Evening Star Newspaper, August 1, 1935, Page 4

A—4 w» CONERESSTOFACE OPENIG OF FLES Seal Plans to Bare Personali Correspondence in Lobby Probes. BY JAMES E. CHINN, Staft Correspondent of The OCEAN CITY, Md., August 1.—All members of Congress would be called | on to turn over their personal corre- spondence files to the House Rules Committee during its investigation of | lobbying in connection with the utli- | E ties holding company bill if the plnnJ considered by Elwood Seal, assistant | corporation counsel of the District, re- | cently named a special legal assistant | to the committee for the period of the inquiry, is approved. Taking Vacation. Seal is vacationing at Ocean City | § for a few days before actively under-l taking his new duties, and between dips in the surf and few fishing ex- peditions he has been working out a definite program for pushing the in: quiry. While he has not yet submitted | his plan to the committee or discussed | it with William H. Collins, former as- sistant district attorney, who will work with him on the legal aspects of the Bernard C. Robinson testi. fying before the House lobby inquiry today. He told of a telephone conversation Sunday night with Howard C. Hopson, missing witness, Gas & sought An early photo of Hopson, high official of the Associated $2,800,000 profit during the depression. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGLON. Camera Rbund-Up of Lobb’y' Witnesses Electric Co., who is to tell about his Lobby Moultrie Hitt, Washington attorney for the Associated, as he charged the Senate Committee “trick questions” to “create the wrong impression.” asked sel, it appears to be committee. The lobby inquiry may be serious to some, but to Gar- rett B. Claypool, utility coun- ing as he testifies before & D. C, THURSDAY Frank Martin, chief of the Associated Gas & Electric Co. treasury, who admitted he had “no idea” how the vast utility system operates. —A. P. and Harris-Ewing Photos. amus- inquiry, he believes it would be ap- proved. been brought up by uUnfair questioning As a foundation for the investigation | anq jmplications against us.” Seal said it would be necessary, of contdn't Tell Tt H course, for all members of Congress to | """ o : new Co-operate by placing their files at| “If you knew S.De was would | the disposal of the committee. Other- | you tell the committee?” Robinson was | wise, he pointed out, it would be im- asked. | possible for the investigators to “dig below the surface.” . Seal is planning to return to Wash- “Then we will asL:_ the question,” ington in a few davs and will lay his | O'Connor purs ed. “Do you know | plan before Chairman O'Connor of | Where he was?® the it the Rules Committee. “Personally I| “No.Ido not” ness insisted. feel” Seal said, “it will be utterly Questionng of Cramer developed | futile for the committee to proceed | lied. that he had first outlined his recom- | any further with its investigation with- | mendations to Groesbeck in his letter out definitely ascertaining the source | and then had gone to the company| of the thousands of telegrams and | offices in New York & manth or two| “Well, I—don't believe T would,” he | ¢ letters that swamped members of Congress in an effort to block action on the utilities bill. Sees One Source. “I believe that a large majority of these messages were inspired by one source, the origin of which can be de- termined by careful investigation. Such a check also will reveal whether the messages were genuine.” What Seal has in mind is to scrutinize the files of all members of Congress; care- fully check the names for duplicates and endeavor through committee ‘n- vestigators to reach the main influen- tial sources—the mastel minds—-be- hind the telegraphic bombardment in | opposition to the bill. Lol;b_v (Continued Prom First Page.) legal work I would pay better lawyers | a lot more money for.” | “I was new in Washington,” he ex- plained, “and he taught me how to use | the Congresional Record, the names of secretaries, the mechanics of the Ways | and Means Committee, introduced me to a lot of people, and so on.” Hopson Declared Sick. When he first took the stand. Robinson told the committee he talked | by telephone Sunday night with H C. | Hopson, who is sought by the Senate | Lobby Committee for questioning concerning the activities of the Asso- | eciated Gas & Electric Co. | Robinson said he did not know | where Hopson was when the conversa- | tion took place. “Mr. Hopson is not a well man. T've been told by physicians that if ! he ever developed a sore throat, he would choke to death.” Chairman O'Connor asked Robin- #on if advertisements run in Montana papers were not “to backfire against Chairman Wheeler of the Senate In- terstate Commerce