Evening star., 1934-01-20
brown RETURNS
FILES ON A|RMA|L
Hints at "PIant" After Find
ing Papers in Personal
Belongings.
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page.)
not tell you what concern this discov-
cry caused me in view of the insinua-
tions and innuendos recently aimed at
my administration of airmail opera
tions." the letter said.
Text of Browns Letter.
The text of the letter from former
Postmaster General Brown to Post
master General Farley in connection
with the missing files follows:
Last Tuesday evening, few minutes
before the leaving time Of the train
was taking to keep a pressing business
engagement in Ohio, I opened for the
first time a box of books, printed re-
ports and personal correspondence which
members Of my personal staff In the
Post Office Department had packed for
me late in February last year. My pur-
pose in opening the box at that time
was to provide myself with copies OF
the Senate documents on alrmau ana
ocean mail printed at the suggestion
of Senator Mcclellan two years ago,
also copies of the hearings before the
Appropriation COMMITTEES OF the House
and Senate relating TO the air and ocean
mail services which I had directed my
secretary to place in the box. I planned
spending some of the time on my rail-
road journey refreshing my memory
with respect to the details of ocean and
air mail contracts in anticipation Of
being called to testify before the Senate
Committee of which Senator Black is
chairman.
Finds Official Files.
when got the box opened, the lid
Of which had been held in place by
more than 20 long screws, was amazed
to find among the mass Of books,
printed reports, and personal correspond
ence, two files of official correspondence.
one labelled air mall, and the other
merchant marine need not tell you
what concern this discovery caused me
in view of the insinuations and in
nuendos recently aimed at my admins
tration Of airmail operations.
THE task of separating out and pack
ing my personal correspondence and be-
longings last February was entrusted to
the members of my personal staff, Mr..
Mcpherson. Mr.. Martin, Miss Mummen-
hoff and the departmental messengers,
all of whom wers capable, loyal and
honest public servants. They had ex-
plicit instructions from me to leave
every official paper in its place in the
departmental filing cases. My personal
correspondence and papers I directed
should be removed from the files, care
fully examined the portion that had no
permanent interest or value destroyed,
and the residue packed and sent to the
Shoreham Hotel.
Three Theories Advanced
"One Of three theories would account
for the inclusion of these official files
with my personal books and papers.
First, that the official files were placed
in the box above described through
careleSsness on the part of some men,
Der of my personal staff. Inquiries
which I have been able to make con-
vince me that this theory is altogether
improbable. Second, that the official
files were placed in the box above de-
scribed Intentionally by some one Of my
personal staff. No motive that would
old child can be assigned for such an
action. All official letters written by
the Postmaster General during my
service were accompanied by three car
bon copies, one Of which was placed in
the Postmaster Generals file, one In
the file of the chief clerk. and. If the
subject matter of the letter was air.
mail or ocean mail, the third carbon
was filed in the bureau of the Second
Assistant Postmaster General. Remov-
ing the carbon copies of official let
ters from the Postmaster Generals file
could not possibly operate to suppress
the contents of such letters. since the
other two carbon copies would remain
@F 49, nv,t
Removing any official files relating
to the airmail and merchant marine
from the departmental cases. Of course,
could not fail to be a diSService to me-
particularly when committee Of Con-
gresS was investigating the air and
ocean mail operations. Moreover,
never wrote or received an official let
ter dealing with the air or ocean mail,
or any other subject, which I was not
willing the whole world should see. I
therefore dismiss the theory that these
official files were placed in the box with
my private papers Intentionally by any
member of my personal staff. There
remains only one other theory. to wit,
that these official files were surreptt-
tiously placed among my personal pa
pers at the instigation Of some one who
was engaged in a conspiracy Of char
acter assassination. There is some evi-
dence to support this theory.
Box Was in Storage.
1.-THE box which contained these files,
after it was packed and closed was sent
to the storeroom of the Shoreham
Hotel, at Washington. A few days
later, together with our household
goods, it was sent to the warehouse Of
the Security Storage Co., at Washing
ton. A few weeks later the box in
question, with the rest of our goods,
was carried by motor van to the Bar
clay Hotel, in New York, the box sup
posedly containing only my personal
papers and books, being placed in the
hotel storeroom, where it remained
until a few days ago, when 1t was
brought up to our apartment. During
the brief time that has elapsed since
the box was opened no one has had
access to its contents except Mrs.
Brown and myself. Nothing has been