that they had to take part in the
cover-up of those who promoted and coddled Communists. As I read his statement,
I thought of that quotation "On what meat doth this, our Caesar, feed?"
Murrow: And upon what meat doth Senator McCarthy feed? Two of the staples of his
diet are the investigation (protected by immunity) and the half-truth. We
herewith submit samples of both.
First, the half-truth. This was an attack on Adlai Stevenson at the end of the
1952 campaign. President Eisenhower, it must be said, had no prior knowledge of
it.
McCarthy: I perform this unpleasant task because the American people are
entitled to have the coldly documented history of this man who says, "I want to
be your President."
Strangely, Alger -- I mean, Adlai [laughter] -- But let's move on to another
part of the jigsaw puzzle. Now, while you think -- while you may think there can
be no connection between the debonair Democratic candidate and a dilapidated
Massachusetts barn, I want to show you a picture of this barn and explain the
connection.
Here is the outside of the barn. Give me the pictures of the inside, if you
will. Here is the outside of the barn up at Lee, Massachusetts. It looks as
though it couldn't house a farmer's cow or goat from the outside. Here's the
inside: a beautifully panelled conference room with maps of the Soviet Union.
Well, in what way does Stevenson tie up with that?
My -- my investigators went out and took pictures of the barn after we had been
tipped off of what was in it -- tipped off that there was in this barn all the
missing documents from the Communist front -- IPR -- the IPR which has been
named by the McCarran Committee -- named before the McCarran Committee as a
coverup for Communist espionage.
Now, let's take a look at a photostat of a document taken from the Massachusetts
barn -- one of those documents which was never supposed to see the light of day.
Rather interesting it is. This is a document which shows that Alger Hiss and
Frank Coe recommended Adlai Stevenson to the Mount Tremblant Conference which
was called for the purpose of establishing foreign policy (postwar foreign
policy) in Asia. And, as you know, Alger Hiss is a convicted traitor. Frank Coe
has been named under oath before congressional committees seven times as a
member of the Communist Party. Why? Why do Hiss and Coe find that Adlai
Stevenson is the man they want representing them at this conference? I don't
know. Perhaps Adlai knows.
Murrow: But Senator McCarthy didn't permit his audience to hear the entire
paragraph. This is the official record of the McCarran hearings. Anyone can buy
it for two dollars. Here's a quote: "Another possibility for the Mount Tremblant
conferences on Asia is someone from Knox' office or Stimson's office." (Frank
Knox was our wartime Secretary of the Navy; Henry Stimson our Secretary of the
Army, both distinguished Republicans.) And it goes on: "Coe, and Hiss mentioned
Adlai Stevenson (one of Knox' special assistants) and Harvey Bundy (former
Assistant Secretary of State under Hoover, and now assistant to Stimson) because
of their jobs."
We read from this documented record, not in defense of Mr. Stevenson, but in
defense of truth. Specifically, Mr. Stevenson's identification with that red
barn was no more, no less than that of Knox, Stimson or Bundy. It should be
stated that Mr. Stevenson was once a member of the Institute of Pacific
Relations. But so were such other loyal Americans as Senator Ferguson, John
Foster Dulles, Paul Hoffman, Harry Luce and Herbert Hoover. Their association
carries with it no guilt, and that barn has nothing to do with any of them.
Now -- a sample investigation. The witness was Reed Harris, for many years a
civil servant in the State Department, directing the information service. Harris
was accused of helping the Communistic cause by curtailing some broadcasts to
Israel. Senator McCarthy summoned him and questioned him about a book he had
written in 1932.
McCarthy: Now we'll come to order. Mr. Reed Harris? Your name is Reed Harris?
Harris: That's correct.
McCarthy: You wrote a book in '32, is that correct?
Harris: Yes, I wrote a book. As I testified in executive session...
McCarthy: At the time you wrote the book -- pardon me; go ahead. I'm sorry.
Proceed.
Harris: At the time I wrote the book the atmosphere in the universities of the
United States was greatly affected by the great depression then in existence.
The attitudes of students, the attitudes of the general public were considerably
different than they are at this moment and for one thing there was generally no
awareness, to the degree that there is today, of the way the Communist Party
works.
McCarthy: You attended Columbia University in the early thirties. Is that right?
Harris: I did, Mr. Chairman.
McCarthy: Will you speak a little louder, sir?
Harris: I did, Mr. Chairman.
McCarthy: And were you expelled from Columbia?
Harris: I was suspended from classes on April 1st, 1932. I was later reinstated
and I resigned from the University.
McCarthy: And you resigned from the University? Did the Civil -- Civil Liberties
Union provide you with an attorney at that time?
Harris: I had many offers of attorneys, and one of those was from the American
Civil Liberties Union, yes.