Committee.” Robinson insisted his only objec- tive in the advertising was to stir up the copper industry against the utility legislation. Thinks Hopson at Some Beach. Questioned about Hopson, he said he thought he might be in Scarsdale, N. Y, or Florida. He expressed belief | he was at some beach. Robinson said he told Hopson not to tell him where he was. . Changing the subject, said: “It was a very sweet thing the committee did yesterday. An old man | being crucified and you withwashed him.” “You don't mean whitewashed, but that we were fair to him,” O'Connor said. ‘The reference was to Representative Patton, Democrat, of Texas. He testified yesterday to the House tommittee on how he purchased Gov- ernment bonds. “If Mr. Hopson gets on the stand he will have no chance,” Robinson de- | Robinson | holders, but had not discussed it with | | pledge themselves to support the pro—} ago to talk it over With an assistant | of Groesbeck's | Asked if the company official—a man named Walker—approved, Cramer | said he had agreed it was “a good | idea.” “He agreed I was wise not to have | the campaign handled by the com- panies themselves?” “That's right.” Urged “Brain Trust” Inquiry. “Do you know that every tion you made has been followed?” ‘No.” Black then began to take up the | suggestions on+ by one. The witness agreed he had sug-. gested that Congress investigate the| “Brain Trust.” Cramer said he had suggested the idea in the letter. which also was sent to Hugh 8. McGill, head of utilities | investors. an organization of utility | Walker. He agreed also he had suggested | employment of James M. Beck, former United States solicitor general, and Newton D. Baker, former Secretary of War, to oppose the administration program. “You knew about that whispering campaign months ago, didn't you?” Black asked. “No,” Cramer replied “You know you suggested that a! whispering campaign be started?” “No.” “You deny that.” “Sure.” Is Confronted With Letter. Black then produced the letter, which Cramer finally agreed he had written. Black asked if, not long after the letter was written. Cramer { %an to hear a whispering campaign | that the President was crazy?' “1 sent the letter to Magill in March,” Cramer said. “The whisper- ing campaign was only during the last two or three weeks, as I recall it.” “Did you get a secret satisfaction | that the idea originated in your brain?” Schwellenbach asked. | “I am annoyed and chagrined that I had any connection with it.” | “Are you ashamed?” “Certainly.” Cramer added that he was not sure | that his letter and the campaign were | “cause and effect,” but then went on to defend it. “The same was done in 28, 29 and *30 against Hoover,” he said Declared “Smear Hoover” Drive. “But I understand that was a ‘smear Hoover campaign.’ wasn't it?" “No,” Senator Minton, Democrat, of Indiana replied. “I think he (Michel- son) told the truth.” Minton's remark drew a ripple of laughter from the spectators. Cramer said he had talked his plan | over with G. A. Colt, a friend. and W. G. Harding, a chemist, and a few, others. He told the committee the telegram | summoning him arrived about 17| o'clock last night and about 9 o'clock | clared. “I think he is waiting until the story is over and then he will come in and clear up the points that have Now You Can Afford an Electric Range! he replied he could not come on such a short notice. He denied he had meanwhile com- For a limited time only we are making a | brain trust legislative 25 ALLOWANCE FOR YOUR OLD STOVE ON A NEW L&H ELECTRIC RANGE MODEL 8300 With this modern range you can now enjoy the comforts of cooki: small cost. There will ng by electricity at a be no charge for instal- lation. ACT NOW—as the supply is limited. NO DOWN PAYMENT—3 YEARS TO PAY J.LHARDING 517 10th. St. N.W. Nat. 2160 TWO DOORS ABOVE PEPCO BLDG. municated with the Electric Bond &1 Share Co. “engage an outstanding national figure | take your seat” Cox retorted, rising | such as Nicholas Murray Butler, Ed- | from his chair and motioning Blan- Later, about 1 o'clock, a subpena | win S. Kemmerer, James M. Beck, or | ton away. was served on him by agents of the | committee and they acompanied him | to Washington. o He testified his office was in Orange, J., in one of the buildings of the Thomas A. Edison Industries, for| which he works. Cramer said he was born 45 years | ago in Tiffin, Ohio, and educated at | the Heidelberg College in Ohio, an in- stitution he described as “operated by the Reformed Church.” Denies Aiding Advertisements. He denied he had assisted in pre- paring advertisements against the Wheeler-Rayburn bill. At the end of his cross-examination he told the committee he would be “very glad” to let the committee see his correspondence