EDITORIAL

THE DANGER OF HIRING HETEROSEXUAL, MEN AND WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WHERE VULNERABILITY TO INTIMIDATION AND BLACKMAIL MUST BE CONSIDERED IS VIVIDLY CONFIRMED IN THE RECENT CASE OF FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER IRVING CHAMBERS SCARBECK. MR. SCARBECK WAS ARRESTED BY JUSTICE DEPT. AGENTS JUNE 13, 1961, IN WASHINGTON

WHERE HE HAD RETURNED FROM HIS POST AS SECOND SECRETARY IN THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN WARSAW.

HE HAD ADMITTED TURNING OVER CLASSIFIED INFORMATION TO AN AGENT OF POLAND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. SAID SENATOR J. WM. FULBRIGHT (D) OF ARKANSAS, "IT'S A VERY SAD AND DISTRESSING DEVELOPMENT. I UNDERSTAND THE ROOT OF THE TROUBLE WAS A WOMAN. I WAS INFORMED A POLISH BLONDE SEDUCED HIM AND THEN BLACKMAILED HIM." WELL, WE'RE NOT SURPRISED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME A HETEROSEXUAL HAS PROVEN TO BE A POOR SECURITY RISK. CASE AFTER CASE IS BROUGHT TO LIGHT; YET THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOTHING TO PREVENT THIS MENACE. SCARBECK, A NATIVE OF BROOKLYN, HAS BEEN WARRIED TWICE. HIS PRESENT WIFE AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN, INCLUDING 2-YEAR-OLD TWINS, ARE NOW WITH THE WIFE'S MOTHER IN GERMANY. WHAT A PERFECT SET-UP!

LINCOLN WHITE, STATE DEPARTMENT PRESS OFFICER, IMPLIED THAT THE INFORMATION TRANSMITTED TO POLAND WAS IMPORTANT. ASKED IF THE CASE WAS OF MAJOR SIGNIFICANCE, NR. WHITE REPLIED: "ANY ESPIONAGE IS OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE."

"I DO NOT THINK THE CASE WOULD HAVE GONE TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IF UNITED STATES SECURITY HAD NOT BEEN INVOLVED," MR. WHITE ADDED.

THE MORE SERIOUS PART OF THE MATTER IS THAT BY NOW IT SHOULD BE WELL KNOWN THAT HETEROSEXUALS ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO BLACKMAIL. BUT VERY LITTLE PROGRESS SEEMS TO BE MADE IN ENLIGHTENING THE PUBLIC OR THE GOVERNMENT TO THE SITUATION. THE PRESENCE OF HETEROSEXUALS IN GOVERNMENT WORK DOES OPEN THE DOOR TO INTIMIDATION AND BLACKVAIL. FOR THIS REASON THERE SHOULD BE REGULATIONS TO MINIMIZE THE HIRING OF HETEROSEXUALS FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OR RETAINING THEM IN GOVERNMENT JOES.

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