Keating Urges Standard Procedure For All Investigating Committees

Congressional committee have a definite, justifiable role in investigation for laws, but they "should not lead us into excesses," Rep. Kenneth B. Keating (R.N.Y.) said at the Harvard Student Bar Association lecture last night.

Keating proposed that, to avoid such excesses, procedure in investigating committees should be standardized. "Procedure is equally important with substance," he said. He cited as examples the rules set up by his subcommittee on the investigation of the Department of Justice.

Such formalized rules would provide recourses to people or groups who feel their reputations have been damaged, he said in answer to a question from the floor. The question referred to statements made by Senator, Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wis.) yesterday, to the effect that "Harvard is a sanctuary of Fifth Amendment cases."

Keating said he hadn't heard of McCarthy's statement, and added "I certainly doubt that such a statement was made." But he noted that, "People all the time are making irresponsible statements. If they make them, I don't know what you can do about them."

Under his proposal, however, such third parties could reply in committee, he pointed out. In his subcommittee, persons who believed their reputations damaged by witnesses could file sworn statements or appear personally to refute the charges, submit questions to be put to the witness, or call up witnesses in their own behalf.