Evening star., 1934-02-04
MISSING AIR FILE
NOT ALL PERSONAL
Airways Manager Says
MacCracken Selected Let
tiers to Be Removed.
Continued From First Page.)

WI v W w IlVIIIUVCus
Continued From First Page)
MacCracken's Office when in Washing
ton and dictated letters. He G.dn't
tell me to take out Western Air Ex-
press correspondence.
Brittin Picked Some.
But Glvvin repeatedly insisted that
1t was MacCracken and not himself
who picked out the papers to be re-
moved from the files. On the ether
hand. Col. Brittin said he himself
selected those which he took and later
destroyed.
Altogether, the disclosures with
respect to removal of pa pers from the
files of the former Assistant Secretary
OF Commerce make this question stand
out as the most important aspect of
the Senate proceeding against him
when he appears before the bar to-
morrow. 1t has been announced that
clients of MacCracken have waived
the claim of privilege as between
lawyer and client and that Mac
Cracken will not stand in the way of
the production Of his files to the
Senate Committee. He is expected to
purge himself of any charge of being
recalcitrant on this score.
On the other hand, it is clear that
Senator Black, and at least some of
the members CT the Investigating COM
mlttee, Will contend that when Mac
Cracken, IN disregard as alleged of
the Senate Committee subpoena is
sued "wednesday, opened up his files
TO ofhclals Of two aircraft companies,
and as represented aided in having
papers removed, he exposed himself
to proceedings fer contempt Of the
Senate
Pertaining to Contracts.
1t was apparently with this in mind
that Senator Black as he examined
Glvvin, kept stressing the point that
number of the papers presented by
Givvin were not personal. Some of
them were letters of authority for
aviation operations from the Depart
ment Of Commerce Others pertained
TO alrmail contracts Part were un-
signed, but were evidently written bv
One document which commanded
notice of the committee was an un-
dated memorandum from Hanshue to
MacCracken and to J. Frye, vice pres
loent OF TTanscontincntal and West
ern Air. Extracts from this memo
randum were:
The deal for the Aero Corporation
was hardly completed when we we're
advised by the Postmaster General
that we must sell the Standard Air
Line to Aviation Cooperation and
combine our Kansas City and San
Francisco division with 7. A. T. This
did not set well with cur directors,
and they advised me 10 stand pat
and insist on the Post Office DEPART
ment giving US mail On cur potion
of the two transcCntirental How
ever, after several conferences with
the Postmaster General l could see
that this could not be done without
a battle, which might upset tenn
porarily the whole plan. and work a
hardship on every one in The inaustry,
SO l consented TO make an attempt to
merge the pl lope-lles Of the 7. "a. T.
ana w. A. E on the central tram
continental on a $3.50 bass"
10 sum up, the directors NJ.
pleased with the deal given t4.--4 l.
the Postmaster General nor Wa l..
merger with T. A T. whe:CbY IL
lose their most valuable asset, {.
Alhambra Airport; nor with tive
phases of the agreement with the
Aviation Corporation; nor with the
fact that they have to negotiate a
loan to meet obligations brought
about by agreements. the emoluments
OF which they consider of doubtful
value"
Considered Personal.
do you consider that personal?"
asked Senator Black
Yes. do 1t was signed by Mr..
Hanshue"
Senator Black pointed out the
memorandum dealt purely With mat
tiers before the Post Office Department
relating to airmall contracts and
related questions
And that's the type of document
you considered personal as you went
through the flles?" persisted Senator
Black
taken out" replied the witness mfr.
MacCracken decided that"
But he added that he went on the
assumption that all letters, telegtams
and other papers signed by Mr.. Han
shue should not have been in Mac
Crackens files at all and I considered
them personal in that respect"
A humorous aspect was given to
the proceedings by revelations con-
cerning the manner in which two
post Office inspectors kept rigid guard
over the files in MacCracken's Office
subsequent to the issue of the SUBJ
poena on him by the committee We'd
nesday.
Left for Lunch
Senator Black was seeking to make
the most of the fact that material was
taken from the files after Office hours
Thursday evening. Post Office In
spector J. A. Bradley. one Of the two
inspectors supposed to guard the files
Wednesday. Thursday and Friday, tes-
titled that he and his colleague vert
out to lunch together each day about
noon and left the Office unguarded for
VI all IlOuI-
Nothing was developed as to what
happened to the files in their absence.
Col Brittin did not recall at what
hour he obtained letters from the
files. but said it was IN the course Of
office hours and he saw no post office
inspectors. He said he took the pa
pers to his Office and tore them up.
He said he had taken out about half
dozen letters which he considered
personal. But when pressed, he ad-
mitted he took the letters because he
did not desire to have them laid be-
fore the committee. Col Brittin did
not seek to lay any Of the RESPONSE
bility for his action on MacCracken.
but said Frederick Lee. partner Of
MacCracken, permitted him to see the
files.
Mailed to New York.
(YiVVin estimated that he uaS n,