Evening star., 1934-04-18
PROBE MAY BRING
PERJURY CHARGES
Writ Investigator Will Insist
on inquiry by U. S.
Attorney.
BY the Associated Press.


charges Of revolutionary talk within
the brain trust"
Representative Somers, Democrat,
of New York, said he would insist on
an inquiry by United States Attorney
Leslie Garnett to determine "if there
Is any question of perjury involved"
In testimony given before the Writ
Investigating Committee.
Six witnesses fatty denied before
, the committee yesterday that they
had talked of revolution at a dinner
party at which DR.. Writ also was a
guest.
Without further testimony, Demo-
cratic members of the committee were
ready to end their investigation late
today and bring in mo revolution"
verdict. But the Republican minority
on the committee. Representatives
McGugin of Kansas and Lehlbach of
New Jersey-held out for testimony
by higher Government officials, in
cluding DR.. ReXford Guy Tugwell,
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture.
Senator Connally, Democrat, of
Texas joined Somers in the demand
for an investigation by the district
attorney, asserting that persons who
talk as DR.. Writ did before the House
Committee should be prosecuted.
The committee chairman, Repre-
sentative Bulwinkle, Democrat, Of
North Carolina, said the committee
| could not prosecute DR.. Writ for
perjury, but there is no reason why
the district attorney and the grand
jury shouldn't be able to take notice
of the case" He added, however
that the committee likely would make
no request for an investigation by the
district attorney.
Would Question Tugwell.
The two Republican committeeman
argued for calling as witnesses DR..
Tugwell, DR.. Frederic C. Howe, Farm
Administration consumers counsel;
William l. Westervelt of Chicago, a
former Farm Administration worker,
and about half the leading officials
Of the administration
DR.. Wirts allegations the Repub-
lican members contended, were not
sufficiently answered by the denials of
the six dinner guests that they said
the things he quoted them as saying.
Meantime, Representative O'Connor
of New York, one of the three Demo-
Gratis on the five-man committee, OBJ
served that DR.. Writ should not let
any one sell him Brooklyn Bridge
Discussing testimony about the Vir-
ginia dinner where DR. Writ says
revolution" was talked and where the
other six diners say DR.. Writ did all
the talking O'Connor said:
DIR. Writ frankly admitted that he
never talked with DR.. Tugwell or Sec
retary Wallace or Mr.. Howe or any
other person holding any key position
in the Government.
His statements as to DR.. Tugwells
views are reminiscent OF the famous
Tinker-to- Evans to- Chance play-only
DR.. Tugwell is shortstop, ex-Gen. Wes-
tervelt is playing second. DR.. Writ is
at first and the gentleman from Kan
sas (McGugin) is batboy.
Advises Return TO Gary.
my personal advice to DR.. Writ is
that he return to that smoking City
of Gary, Ind, and not again visit my
City of New York; otherwise somebody
is likely to sell him the Brooklyn
Bridge"
Almost every statement DR.. Writ
said he heard at the Virginia dinner
other guests yesterday. There was one
exception. Miss Hildegarde Kneeland
conceded that she was opposed to re-
turning to the conditions of 1926.
1t was Miss Kneeland to whom DR..
Writ attributed most OF the remarks
made at the dinner about revolution
and DR.. Tugwell's beliefs and ideals.
Yet the completed official records
today showed that on 26 separate in
stances she answered II did not" che
did not" or 1T was not" to committee
questions about whether such state
ments were made.
Miss Barrows Positive.
Miss Alice Barrows, hostess at the
dinner, was just as positive, saying:
"At no time during that whole eve
ming or dinner did I hear the names
of Kerensky, or Stain, or DR.. Tugwell,
or Secretary Wallace, or the President.
mentioned. This whole situation.
has been a great shock to me. 1t was
inconceivable that any one whom I
had known for 20 years should so
violate the principles of hospitality
and friendship and bring false charges
again his fellow guests and my
friends"
Besides Miss Kneeland and Miss
Barrows those who said Wirt's pre-
vious testimony was untrue were:
Miss Mary Taylor, economist of the
consumers counsel of the Farm Ad-
ministration
Laurence Todd, Washington, repre-
sentative Of Tass, the Soviet official
news agency.
Robert Bruere. chairman of the
Textile Code Advisory Committee
under N. r. A.
| David Cushman Coyle, engineer of
the Public Works Administration.
| Here are brief quotes from the testi-
mony of the six witnesses:
Miss Barrows-"When DR.. Writ
made his charges last Tuesday was
stunned by such incredible action on
the part of some one whom I had
always considered friend"
Miss Kneeland: During that en-
tire evening, I did not mention DR..
Tugwell's name or the name of Sec
retary Wallace and I do not recall
any one else mentioning either of
those names"
Miss Taylor: "Dr. Writ really had
no conversation. The monologue con-
tinued, first on education during the
dinner hour and next on the def1a-
tion OF the dollar after dinner, with
only an occasional interruption and
it struck me that at any time ques-
ton was raised or presented to him
and his recitation stopped. that he as
sumed most panied expression"
Todd Issues Denial.
Todd: Il deny categorically that
called the President only the Ker-
ensky Of this revolution-a statement
attributed to me by DR.. Writ. did
not say that the President was in the
middle of swift stream. made no
mention of the President until on the
way home referred to him as a