with the utility | company. | He sald the letter he had written | was his “personal responsibility,” add- | ing that “I would not like to bring any embarrassment on others that I may have brought on myself.” He was dismissed and the commit- tee recessed subject to call. Other suggestions Cramer made in his letter were: “A congressional investigation of the ‘factory,” de- | signed to expose it to public resent- | ment. “To liquidate the bureaus, including not only the alphabetical species, but all commissions. | “Support in 1936 political campaign of presidential and congressicnal candidates, regardless of party, who gram of the security owners' organi- | zation.” He svggested also a publicity cam- paign to “educate” the people to “the similarity between conditions in the United States today and those in Ger- many prior to the mark (currency) disaster.” Other Suggestions. Other suggestions were for publicity to show that “the taxes that are paid by people who think they don’t pay, any,” for stabilization of the dollar and for balancing the budget with a “quick tapering off of Federal work relief and direct relief of all kinds.” Urging development of a widespread organization, Cramer said in the let- ter: “The acknowledged failure of the New Deal experiments, as revealed by the growth in relief rolls and unem- ployment, and the growing public dis- trust, as revealed by the lack of popu- lar support to the work relief bill, in- dicate that the time is at last ripe to organize for effective opposition.” Cramer said that with a well-round- ed-out program for security owners to oppose the New Deal, “who knows but that 10 to 20 million membership and & ‘war chest’ of several times that many dollars could be obtained in 60 to 90 days?” ‘To head an organization of security holders and others “opposed” to the New Deal, Cramer suggested that officers of Electric Bond & 8Share | Democrat, of Texas, asked, Newton D. Baker, to act as mouth- | piece and release publicity empha- sizing the need for more practical methods of encouragig business re- | tempore, permitted Sellers to describe | covery and obligations upon the middle class citizenry to help.” Before the House committee, E. V. Sellers, N. R. A. employe from Texas and friend of Representative Paiton, testified he went voluntarily to Chair- man Black of the Senate committee and told about Patton's bringing a box | out of the hotel of John W. Carpenter, Texas utility man. Sellers testified before the Senate | committee he didn't believe there were cigars in the box, as Patton had n- sisted. Denies Secret Session Appearance. To the House committee Sellers de- nied he appeared before the Senate group in secret session. He testified that because some man he thought | was a detective kept following him he wanted to get his story on record. | “Isn't it & fact you smoked cigars out of the box?" Representative Dies, | “I did not,” he insisted. | Sellers was permitted to make a statement concerning his whereabouts between last Sunday and yesterday. The committee yesterday said it couldn’t find him. Sellers said he had taken a room at | a hotel across town from the one | where he and Patton had lived. but kept his former room because he had no money Sunday to pay his bill. “And vou want this committee to believe that by keeping two rooms you weren't trying to avoid being lo- cated?” Representative Cox, Demo- crat, of Georgia asked. “I'd like to make a statement about that.” Sellers replied. “And would you expect anybody to believe it?” Defended by Blanton. Representative Blanton, Democrat, | of Texas arose and remarked that | Sellers was a “good man” and added, “I'm a member of this Congress and T insist that he be permitted to make ‘ a statement.” “I don't give a damn what he is; [ { Radiator Covers INT SMUDGE. PROVIDE PRO! El 'MIDITY. BEAUTIFY HOME. 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Ideal Mayonnaise 12¢ % 23c INSTANT Self-Rising Flour s 43 B2 79 GORTON Ready to Fry 2 == 25¢ 8 ox Jar.._. e e e il Eagle Oil or Mustard Sardines, 3 =~ 13c Four $250 | Octagon Soap. .5 5% Octagon Powder, 2 ;5. 9¢c Octagon Cleanser. . . 