Letter from Attorney General J. Howard McGrath to Donald Dawson

Filed by MR. DAWSON wk w KIMENT OF Office of the Attorney General Washington, D.C. *22-6 mulin keitn fords jado de a h MAY 31 Paid JUSTITIA * 252-I December 23, 1949 mothin, m RECEIVED DEC 23 1949 be review Mine My dear Mr. Dawson: DONALD S. DAWSON Executive Order 9806, dated November 25, 1946, established the President's Temporary Commission on Employee Loyalty and authorized it to inquire into standards, procedures, and organi- zational provisions for the investigation of persons who are em- ployed by the United States Government or are applicants for em- ployment, and the removal or disqualification from employment of any disloyal or subversive persons. The Commission was also di- rected to make a report of its studies to the President in writing, together with such recommendations as it deemed appropriate. The Commission concluded its studies in March 1947 and issued a report, together with a draft of an Executive Order, which was issued under date of March 21, 1947. This Order, No. 9835, prescribed proce- dures for the administration of an Employee Loyalty Program in the Executive Branch of the Government. During the two and one-half years since the issuance of Execu- tive Order 9835, the organization and procedures prescribed there- in have operated to screen all incumbent employees as well as all of those entering or reentering Government employment. While the program is a continuing one, it is anticipated that the incumbent program will be substantially completed by the close of the present calendar year, in view of which a question has arisen as to whether or not the program should be re-examined at this time in the light of experience which has been gained in its operation. Executive Order 9806 was directed specifically toward the prob- lem of making certain that there were adequate protections against the employment or continuance in employment of disloyal or subver- sive persons. The President's Temporary Commission confined its study to the development of ways and means of accomplishing this objective. Some of the observations which have been made regarding the Loyalty Program have failed to take this latter fact into con. sideration. A security program which some persons would favor is a separate matter and one which should have separate consideration. It is my considered opinion that the basic Loyalty Program, x252-K