Keys To The Capitol 54-06-23 xxx Eisenhower

Summary

Harold's Old Time Radio – Episode Summary: "Keys To The Capitol 54-06-23 xxx Eisenhower"

Release Date: March 22, 2025

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Introduction

In this riveting episode of Harold's Old Time Radio, titled "Keys To The Capitol 54-06-23 xxx Eisenhower," listeners are transported back to the dynamic political landscape of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration. The episode delves deep into the pressing issues of the time, including foreign policy challenges, the burgeoning McCarthy hearings, and the everyday life within Washington, D.C. Hosted by Harold's Old Time Radio, the episode features insightful commentary from esteemed NBC News personalities such as David Brinkley, Ray Sher, Earl Godwin, and Richard Harkness.

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Political Landscape and President Eisenhower's Challenges

The episode opens with an overview of the strained American work ethic, highlighting the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and introducing American Giant, a clothing company committed to domestic production. However, the core of the discussion swiftly shifts to the political turmoil surrounding President Eisenhower.

Ray Sher initiates the conversation by examining President Eisenhower's ability to handle the multifaceted pressures of his administration. He questions, "[How] was he holding up under the pressure of events?" [02:16]. The discussion reveals Eisenhower's concerns over legislative support, particularly his legislative program's success in Congress, which he linked directly to the Republican Party's retention of power.

David Brinkley concurs, suggesting that Eisenhower needs to ramp up his campaigning efforts to counteract the Democratic challenges. He remarks, "The Democrats now have their slogan for the November campaign which is bring the rascals back." [05:29], indicating a shift in political strategies influenced by recent scandals within the Republican ranks.

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The Guatemala Crisis: A Case of Cold War Tensions

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the unfolding crisis in Guatemala, which has caught the attention of both the administration and Congress. Earl Godwin provides a detailed analysis of the situation, emphasizing the threat posed by Soviet influence in the region. He states, "The Russian Communist Party is an arm of the Russian military... in Guatemala, the Communist Party itself has been taken over entirely by the Russians." [08:40].

This segment underscores the fears of a communist stronghold near the Panama Canal and Texas oil fields, highlighting the strategic importance of Guatemala in the broader context of the Cold War. The discussion also touches upon the U.S. government's limited economic aid to Latin America, with David Brinkley pointing out, "Less than half a billion dollars [of aid] has gone to Latin and South America for economic aid down there." [12:46], stressing the need for increased support to prevent communist expansion.

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McCarthy Hearings: A Nation Torn

The hearings surrounding Senator Joseph McCarthy form another critical topic of the episode. David Brinkley elaborates on the Gallup Poll results, noting that 34% of respondents are favorable towards McCarthy, while 45% view him unfavorably, and 21% remain undecided [19:53]. This polarization reflects the growing national debate over McCarthy's aggressive anti-communist stance.

Richard Harkness and Earl Godwin discuss the complexities of bringing McCarthy's alleged perjuries to justice, emphasizing the challenges in prosecuting high-profile political figures. They highlight the difficulties of securing sufficient evidence to support perjury charges, given the convoluted nature of the testimonies [21:09].

Ray Sher offers a perspective on the political repercussions of the hearings, asserting that they have allowed the public to form their own opinions about McCarthy's character. He observes, "The hearings brought out Joe, the man. People could make up their minds. I think a lot of people decided he was a bully." [23:26], indicating a potential shift in public sentiment against McCarthy.

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Daily Life in Washington: Stability Amidst Turmoil

Transitioning from high-stakes politics, the episode also paints a vivid picture of everyday life in Washington, D.C. Richard Harkness describes the city's atmosphere, noting the return to normalcy for government employees and the middle-income stability enjoyed by residents. He states, "People in Washington... are back to what we might call something like normal." [26:07], highlighting the resilience of the city's populace despite ongoing political tensions.

Ray Sher complements this by illustrating Washington as a bustling tourist hub, with landmarks like the White House drawing crowds despite the city's humidity. He shares, "The tour takes about 15 minutes and I suppose it's the grandest thing you can do in Washington." [28:30], emphasizing the city's enduring appeal as the nation's capital.

