Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-14
G. O. P. Chairman Says He
Will Not Produce Records,
Under Terms of "Duty."
LATER DETERMINES
TO LOOK UP RIGHTS
Witness Says President Hoover
Favors Better Offer for
Shoals Than Made.
Nv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Claudius H. Huston, chairman Of the
Republican national committee, became
involved in a heated exchange with
Senator Blaine Of the lobby committee
today over the question of Huston's OBJ
tanning records of the Tennessee River
Improvement Association which com.
mittee members had asked for.
Huston lost the calm that has char
acterized his appearance before the
committee after Blaine had intimated
that he might object to statement that
the Republican chairman said he wished
to place in the record.
Huston reminded the committee that
he had offered to obtain files from j.
W. Worthington, who is executive sec
rotary of the Tennessee River Improve
ment Association, and asked permission
when he had done that to place In the
record a statement explaining any Of
the data.
Blaine replied that it was not Gus
tomary to permit witnesses to place
statements in the record unless they
were subjected to questioning concern
ing the statements.
I'VE haven't asked you to do It'll"
Blaine asserted. 1T is your duty to
have those records produced"
''All right, then, won't do it, Hus-
ton retorted, explaining that whether
it was his duty was matter of opinion.
Volunteered as Courtesy.
ST volunteered TO do work which you
can't make me do," he said. 81 don't
think it is fair to go out and get this
material and not be permitted to ex-
plain 1t, I volunteered to 60 as a
courtesy to the committee"
After the hearing ended Blaine In
Structed Huston to obtain the records
and transmit them to the committee.
Asked later whether he would do 1t,
Huston replied:
II don't know until I read the rec
ord and see what it says"
Presidents View Given.
Huston testified that he did not be-
lieve President Hoover has ever felt
that Just the right offer has been made
for Muscle Shoals"
Questioned by the committee for the
third day concerning his activities In
connection with Muscle Shoals legisla-
ton, Huston said President Hoover has
committed himself to no plan"
He added that he believed the Henry
run O1CA III uAuSCAC Noc .
wonderful opportunity for the Govern
Inent," while Hoover believed it could
be improved. He said the same was
true of the proposal of the American
Cyanamid offer to lease Muscle Shoals,
which now Is before Congress for con-
sideration. Huston is former president
Of the Tennessee River Improvement
Association, which has advocated ac-
ceptance of the Cyanamid bid.
Questioned by Senator Black, Demo-
crat, Alabama, Huston said he did not
believe the Government could success
fully operate the $l00,000,000 power
and nitrate plant.
He said the equipment now was out
of date and would have to be rejuve-
mated, and that if 1t were strapped a
congressional investigation would result.
Danger to Honesty.
Huston added it would be dif1cult for
an honest man" to overcome the
handicapS.
THE reputation of any honest man
is endangered when he goes before an
investigating committee" he asserted
1T is only endangered when his
record is not Clean" interrupted Sena-
tor Blaine, Republican, Wisconsin.
THAT sort Of man is not an honest
man." Huston answered.
Huston informed the committee that
he was willing to give it any records
that it wished in connection with the
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