In 1952 Schine published a six-page
anti-communist pamphlet called "Definition of Communism" and had a copy placed in every room of his family's chain of hotels. Although the pamphlet contained many errors,
Time called it "remarkably succinct." The pamphlet introduced Schine to
Roy Cohn through newspaper columnist
George Sokolsky, and the two became friends. Cohn at that time was Senator
Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel, and he brought Schine onto McCarthy's staff as an unpaid "chief consultant". McCarthy-era opponents of Communism sought to stamp out material they viewed as pro-Communist. Schine and Cohn conducted a much-criticized tour of Europe in 1953, examining libraries of the
United States Information Agency for books written by authors they deemed to be Communists or
fellow travelers.
Die Welt of Hamburg called them
Schnüffler or snoops.
Theodore Kaghan, Deputy Director of the Public Affairs Division in the Office of the U.S.
High Commissioner for Germany and a target of the subcommittee, called them "junketeering gumshoes." In November 1953, Schine was
drafted into the
United States Army as a
private. Cohn immediately began a campaign to obtain special privileges for Schine. Cohn met with and made repeated telephone calls to military officials from the
Secretary of the Army down to Schine's company commander. He asked that Schine be given a
commission (which the Army refused due to Schine's lack of qualifications) as well as light duties, extra leave, and no overseas assignments. At one point, Cohn was reported to have threatened to "wreck the Army" if his demands were not met. The Army–McCarthy hearings absolved McCarthy of any direct wrongdoing, blaming Cohn alone. The exposure of McCarthy and his methods before a television audience, however, is widely considered to have heralded the beginning of the end of his career. Cohn resigned from McCarthy's staff shortly after the hearings. ==Later years==