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Conclusion

"Keys To The Capitol 54-06-23 xxx Eisenhower" masterfully blends political analysis with glimpses into the daily rhythms of Washington, D.C. The episode offers a comprehensive examination of President Eisenhower's administration, the geopolitical threats of the Cold War, the contentious McCarthy hearings, and the steadfast lives of Washington's residents. Through insightful dialogue and expert commentary, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of this pivotal era in American history.

Notable Quotes:

• David Brinkley [05:29]: "The Democrats now have their slogan for the November campaign which is bring the rascals back."
• Earl Godwin [08:40]: "The Russian Communist Party is an arm of the Russian military... in Guatemala, the Communist Party itself has been taken over entirely by the Russians."
• Ray Sher [23:26]: "The hearings brought out Joe, the man. People could make up their minds. I think a lot of people decided he was a bully."

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the "Keys To The Capitol" episode, providing listeners with an engaging and informative overview of the key discussions and insights presented during the broadcast.

Transcript

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[Announcer]

In just a moment. Keys to the capital. But first, Western adventure, the beat of hooves, the crack of a six shooter. They're yours on most of these stations tomorrow evening with the NBC series about Frontier days, six Shooters starring James Stewart. And another Thursday adventure favorite is Jason and the golden fleece. And McDonald Cary stars as a wanderer of the high seas who finds intrigue and romance wherever he goes. It's an adult and unusual series, Jason and the Golden Fleece tomorrow and every Thursday. And by the way, there's comedy, too in your listening lineup every weeknight with Fiber McGee and Molly. Now stay tuned for Keys to the Capital.

[David Brinkley]

What's going on in Washington?

[Ray Sher]

White House the point of focus is.

[Earl Godwin]

Troubles multiplied, Congress fears Russian Beachhead in.

[David Brinkley]

South America, the ups and downs of Senator McCarthy.

[Richard Harkness]

Life in Washington outside the government goes on about as usual.

[Announcer]

From Washington, NBC News brings you transcribed keys to the Capitol, the news of the week and what's behind it. Tonight you'll hear Ray Shearer, Earl Godwin, Richard Harkness and David Brinkley. NBC News has given these men the weekly assignment of going through Washington's official doors to learn the background of our national policies. We bring you now keys to the Capitol. And first, here's NBC White House correspondent Ray Sherrod.

[David Brinkley]

Of course, that's the important thing.

[Ray Sher]

I think we might get this thing underway by talking a minute about the man who is at the vortex of all these problems, President Eisenhower. We might ask the question, how was he holding up under the pressure of events? This morning, the president called congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle to the White House and they Heard the bad news firsthand from Beatle Smith. Geneva in the impasse over any negotiated solution to both Indochina and Korea. Here in our own hemisphere, there is a nasty situation in Guatemala. Some of our Latin American neighbors are even blaming the uprising on the United States, claiming we had a hand in it. Some people think we should actually take a hand in it and shore up the anti communist forces here at home. What people around the White House call the McCarthy problem persists. The word seems to be out to give in no further to Senator Joe. But officially, the President keeps aloof. Privately, his attitude is something quite different. The President's big preoccupation is his legislative program. He talks about it every chance he gets. He did so last night. The President has said that if Congress does not pass a sufficient portion of his program, the Republican Party does not deserve to remain in power. At the moment, there is doubt how much can be passed between now and the end of July. But it isn't all gloom around the White House. On the credit side, the business situation is looking a little better. Certainly it's no worse. The President was delighted to see Senator Margaret Smith win by a whopping majority as the Republican contender in Maine. The President was much cheered at the tremendous reception he got from the Citizens for Eisenhower convention here a week ago. Up until then he seemed a little, well, a little irritated about things. But here was the enthusiasm of the campaign all over again. It gave the President a big morale lift and it gave Mrs. Ike one, too. I watched the President tee off on the golf course at Quantico last week with a bunch of old friends from service days. He hit a long drive, the gallery, Marine officers and their wives clapped and the photographers cried. Do it again, Mr. President. Ike said, oh, you want me to prove the first one was an accident? He had a second golf ball again, long and down the middle. Now, I tell this to make the point that he seems to be in fine shape physically, but when he gets back to the White House, there are all these problems. Big heart, dis. How do you think the President is holding up?

