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July 3, 1950
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr.Spingarn
It is my reaction, for the reasons briefly set forth
below that all the hearings in connection with the sex perversion
investigation by the Hoey Committee should be in executive session
rather than in public.
1. Open discussion by doctors would result in bringing
to the forefront again the problem of homosexuality in the government.
I think that at the present time public interest in this problem
has subsided to a great extent. That being the case, I can see no
good reason for again having this matter emphasized and spotlighted,
as public hearings would have an inevitable tendency to do.
2. Any public discussion by doctors of sex perversion
at this time will result in giving the public the impression, no
matter how mistaken, that government rolls are replete with sex perverts.
Even if doctors testify that the incidence of homosexuality in govern-
ment is no higher or possible less than private industry there will
be some (Senator McCarthy included) who will CLAIM that only "red-
blooded Americans" should be employed by the government, and that at
the very least the standards for government employment should be far
more rigid than for employees in private industry.
3. As soon as public hearings are held on one phase
of the problem, there will be a loud clamor by some for having
other testimony in public. Among other things, this will defeat the
professed intention of Senator Hoey to conduct the entire investigation
as quietly as possible.
4. There is considerable disagreement among medical
men as to whether homosexuality is curable. Many private psychiatrists,
possibly in some cases because of pecuniary considerations, are of the
opinion that the condition will respond to careful, protracted treatment.
Prominent government psychiatrists, especially those connected
with the United States Public Health Service, are on the other hand,
of the view that there is no cure for this condition. Conflicting
public testimony as to this matter and evidence as to the incurability
of homosexuality will make a great number of people conclude that the
government has been extremely negligent in the first place in ever
having employed any homosexuals.
I have discussed the question of having hearings in executive
session or in public with Donald Dawson, Adrian Fisher, legal adviser
of the State Department and Frank Parks. These three feel strongly,
as do I, that all the hearings should beiin executive session.
HERBERT MALETZ
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"ocrText": "July 3, 1950\nMEMORANDUM FOR: Mr.Spingarn\nIt is my reaction, for the reasons briefly set forth\nbelow that all the hearings in connection with the sex perversion\ninvestigation by the Hoey Committee should be in executive session\nrather than in public.\n1. Open discussion by doctors would result in bringing\nto the forefront again the problem of homosexuality in the government.\nI think that at the present time public interest in this problem\nhas subsided to a great extent. That being the case, I can see no\ngood reason for again having this matter emphasized and spotlighted,\nas public hearings would have an inevitable tendency to do.\n2. Any public discussion by doctors of sex perversion\nat this time will result in giving the public the impression, no\nmatter how mistaken, that government rolls are replete with sex perverts.\nEven if doctors testify that the incidence of homosexuality in govern-\nment is no higher or possible less than private industry there will\nbe some (Senator McCarthy included) who will CLAIM that only \"red-\nblooded Americans\" should be employed by the government, and that at\nthe very least the standards for government employment should be far\nmore rigid than for employees in private industry.\n3. As soon as public hearings are held on one phase\nof the problem, there will be a loud clamor by some for having\nother testimony in public. Among other things, this will defeat the\nprofessed intention of Senator Hoey to conduct the entire investigation\nas quietly as possible.\n4. There is considerable disagreement among medical\nmen as to whether homosexuality is curable. Many private psychiatrists,\npossibly in some cases because of pecuniary considerations, are of the\nopinion that the condition will respond to careful, protracted treatment.\nProminent government psychiatrists, especially those connected\nwith the United States Public Health Service, are on the other hand,\nof the view that there is no cure for this condition. Conflicting\npublic testimony as to this matter and evidence as to the incurability\nof homosexuality will make a great number of people conclude that the\ngovernment has been extremely negligent in the first place in ever\nhaving employed any homosexuals.\nI have discussed the question of having hearings in executive\nsession or in public with Donald Dawson, Adrian Fisher, legal adviser\nof the State Department and Frank Parks. These three feel strongly,\nas do I, that all the hearings should beiin executive session.\nHERBERT MALETZ"
}