5¢ 23c is » Premium Coupen on Every - Octagon Product o 3w 25¢ Blanton's reply was lost in the con- fusion but Representative Sabath, Democrat, of Illinois, chairman pro his activities briefly When he finished, Representative' Dies told the committee that Norris Shook, nephew of Patton, was ready to testify. The committee recessed ~|injure no one ATUGUST 1, 1935. WOMAN TESTIFIES AGAINST WHITE Detective Before Trial Board on Charge of As- sault in Arrest. Detective Frank H. White, first pre- cinct, was being tried before the Police Trial Board today on charges of assaulting Miss Lilllan Clawans, Newark, N. J, attorney, who claimed the officer struck her with his fist on the arm at police headquarters June 7. Miss Clawans said the detective also ordered a uniformed phliceman to arrest her on a disorderly conduct charge after telling her “you've ridden in the pie wagon before.” She said she told White he would have to prove she had been arrested before. Congressmen Witness. Representative Schulte of Indiana, a member of the House Crime Investi- gating Committee which recently in- quired into police conditions here, and Representative Lesinski of Michigan appeared as character witnesses for White. Schulte said he had known the detective personally for several years | and that he was a “gentleman in‘; every respect, a credit to the Police | Department and a man who would | any time, man, ‘woman or child.” | | Lesinski testified White's reputation was good and that he was not excit- | able. Miss Clawans previously had told the board she thought White was | excited when he struck her. | Miss Clawans said she posted $25 | collateral and was released. The next | day she went to headquarters, where she told Supt. Ernest W. Brown and Inspector Frank S. W. Burke of the incident. Detective Identified. | no bruises or swelling were apparent. Ford also told the board he would show Miss Clawans had brought the charges to embarrass White and pave the way later for a civil suit. CHARGES DENIED Woman Files Answer to Man's Suit for Divorce. Special Dispatch toThe Star. ROCKVILLE. Md., August 1.—In her answer to the bill of corplaint in the suit for an absolute divorce re- | cently filed in the Circuit Court here by Carl H. Matson of Takoma Park, Mrs. Nellle 8. Matson of Washington denies she obtained a fraudulent di- vorce in Nevada or that she has been guilty’ of misconduct as charged by the plaintiff. | She insists she was legally divorced | from the plaintiff in Nevada May 25, | 1935, and that on the same day she was lawfully married to the man named as corespondent. She asks to| be awarded custody of rer 9-year-old | daughter, Geraldine Matson. | FLAG RADIO PROGRAM An anti-communism radio program, sponsored by the United States Flaz Association, will be broadcast over the Columbia network from 5 to 5:15 p.m. Saturday. Senator Capper, Republican, of Kansas, described by the Flag Associa- tion'as “one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence of To- day,” will speak on “Americanism vs. Communism.” Col. James A. Moss, president gen- eral of the association, will preside. The Army Band will play. m’fl'“rhdfl % g b-a,':, 4 "‘" HAHN'S DOWN-TOWN STORES CLOSED SATURDAYS IN AUGUST, 3212 14TH ST. WILL BE OPEN until tomorrow without hearing him.| | Inspector Burke testified he investi- Meanwhile, the Senate Lobby Com- | | mittee i tentatively planning to make | §8ted and found White had arrested a tour of Southern States next week | 16 Woman. Miss Clawans, he said, | for first-hand evidence of the way in which utility companies fought the Roosevelt bill. Committee members said they were considering the trip to follow up “leads” in Asheville, N. C.: Memphis, Tenn.; Columbia, S. C., and possibly other citles. The Senate investigators yesterday heard an accountants’ tale of how $25,000,000—half of it profit—had | been “siphoned” from operating units of the Assaciated Gas & Electric Co. The testimony came on the heels | |of & presidential order that the Treasury make available to the Senate committee returns filed on income, excess profits and capital stock. The executive order also directed that any information that is submitted could be relayed to the Senate proper. o* 3 H $ $ % H * ; SWAT THE FLY The Star has for free tribution wire - handle swatters. Ask for o fice of The N.w fiy at the Main Of- tar, 11th & Pa. 000000000000 ] $ $ § : $ $ PHONE DISTRICT 5600 === picked White from several detectives | in his office and identified him as the | one who allegedly assaulted her. | Miss Clawans appeared at the trial with a bandage on her right arm, which she took off at the request of White's attorney, Charles Ford, ld‘ show her injury. Ford told the bo.rd‘ | If Your Dentist Hurts You Try DR. FIELD Plate Expert Doubie | = Suction Guarantee a Perfect Tight Fit in Any Mouth Extraction $1 and ‘2 Alse Gas Ext. Plates sl.so Repaired Up DR. FIELD 406 7th St. N.W. Plates $15t0$35 Gold Crowns 36 w Met. 9256 m ANNAPOLIS HOTEL & ubstantial sa vings on round tri T.LOUIS NEW FAST THROUGH EXPRESS! Ask abou $16£9. ES—NO CHANGES Ind'anolis 13.00 Rochester 12.00 /Also New Fast Express Service to ‘lphia 3.50 Boston .. 9.00 New Y Buffal Norfolk BUSIN Carrier, the pioneer line.” rier's business. Carrier has made others combined. to gold mines. 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