[David Brinkley]

Well, I think he's holding up very well, Ray, and is on top of most of these problems. I do feel, however, this is a personal reaction, a political comment that the President better get a hump on and move in. Make some plans to do campaigning this fall, because I'm convinced this comes from talking to members of both sides on the Hill. If the election were held today, that the Democrats would capture at least 40 seats in the House and it would be nip and Tuck on the Senate, there's a somewhat ironic twist there, I think in 1952, you know, the Republicans campaign and I think won a lot of votes on their slogan of clean up the mess. Well now we've seen more recently in New York under Governor Dewey, the horse race scandal, the death of former Governor Harold Hoffman of New Jersey admitting that he embezzled $600,000. So let me suggest that the Democrats now have their slogan for the November campaign which is bring the rascals back.

[Ray Sher]

You think all this means that Ike's got to go to work?

[David Brinkley]

I certainly do.

[Ray Sher]

Well, you know, he's going out to Denver around the 1st of August and stay through September ostensibly for a vacation. But I think you'll find that he's going to spend a lot of time out of Denver touring around the country making the so called non political speeches. But the, the candidates will be appearing on the platform and I suspect he's going to talk about his program. Earl, do you have any thoughts on all this?

[Earl Godwin]

On this particular subject? I'd like to inject an observation. There certainly may be from ignorance on the subject. He speaks of democrats bringing in 40.

[David Brinkley]

Seats with it, about 40 seats.

[Earl Godwin]

I have heard all the Republicans in Congress, all that I know, tell how wonderful things are going and yet I haven't heard a Republican out of Congress, a Republican voter who hadn't told me. He's very much discouraged.

[David Brinkley]

I don't get.

[Earl Godwin]

I don't understand whether the Republicans in Congress have their ear to the grassroots or what. I can't, I can't quite make it out. It's very confusing.

[Richard Harkness]

Well, a lot of them lately have had their ears to the telephone, sir.

[Earl Godwin]

Well, they had their eyes on the television.

[Richard Harkness]

What do you think would happen if the Democrats got a majority this fall? How would Eisenhower fare then? Do you think he'd do as well or better as he's doing now?

[David Brinkley]

I do too, because you can take almost every piece of major legislation that's been passed in this Republican Congress by the Democrats. You have that strange scene in the Senate today of 23 Democrats are backing the Eisenhower Reciprocal Trade Program, the three year program that the President really wants, and the Republicans are fighting the President on the issue.

[Earl Godwin]

He's got a Democratic program out.

[David Brinkley]

Well, John McCormick says that there's a lot of the new and fair deal in it.

[Earl Godwin]

Yes, that's right.

[Richard Harkness]

Certainly not very different from the Democratic program, if at all.

[David Brinkley]

No, and strangely enough, the things that I think will appeal to the voters this year to bring back the Republicans are so called liberal pieces of liberal legislation like expansion of Social Security and, and the President's slum clearance housing program. Those are out of the Democratic book.

[Richard Harkness]

It hasn't been many years since that was described as a piece of pure socialism. Remember that?

[David Brinkley]

Yeah.

[Ray Sher]

The Democrats are in an almost embarrassing position. They want to win, of course this fall, but if they do, then the onus is on them, they got to cooperate. And if they don't, then the President can say, well, it was the Democrats that stabbing me just as Truman talked back in that do nothing Congress phase.

[David Brinkley]

Actually an opposition Congress is not too bad. The late Mr. Roosevelt had one, Mr. Truman had one. I think perhaps the balance works all right. It's no great tragedy, certainly for the country.

[Richard Harkness]

No, it's not very. It's not a good situation for getting new legislation passed. But opposition Congresses have never let the President down on really important things like foreign affairs and appropriation for necessary things. We've never had any real impasse, at least not lately, because of an opposition Congress.