McCarthy: The question is did the Civil Liberties Union supply you with an
attorney?
Harris: They did supply an attorney.
McCarthy: The answer is yes?
Harris: The answer is yes.
McCarthy: You know the Civil Liberties Union has been listed as "a front for,
and doing the work of," the Communist Party?
Harris: Mr. Chairman this was 1932.
McCarthy: Yeah, I know it was 1932. Do you know that they since have been listed
as "a front for, and doing the work of" the Communist Party?
Harris: I do not know that they have been listed so, sir.
McCarthy: You don't know they have been listed?
Harris: I have heard that mentioned or read that mentioned.
McCarthy: Now, you wrote a book in 1932. I'm going to ask you again: at the time
you wrote this book, did you feel that professors should be given the right to
teach sophomores that marriage -- and I quote -- "should be cast out of our
civilization as antiquated and stupid religious phenomena?" Was that your
feeling at that time?
Harris: My feeling is that professors should have the right to express their
considered opinions on any subject, whatever they were, sir.
McCarthy: All right, I'm going to ask you this question again.
Harris: That includes that quotation. They should have the right to teach
anything that came into their minds as being the proper thing to teach.
McCarthy: I'm going to make you answer this.
Harris: All right, I'll answer yes, but you put an implication on it and you
feature this particular point of the book, which, of course, is quite out of
context, does not give a proper impression of the book as a whole. The American
public doesn't get an honest impression of even that book, bad as it is, from
what you are quoting from it.
McCarthy: Well, then, let's continue to read your own writing, and...
Harris: Twenty-one years ago, again.
McCarthy: Yes, but we shall try and bring you down to date, if we can.
Harris: Mr. Chairman, two weeks ago, Senator Taft took the position that I took
twenty-one years ago, that Communists and Socialists should be allowed to teach
in the schools. It so happens that, nowadays I don't agree with Senator Taft, as
far as Communist teaching in the schools is concerned, because I think
Communists are, in effect, a plainclothes auxiliary of the Red Army, the Soviet
Red Army. And I don't want to see them in any of our schools, teaching.
McCarthy: I don't recall Senator Taft ever having any of the background that
you've got, sir.
Harris: I resent the tone of this inquiry very much, Mr. Chairman. I resent it,
not only because it is my neck, my public neck, that you are, I think, very
skillfully trying to wring, but I say it because there are thousands of able and
loyal employees in the federal government of the United States who have been
properly cleared according to the laws and the security practices of their
agencies, as I was -- unless the new regime says no; I was before.
McClellan: Do you think this book did considerable harm, its publication might
have had adverse influence on the public by an expression of views contained in
it?
Harris: The sale of that book was so abysmally small. It was so unsuccessful
that a question of its influence... Really, you can go back to the publisher.
You'll see it was one of the most unsuccessful books he ever put out. He's still
sorry about it, just as I am.
McClellen: Well, I think that's a compliment to American intelligence...
(Laughter). I will say that for him.
Murrow: Senator McCarthy succeeded in proving that Reed Harris had once written
a bad book, which the American people had proved twenty-two years ago by not
buying it, which is what they eventually do will all bad ideas. As for Reed
Harris, his resignation was accepted a month later with a letter of
commendation. McCarthy claimed it as a victory.
The Reed Harris hearing demonstrates one of the Senator's techniques. Twice he
said the American Civil Liberties Union was listed as a subversive front. The
Attorney General's list does not and has never listed the ACLU as subversive,
nor does the FBI or any other federal government agency. And the American Civil
Liberties Union holds in its files letters of commendation from President
Truman, President Eisenhower, and General MacArthur.
Now let us try to bring the McCarthy story a little more up to date. Two years
ago Senator Benton of Connecticut accused McCarthy of apparent perjury,
unethical practice, and perpetrating a hoax on the Senate. McCarthy sued for two
million dollars. Last week he dropped the case, saying no one could be found who
believed Benton's story. Several volunteers have come forward saying they
believe it in its entirety.
Today Senator McCarthy says he's going to get a lawyer and force the networks to
give him time to reply to Adlai Stevenson's speech.
Earlier, the Senator asked, "Upon what meat does this, our Caesar, feed?" Had he
looked three lines earlier in Shakespeare's Caesar, he would have found this
line, which is not altogether inappropriate: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in
our stars, but in ourselves."
No one familiar with the history of this country can deny that congressional
committees are useful. It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but
the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior
Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. His primary achievement
has been in confusing the public mind, as between internal and the external
threats of Communism. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must
remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon
evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We
will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our
history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful
men -- not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend
causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.
This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or
for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot
escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a
republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our
full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the
defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot
defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay
amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And
whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he
merely exploited it -- and rather successfully. Cassius was right. "The fault,
dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."
Good night, and good luck.
