The Wheeling Intelligencer
February 10, 1950
M'Carthy Charges Reds Hold U. S. Jobs
Truman Blasted For Reluctance To Press Probe
Wisconsin Senator Tells Lincoln Fete Here 'Chips Down'
By Frank Desmond
Of The Intelligencer Staff
Joseph McCarthy, junior U. S. Senator from Wisconsin, was given a rousing ovation last night when, as guest of the Ohio County Republican Women's Club, he declared bluntly that the fate of the world rests with the clash between the atheism of Moscow and the Christian spirit throughout other parts of the world.
More than 275 representative Republican men and women were on hand to attend the colorful Lincoln Day dinner of the valley women which was held in the Colonnade room of the McLure hotel.
Disdaining any oratorical fireworks, McCarthy's talk was of an intimate, homey nature, punctuated at times with humor.
But on the serious side, he launched many barbs at the present setup of the State Department, at President Truman's reluctance to press investigation of "traitors from within," and other pertinent matters.
He said that recent incidents which brought traitors to the limelight is the result of an "emotional hangover" and a temporary moral lapse which follows every war. However, he added:
"The morals of our people have not been destroyed. They still exist and this cloak of numbness and apathy needs only a spark to rekindle them."
Referring directly to the State Department, he declared:
"While I cannot take the time to name all of the men in the State Department who have been named as members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring, I have here in my hand a list of 205 that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who, nevertheless, are still working and shaping the policy in the State Department,"
The speaker dwelt at length on the Alger Hiss case and mentioned the names of several others who, during the not so many years, were found to entertain subversive ideas but were still given positions of high trust in the government.
"As you hear of this (Hiss) story of high treason," he said, "I know that you are saying to yourself well, why doesn't Congress do something about it?
Actually, ladies and gentlemen, the reason for the graft, the corruption, the disloyalty, the treason in high government positions the reason this continues is because of a lack of moral uprising on the part of the 140 million American people. In the light of history, however, this is not hard to explain.
"It is the result of an emotional hangover and a temporary moral lapse which follows every war. It is the apathy to evil which people who have been subjected to the tremendous evils of war feel.
"As the people of the world see mass murder, the destruction of defenseless and innocent people and all of the crime and lack of morals which go with war, they become numb and apathetic. It has always been thus after war."
At another time, he declared:
"Today, we are engaged in a final all-out battle between Communistic atheism and Christianity. The modern champions of Communism have selected this as the time and, ladies and gentlemen, the chips are down they are truly down."
In an informal quiz with his audience, the Senator answered a number of questions dealing mostly with the plan of Secretary of Agriculture Brannan to destroy millions of tons of potatoes, eggs, butter and fruits; he gave forthright views on the old age and social security problems and a number of other topics.
McCarthy was introduced by William Callahan, executive director of the Ohio Valley Republican organization. Mrs. A. E. Eberhard, president of the women's group, presided, while program director, Mrs. Robert J. Harshman, introduced Callahan. State Senator William Hannig led the group singing.
The invocation was delivered by the Rev. Philip Goertz, pastor of the Second Presbyterian church, and the benediction was pronounced by the Rev. W. Carroll Thorn, of St. Luke's Episcopal church.
Senator McCarthy arrived by Capital Airlines at the Stifel airport late yesterday afternoon and was greeted by former Congressman Francis J. Love and Tom Sweeney, Jr., who drove him to the Fort Henry Club.