[David Brinkley]

I think you could take the line and argue it rather successfully that, that Congress perhaps should be in opposition Congress because here you have the President who represents the nation and then you have your Congress made up of a lot of blocks of local interest. So it may not be a bad thing.

[Ray Sher]

Well, gentlemen, it strikes me that the thing on a lot of people's minds these days is, is Guatemala. What, what's this all about, Earl? You've got some thoughts on that?

[Earl Godwin]

Well, my very abrupt thought is that Sandra, Lyndon Johnson of Texas, who was a Democratic leader by the way, phrased the crisis perfectly yesterday when he said this Guatemala had reached a semi military phase. Because I thought it was a military matter for a long time. And the full stage, if that's correct, would be a military base for the Reds in Guatemala. That's just a few bombing hours from the Panama Canal in one way and the Texas oil field in another. And that analysis or that statement of Lyndon Johnson's leaps right over the general gobbledygook and puts the situation, I think, more clearly before the people than any other. And other members of the Senate come right along with him. And one of them is Santa Wiley of Wisconsin, who's chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And then there's Senator Nolan of California, Republican Senate leader, and Alex Smith, Senator from New Jersey. They're both nonfarlanesses to me. Several members of the House in the past few years have made speech after speech calling attention to just this thing that's building up in Guatemala. And one of the first that I can recall was From Senator John McCormick, Representative John McCormick of Massachusetts, when he was the floor leader in the House. And he pinpointed that situation, and others have done so more than once. And I remember a couple years ago, after one of those House speeches, I asked one of the nation's very highest diplomatic officials what about the inside story on Guatemala? And he said, it's too bad for me to talk about it, but I think it, no matter what the outward aspect is in this Guatemala thing or any other matter that has to do with the Russian Communist Party, remember that the Russian Communist Party is, I think, an arm of the Russian military. We've seen what happened in Czechoslovakia and Poland and Hungary and China and Indochina. They go in there and make their sales talk and get the people all excited about getting something for nothing. And first thing you know, there's a communist government in there which is a military matter and is responsible for the expansion of military power around the world. Now, in Guatemala, the Communist Party itself has been taken over entirely by the Russians. Moscow School of Instruction, Wiley, Sandra Wiley, whom I mentioned, has publicized spot after spot in the higher echelons of the Guatemala government, where Russian trained Reds have taken office in policy making, power jobs. And one detail of interest met plenty of them. But here's one. While the North Koreans were torturing our captured soldiers, trying to force false confessions regarding biological warfare in Guatemala, the government was sponsoring Russian propaganda motion pictures carrying on this same baseless lie. There's a lot more of that. There's a. You could talk about it really, for a year, every day, but the situation is just leading up to a military impasse one way or the other. And that's why these members of Congress are leaping over diplomacy and saying, we got to put up a sign, keep off the grass.

[Ray Sher]

And your point, Earl, is that this isn't new. This is something that's been building up for some time, and we should have known it was coming.

[Earl Godwin]

Our official thought is coming. But it has been building up for a long time. And it's more than diplomatic and it's more than a. What we used to call in the comedy days, a banana republic revolution down.

[David Brinkley]

Behind the banana curtain. Earl, the point you make, I think, is very good that we paid all too little attention to Central and Latin America. On the other hand, Mr. Atchison and then Mr. Dulles have been so completely wrapped up in problems in Europe and Asia that they simply haven't had the time time to give attention down there. One point it struck me that since the War we've poured out I think from this country some 25 billions of dollars around the world in loans, grants, mostly in grants. Out of that stupendous total less than 1/2 billion dollars has gone to Latin and South America for economic aid down there. Now communism does thrive in these inferior living standard countries. I think we've got to pay more attention to and give them some more economic aid down there or else this communism is going to become a very real and virulent problem.

[Earl Godwin]

Well, Dick, doesn't it. Wasn't it true that George Marshall, who is Secretary of State and other high officials have called attention to that thing and nothing happened much about except that we have bound up in some kind of organization several South American republics that don't want to be communists anymore. You and I do.

[David Brinkley]

That's right, that's right.

[Earl Godwin]

But we haven't. We have.

