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{
    "localId": "16703231",
    "label": "Letter, Assistant Secretary of Defense Fred Seaton to Senator Joseph McCarthy Regarding Accusations of Communists Working in Defense Facilities",
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{
    "id": "16703231",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/16703231",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letter, Assistant Secretary of Defense Fred Seaton to Senator Joseph McCarthy Regarding Accusations of Communists Working in Defense Facilities",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/16703231",
    "collections": [
        "Fred A. Seaton Papers",
        "Fred A. Seaton Eyes Only Files"
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    "naId": 16703231,
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 3,
            "logicalDate": "1954-06-03",
            "month": 6,
            "year": 1954
        }
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{
    "seq": 4,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/eisenhower/dde-1371/16703201/16703201_001.pdf",
    "mediaId": "6d3d97b49b315f1f",
    "ocrText": "DEPART OF DETENSE\nASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE\nWASHINGTON 25, D.C.\nAMERICA\nJune 3, 1954\nSTATES\nOF\nLEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS\nThe\nLibrary\nDear Senator McCarthy:\nI am writing you in reference to the action of the Special\nSubcommittee yesterday in unanimously recommending to you as the\nChairman of the Permanent Investigating Subcommittee that the names\nof some 130 alleged Communists in Defense plants be furnished the\nSecretary of Defense.\nIn order that the record be clear, I was advised last evening\n(June 2) that your office had telephoned mine about 6:30 p.m. that you\nrequested that instead of sending the names to the Department of\nDefense forthwith that either myself or someone designated by me as\na representative of the Department of Defense meet with you during\nthe luncheon recess around 12:30 p.m. on June 3 to \"discuss in some\ndetail\" the circumstances involved in the case and case histories\nrather than just delivering a list of the names involved. It is my\nunderstanding that your office further indicated that I should try to reach\nyou that evening or the first thing on the following morning. I was not\nin my office at that time but I was contacted and returned the call as soon\nas possible. I was advised by your secretary that you had by that\ntime left your office and that you were not then available. She\nstated, however, that you believed the names should not be turned over\nto the Defense Department without some explanation on your part and\nthat you suggested meeting with me for such purpose during the noon\nrecess on June 3, 1954. I replied that the Department of Defense was\nindeed interested in receiving the names that evening and I suggested\nthe names be sent the Department of Defense forthwith in accordance\nwith the Investigating Committee's resolution and that a conference with\nrespect to such names be held as soon as practicable thereafter at a\nmutually convenient time. She replied that she could not comply with\nmy request for delivery of the names but that she would make every effort\nto comply with my request that you get in touch with me the next morning.\nShe suggested you probably could call me shortly before 9:00 a.m.\nbecause she expected you to be in your office at that time.\nThe\nLibrary\nD.\nI did not receive any call from you at the indicated time on\nthe morning of June 3rd and therefore I called for you at your office.\nI was told by Mrs. Driscoll that you were in executive session of\nthe committee and were not present in your office. I then gave my\ntelephone number to her and asked that you be informed of xisk the Depart-\nment's desire to obtain the list of names as soon as possible. I also\nreminded her again that I had told her the evening before of a prior\nengagement of an official nature and could not meet with you personally\nduring the noon recess ofn June 3rd.\nLate in the morning of June 3rd I received a call from your\nsecretary stating in substance that she had re ceived a call from you\nand that you would turn over the names to the Department of Defense\nbut only upon two conditions -- (a) that an official stenographic\nreporter be present during the conference between you and me to record\nall statements made and (b) that the Department of Defense agree to\nkeep the names secret.\nThe Department of Defense has no objection to the first\ncondition suggested by you. With respect to the other condition, the\nDepartment of Defense cannot make any advance commitment. It\nmust be free to take any and all actions deemed by it appropriate in the\ninterests of the national security. For instance, if, in the interests of\nnational security, it is deemed desirable by the Department, in accordance\nwith the regulations, forthwith to direct the suspension of the clearance\nof any of the named individuals, the Department must be free to act\nwithout consulting you. The names will be checked thoroughly and\npromptly with the FBI and also checked against all information in the\nDepartment of Defense. The Department's existing and regular\nprocedures will be followed in dealing with the cases of all individuals,\nand the Department will take the responsibility for any and all information\nwhich is released regarding any of the individuals. It is possible that\nthe Department of Defense has already begun a tion regarding some\nof the individuals included in your list.\nAny such suspension could, however, be directed only with\nrespect to those individuals employed on contracts classified \"Confidential\",\n\"Secret\", and \"Top Secret\".\nThe problem of security risks and subversives working in\nplants having unclassified contracts for the Department of Defense is\nLibrary The Dwisht 0.\nand has been of great concern. There are now two legislative items\nin the Congress which have the firm support of this department. Both\nwere introduced by Senator Ferguson on May 10, 1954. S. 3427 deals with\nthe liquidation of Communist-controlled organizations which are in\na position to affect adversely the national defense or security. S. 3428\nis designed to authorized removal of subversives from defense facilities\nwhere their presence constitutes a present danger of sabotage,\nespionalge or other subversion. Early enactment of these measures\nwould be of invaluable assistance to this Department.\nUnder the above arrangement, the Department of Defense\nwill be pleased to receive the names of those communists working in\ndefense facilities and I can meet you or any representative of yours\nat any time for such purpose.\nSincerely,\nHonorable Joseph McCarthy\nUnited States Senate"
}