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OCR Page 1 of 2#1389.31
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 1947
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
I deeply appreciate the willingness of the members of
the Loyalty Review Board, established within the Civil Service
Commission, to give of their service to that Board. Their
acceptance involves real personal sacrifice. At the same time,
they will have the satisfaction of knowing that they are con-
tributing to the solution of one of the most difficult problems
confronting our Government today.
I believe I speak for all the people of the United States
when I say that disloyal and subversive elements must be removed
from the employ of the Government. We must not, however, permit
employees of the Federal government to be labeled ás: disloyal or
potentially disloyal to their Government when no valid basis exists
for arriving at such a conclusion. The overwhelming majority of
Federal employees are loyal citizens who are giving conscientiously
of their energy and skills to the United States. I do not wart
them to fear they are the objects of any "witch hunt. " They are not
being spied upon; they are not being restricted in their activities.
They have nothing to fear from the loyalty program, since every
effort has been made to guarantee full protection to those who are
suspected of disloyalty. Rumor, gossip, or suspicion will not be
sufficient to lead to the dismissal of an employee for disloyalty.
TRUMAN
NARA
Any person suspected of disloyalty must be served wi th a
written notice of the charges against him in' sufficient detail to
enable him to prepare his defense. In some unusual situations secur-
ity considerations may not allow full disclosure.
It would have been possible for the Government to remove
disloyal persons merely by serving them with the charges against
them and giving them an opportunity to answer those charges. I
realize fully, however, the stigma attached to a removal for dis-
loyalty. Accordingly, I have ordered the agencies of the Government,
except where a few agencies find it necessary to exercise extra-
ordinary powers granted to them by the Congress, to give hearings
to persons who are charged with disloyalty.
Loyalty boards are being set up in each agency for this
purpose. They are definitely not "kangároo" courts. The personnel
of these boards is being carefully selécted by the head of each
agency to make sure that they are judicious in tomparament and fair-
minded. Hearings before the boards will be conducted so as to
establish all pertinent facts and to accord the suspected employee
every possible opportunity to present his defense. The employee is
to be given the right to be accompanied by counsel or a representa-
tive of his own choosing.
After the hearing has been completed the Loyalty Board
in each department can recommend the retention or the dismissal of
an employee. But the matter does not rest there. The employee may
appeal the findings of the Loyalty Board to the head of the depart-
ment, who can either approve or disapprove the board's recommenda-
tions.
If the head of the department orders the dismissal of
the employee, he has still another avenue of appeal: namely, to
the Loyalty Review Board within the Civil Service Commission. This
Board is composed of outstanding citizens of the United States.
These citizens have no ax to grind. They will not be concerned with
personalities. Their judgment will be as detached as is humanly
possible.
I expect the Civil Service Commission to function in a
very real sense as a staff agency of the President for the purpose
of doing everything it can to help him see to it that all aspects of
this program are carried forward in an expeditious and satisfactory
manner.
(OVER)
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