Mather Denies Charges Made by Sen. McCarthy

Kirtley Mather, professor of Geology, yesterday called charges by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy that he was a professor who had hidden under the Fifth Amendment "irresponsible, erroneous and character assassinating."

McCarthy had referred to Mather as one of a large group of Harvard professors "who have refused to say whether or not they are communists. This means that they are communists and under the discipline of the party, they must indoctrinate their students."

In a letter to the CRIMSON, Mather, who was called in secret session before the Jenner Committee last March, assorted that he told Jenner "I am not now and never have been a member of the Communist Party."

"I wish very much that Senator Jenner would release to the public the full transcript of the questions and answers that constituted the six minutes of my appearance in the closed hearing on March 26, 1953, but I doubt if he will ever do so."

"Senator McCarthy and his staff have free access to all the records of the Jenner Subcommittee and if he had any question about me he could easily have ascertained the facts."

Mather said yesterday that the questions asked him at the Jenner hearings were entirely about his own activities and had nothing to do with Harvard. "To my surprise not one question asked of me had any reference whatsoever to Harvard, to any student or faculty organization at Harvard or to the activities of any of my past or present acquaintances connected with Harvard."

Mather, who said yesterday that he had never had any contact with McCarthy at all, stated that he planned to let "nature take its course" in regard to any explanation from McCarthy about the Senator's charge.

Before he testified last March, Mather had openly admitted receiving a subpoena and had told reporters that he would cooperate fully before the committee. "I will be glad to cooperate to the fullest extent of my knowledge in any legitimate investigation that the committee wishes to make."