[Richard Harkness]

It isn't always a matter of choice, is it?

[Earl Godwin]

Or.

[Richard Harkness]

Yeah, Russians would like nothing better than to have South America, Central America infested with communism, doing their best to promote.

[Earl Godwin]

It wherever they can. I think it's high time and we made it our, our danger number one.

[David Brinkley]

And repoint up the Monroe Doctrine.

[Earl Godwin]

Yeah, absolutely. And in these days the last time we used any force of the Monroe Doctrine historically I think it was way back in Cleveland's time when ordered some gunboats out on the west coast. Now we can't get away with just having a few gunboats going around. We've got to be ready for a showdown and a fight if necessary. It's the only way, the only thing those Reds understand.

[David Brinkley]

That's absolutely right.

[Richard Harkness]

Well, I lodge at the UN the other day made a little speech that sounded something like the Monroe Doctrine. He told the Russian ambassador to tell his people at home to stay out of South America.

[Earl Godwin]

That was very good verbal threat.

[Richard Harkness]

I don't know how far we're prepared to go to back that up but he said it. We were sounding pretty good talking a.

[Ray Sher]

Moment ago about this being a banana republic war which provokes me to ask two questions. One, is anybody being killed in this war? And two, who is financing the the Guatemalan rebels? Who's supplying them? Anybody have any ideas?

[Richard Harkness]

Well, it's a good question. The government, of course the established government of Guatemala claims the United States is and we deny it. I have no doubt that we hope they'll win.

[Earl Godwin]

Well, I suppose we really had a showdown on that thing and we talked, we talked out loud. We get our ears pinned back by some something or other. But I would not be Surprised if we would find that somebody is instigating the thing and that somebody is seeing to it that the rebels got arms.

[Richard Harkness]

Certainly have them.

[David Brinkley]

That's very clear. They obviously were supplied in and through Honduras and El Salvador. That seems very clear.

[Ray Sher]

We shipped a lot of stuff to Honduras recently.

[David Brinkley]

We shipped some arms to Honduras recently.

[Earl Godwin]

Well, now that it is a military matter, if the rebels who are the anti communists don't win, it's going to be quite a mess, isn't it?

[David Brinkley]

Oh, yes. I think that it will be a great setback for our prestige in Latin America.

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[David Brinkley]

Yes, David?

[Richard Harkness]

Well, I had heard a couple days ago that the Guatemalan army, as we all know, is a big and fairly well armed one for South America, that if it remains loyal to the government, the rebels stand very little chance of winning. Had you heard that or anything?

[Ray Sher]

Yeah, apparently these rebels thought that a lot of the people and the army would come over to their side. And I think that is the big question at this point. Are they going to. If not, it looks like they might go down the drain.

[Earl Godwin]

Well, the Guatemalan peasants have been promised to have all the land in the world that they haven't had before. So I imagine they're going to stick by the reds.

[David Brinkley]

