Monday, Jun. 08, 1953

The Shadow-Jumpers

In the course of spotlighting security risks in Government jobs, Republican Washington has begun to develop men who jump at shadows. Shadow-jumping caused the State Department to pocket-veto the nomination of Mildred McAfee Horton, distinguished educator and ex-WAVE commander, to the United Nations' Economic & Social Affairs Commission (TIME, June 1). Last week shadow-jumping accounted for another victim: Chicago Investment Banker David Lee Shillinglaw, in the running for an appointment to the U.N.'s Economic & Social Council. This time the jumpy one was a U.S. Senator, Illinois-Republican Everett Dirksen.

Shillinglaw, an old Republican hand who has contributed to and worked for the Illinois G.O.P. for 20 years, has a deep interest in foreign affairs, is president of Chicago's International House. A former state commander of the American Legion, he worked hard and effectively in the Eisenhower campaign. After the election, he asked his friend Everett Dirksen to sponsor him for an appointment to UNESCO. Dirksen agreed, and things looked set, particularly because Shillinglaw was also an old friend of Under Secretary of State Donold Lourie.

Then Shillinglaw's clearance got bogged down in federal security procedure. The FBI called Sponsor Dirksen's attention to Shillinglaw's membership in the Institute of Pacific Relations, which the Senate Internal Security (McCarran) Subcommittee had found to have been infiltrated by Communist sympathizers. Shillinglaw said that he had satisfied himself that the I.P.R. had purged itself of subversive elements. But Dirksen, fearful of objections in the Senate, especially by McCarran and Joe McCarthy, asked Shillinglaw to withdraw anyway. Replied Shillinglaw: No--"It's a matter of honor."

Last week Dirksen's office made it clear to Dave Shillinglaw that, as far as Dirksen is concerned, Shillinglaw is no longer a candidate for the U.N. job.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.