Well, gentlemen, while we've been on a fight down in Central America, I wonder if we couldn't get to a site here a little closer to home, Right on Capitol Kill. I was very interested to, to read this morning. Pardon me. To read this morning's Gallup Poll on, on Senator McCarthy. The good doctor Gallup polled by age groups, by educational levels, professions, by parties and even by faith. And he came up with this conclusion. His overall average showed These statistics pro McCarthy 34%, unfavorable to Senator McCarthy 45% and no opinion 21%. Now it should be brought out of course that while President Eisenhower's popularity is still high, that's tapering off too somewhat. Now of course this gallop sounding is, is not final by any means because we must see what the investigating committee reports around the 1st of August or rather what Republican and Democratic reports. Go come in on Senator McCarthy and his row with the Pentagon. It's true too that there's another issue that is bound to crop up from time to time and will cause a whole running series of fights with Senator McCarthy. That is the issue that the Senator chose to make himself his right, his demand, as he put it, to secret confidential material of the executive branch of our government. Now in this fight there will be of course side personalities beside Senator McCarthy, Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr. And his Deputy Attorney General Mr. William P. Rogers. Rogers held, as you recall, that now famous meeting last January 21st in the Justice Department where the anti McCarthy strategy was set and where army counsel John Adams was advised to keep a record of his telephone calls of Inray G. David Shine, with Roy Cohn and with Francis Carr McCarthy. You remember to try to get an account of that session into the investigating committee record. The executive branch refused and there was a real knockdown and drag out for several days on death. So on this legal point we'll Hear More from Mr. Brownell and his young deputy Bill Rogers. I'd say right as of now, the key or swing man. And so perhaps the most interesting individual in this whole case is Senator Charles Potter, the young Republican from Michigan. He's the one who ended the hearing with a demand for a house cleaning of the committee and of the Pentagon. And Potter insisted that someone was lying and should be prosecuted before a federal grand jury. Now that still is a possibility. Potter holds then the balance between the other three Republicans on the committee and the other three Democrats. He can swing the report either way or if he doesn't like the Republican or Democratic report, he might very well write one of his own. I think that the most significant development since the hearing and there's been a lot of talk is the invitation to Senator Potter to call at the White House and see President Eisenhower and Sherman Adams. A move obviously to keep starch in Senator Potter's determination to see some definite conclusion in this case and from the administration's standpoint to see an anti McCarthy conclusion to this case.

[Ray Sher]

Do you think they, they backed his position when he, when he stopped there? Part of that isn't the President?

[David Brinkley]

Well, as you know, Ray being there at The White House that day. The Senator wouldn't say.

[Ray Sher]

He wouldn't say anything.

[David Brinkley]

But I talked to him later and he expressed it this way. He says, I'm very happy. So he certainly got backing in his position.

[Ray Sher]

That seems to be.

[Richard Harkness]

It probably would not have invited him to the White House if they had not. If they had opposed his position, would they?

[David Brinkley]

No, I think that's right. A point which we might remember there. Everybody was so surprised at Senator Potter's final outburst. Yet if you'll think back, the day that the pentagon charges against McCarthy came out and then the McCarthy cone countercharges came out, Potter issued right at the outset a very stiff statement in which he said that obviously somebody is lying and these charges and countercharges and the committee's job to find out. So he really has been consistent in his opening statement and his closing statement.

[Earl Godwin]

The committee's job to find out.

[David Brinkley]

The committee's job to find out what.

[Earl Godwin]

They'Re doing now with Ray Jenkins lining up the facts and then the committee going over them. Well, if the committee, if the Department of Justice brings prosecutes anybody for perjury, this thing. I'm just wondering if any American jury isn't going to have this as tough a time trying to get an indictment or get a conviction as the committee is in getting a report.

[David Brinkley]

I think it'll be very difficult.

[Earl Godwin]

Very difficult.

[Richard Harkness]

I wouldn't think it would be as difficult because before a jury in a courtroom, you have got to stick to the facts. And when there is an objection which.

[Ray Sher]

Is upheld by the judge, you shut up.

[Richard Harkness]

You don't continue to ramble on about side issues.

[Earl Godwin]

Do you think you could pick out any American jury in a hurry that wouldn't prejudice on this thing one way or the other?

[David Brinkley]

Probably not.

[Earl Godwin]

I imagine this would be a tough.

[Richard Harkness]

One to find anyone who.

[David Brinkley]

Well, if the Gallup polls right, there's 21 of the people who have no opinion. So you get one out of five.

[Earl Godwin]

It can't be 21% of the people never heard of McCarthy.

[David Brinkley]

Oh, no, no, no. If it is, it's not, Senator. No.

[Earl Godwin]

But it is an awfully difficult matter, isn't it?

[David Brinkley]

Well, of course it is.

[Earl Godwin]

I've often heard people say the President ought to do something about it. Well, he can't do very much about it. That would be definitive or end it all.

[David Brinkley]

No, the hearing transcript has gone to the Justice Department and attorneys presumably are studying the record for perjury. It's all through there. Obviously somebody's lying. But the question is that The Justice Department must have to decide who is lying.

[Earl Godwin]

Well, I have talked to a Department of justice official on the subject of perjury and they tell me that to prove perjury or for them to bring. To bring in a. To bring it to the attention of a grand jury there must be at least two witnesses that could prove that the man was lying. And in this particular case, there don't seem to be. To be any two.

[Richard Harkness]

It'd be very hard to prove because the thing is so cloudy and confused and there's so many references as everybody in the world knows to my recollection is. And if it's proved false, he could say, well, my recollection was wrong and it isn't perjury.

[Ray Sher]

Yes.

[David Brinkley]

Senator Jackson, the Democrat from Washington tried to pin down both sides. Sides. Remember, he would read the army charges to Roy Cohn and say, true or false.

[Earl Godwin]

Yeah.

[David Brinkley]

He'd read the McCarthy cone charges, the Pentagon people, and say, true or false. One thing that struck me was, was that day that Roy Cohn was on the stand and he said that he thought that Stevens was mistaken. Secretary Stevens was mistaken in what he said. And Jackson kept pressing him, do you think that he perjured himself? And Cohen said, no, I don't say that. I don't know what was in his mind. I merely say he was mistaken. It's a very messed up, unclear transcript. I would hate to try to bring charges against anybody.

[Ray Sher]

I wonder if we couldn't talk a minute about the political effects of the hearing. For the most part, it seems to me they were good. While it may have shocked some people to see a bunch of senators wander around so much, spend so much time with irrelevancy the hearings did give people a fine chance to make up their mind about Joe McCarthy. Up until now, it seems to me Joe has been for many people a symbol, a symbol of anti communism, the man who does something about subversion. But the hearings brought out Joe, the man. Day after day, people could see how he worked, what kind of a man he was. And the people could make up their minds. I think a lot of people decided he was a bully. And people, for the most part, part, don't like bullies in America. On the other hand, the stalwart McCarthy backers are saying, more power to him. He's a fighter. We saw him fight and we like him more than ever. So it seems to me one important thing was the chance for people to make up their minds.

[Richard Harkness]

Was that, as you say, the people, most of the people I've seen who are really hot for Senator McCarthy, don't care what he does. You can point out any kind of shortcoming, you can say he's a bully, you can say this or say that. And they say, all right, he's a bully, he's this or that. But he is after the communists, isn't he?

[Ray Sher]

Yeah.

[Richard Harkness]

And that is taken as an answer for all shortcomings.

[Earl Godwin]

Well, if you fell, were you through there?

[Richard Harkness]

Yes.

[Earl Godwin]

If you all had the, had the opportunity to read or listen to Pat McCarran, senator from Texas yesterday. He, I think he is generally on the, on the McCarthy side as far as the investigation of subversive is concerned. And Pat made a long speech and the gist of it as I got it, was that these hearings have unfortunately given a black eye to congressional investigations generally that folks, folks have begun to look down on them entirely, which is, which is unfortunate because they certainly do have to have congressional inquiries, investigations into very many phases of American life.

[Ray Sher]

That's when these senators made their swan song speeches the last day of the hearing. It seems to me they all very carefully. Well, now this isn't a typical hearing and you mustn't judge it by this.

[Earl Godwin]

People don't know that.

[Richard Harkness]

But Those are about 10 words out of 2 million.

[David Brinkley]

Yes. Raven said he thought that the effect was good. I thought the hearing was a great obscenity and a disgrace to this country and its government.

[Earl Godwin]

And you watch it every day, don't you?

[Richard Harkness]

We've, we've been talking here about the atmosphere in Washington these days and about some of the things, the important things that are worrying the President and the people. We've more or less covered them. There's one more part of this story about the Washington atmosphere I'd like to skim over briefly before we go. And that is the atmosphere in Washington, not particularly as the capital, but merely as a big city where people live and work and play. When the Republicans first came in, there.

[Ray Sher]

Was a lot of talk about house.

[Richard Harkness]

Cleaning and reduction in force and firings of worthless masses of government employees and all kinds of conversation along that line. We all remember it well. As we've seen, this is mostly just conversation, political campaign conversation. Some people have been fired, a few thousands, but also some have been hired. And now in perspective, this house cleaning, so far as firings are concerned, it just didn't amount very much. When the talk first started, the merchants here in town couldn't sell, couldn't sell a refrigerator or a television set for love nor money because so many people were unsure of their jobs. But that's pretty much over now and nobody here is very much worried about it anymore. People in Washington, government employees and the rest of us are back to what we might call something like normal. Buying houses in Maryland and Virginia suburbs, riding to work and back on Washington's rubber tired streetcars, buying refrigerators on the installment plan. Behaving just about like people everywhere else in the United States state. The government has a great many women employees of all ages. The government girl is more or less famed in song and story and movie plot in this country. And she now is carrying on about as usual. These, these girls, the younger ones in particular, who haven't yet got into the higher income brackets, almost invariably rent apartments around town on Connecticut Avenue, 16th Massachusetts in Virginia and Maryland. And usually they share it with another girl, split the rent and they take turns cooking and they, they get out at night no more, no less than girls anywhere else. But I think in this town there is a little less big spending in the nightlife than you'd find in some other towns. And this is primarily because it's a medium income city. We don't have too many wealthy people here, but at the same time we don't have very many extremely poor people. The income generally is what you'd call medium or middle. The big spenders here are the lawyers. This seems to be a very lucrative town for lawyers, for businessmen and companies with expense accounts putting on parties and lobbyists who seem to thrive here. They have parties at their homes and cocktail parties at the hotels around town, which are very famous all over the country. That is about the only big spending here. The government employees generally, as I say, are a medium or middle income and they are living now what would be a more or less normal life anywhere, right?

[Ray Sher]

Well, Dave, you know, the tourists spend a lot of money here and for my part, I never, I never fail to be amazed by Washington. This capital of ours is a tourist mecca. In the summer, as we all know, the humidity stays at 99 for weeks on end. But the people, they flock here by the car load. And the hotels are constantly filled up and the motels have out there no vacancy. Every morning by the White House, I see hundreds of people standing in line along East Executive Avenue waiting to traipse through the White House, which they do. The tour takes about 15 minutes and I suppose it's the grandest thing you can do in Washington. Some people go through over and over again. They just can't get over the thrill of being permitted to tour the mansion where the President lives. Now, Ike, on The other hand gets away from the place every chance he gets. Takes Mamie with him. Drives up to Camp David and the nearby Catoctin Mountains. I suppose it's a grand place to live if you don't grand place to be if you don't have to live there now. This weekend there'll be an old friend, Winston Churchill, staying with Ike. And I'd be interested to know if Winnie goes panning about the upstairs halls with only a bath towel tied around his middle as he did in the Roosevelt days.

[Earl Godwin]

What about that Earl shocked Mrs. Roosevelt.

[Richard Harkness]

One time by walking around.

[Earl Godwin]

Is Winnie going up to Camp David?

[David Brinkley]

Well made.

[Earl Godwin]

Been up there before.

[Ray Sher]

Yeah, he likes to get away from humidity.

[Earl Godwin]

One of the oddest things. He was there during the war. That just occurs to me. It was a hush hush thing. Nobody knew anything about where he was until some little girl that saw him wrote to her her country paper in her weekly column and she saw Sir Winston Churchill up there. That was the giveaway.

[David Brinkley]

You have been listening to Keys to the Capital brought to you transcribed by NBC News as a way of taking you behind the doors of official Washington with NBC's top reporters and commentators. Tonight you have heard David Brinkley, Richard Harkness, Earl Godwin and Ray Sher.

[Ray Sher]

Keys to the Capitol will be brought.

[David Brinkley]

To you at this same time each week. This is the NBC Radio Network.

[Stiles McKenzie]

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[Ray Sher]

7 claims I'm on cloud nine.

[Richard Harkness]

Clouds are wholly unable to support the weight of an adult human.

[Ray Sher]

What's happening?

[Earl Godwin]

Furthermore, clouds are not numbered. Even if you procured a jetpack and.

[Richard Harkness]

Searched, you'd find no cloud numbered nine. However, at that altitude, you'd likely befriend a flock of migrating snow geese.

[Earl Godwin]

Geese who'd encourage you to leave your.

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