Evening star., 1934-02-03
A!RWAYS OFFICIAL
STATES He BURNED
PERSONAL PAPERS
Brittin Tells Senate Com
mjttee He Did Not Want
Them Examined.
M'CRACKEN PREPARES
ANSWERS FOR SENATE
Hoover Cabinet Figure, Under Ar
rest, Will Face Bar
Monday.
By the Associated Press.

by lllt hSSONldLVN lN9o'
Pushing its inquiry into the removal
of correspondence from the office OF
William P. MacCracken, jr.. the Sem
ate Airmail Investigating Committee
learned today from L. H. Brlttln, vice
president of Northwest Always, that
he took "about half dozen papers,
purely personal and tore them up
as 1 would any other papers.
Brittin was summoned along with
Gilbert Given. secretary to Harris M.
Hanshue, president of Transcontl-
mental & Western Air, to tell about
taking correspondence from Mac
Cracken's files.
MacCracken. Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for AeronauticS in the
Hoover administration, was arrested
last night and then freed on the per-
sonal bond of his attorney, Frank
Hogan. to appear before the Senate
Monday to explain his refusal to give
the committee access to airmall rec
ords
Chairman Black of the committee
asked Brittin if he went to look over
the files because he knew the Senate
Committee had a subpoena outstand-
ing covering MacCracken's alrmall
correspondence
You went because you did not
want the Senate Committee to get
those parts of the flles?" Black de-
manded
Yes" Brittin answered. explaining
he wanted to avoid public eXamina-
ton of the correspondence.
Tore Papers Up.
ct took them to my Office and tore
them up as l would any other papers" "
Brittin said Frederick P. Lee, Mac
Cracken's partner did not protest"
removal of the papers.
Then he agreed for you to take
the files?'
He did not protest, Senator"
Denying that he had been advised
by counsel to obtain the papers, Brittin
said II he had had such advice he
probably wouldn't have done so.
The converting of the Senate air.
mail investigators this morning came
unexpectedly.
Before the committee yesterday.
MacCracken had testified that Brittin
and Given had called at his Office
ence." although all his Office records
relating to airmail contracts had been
subpoenaed by the Senate Committee.
Given was quoted yesterday as say
ing he had mailed his correspondence
to Hanshue in New York. and Han
shue was notified he would be held re-
sponsible for them.
Black questioned Brittin about a
telegram received from MacCracken
on January 81, asking him if he
wished to waive claim of a privileged
status for correspondence between
them.
Brittin said he acquiesced in the
committees request within "a hours"
He told of going to MacCracken's
Offices in the National Press Building
Thursday to obtain personal matters
mixed up with the Northwest file"
Il took about half a dozen papers,
purely personal" he said.
These letters were in the North
west Airways' file, were they not?"
Black asked.
They were in that folder" was the
reply.
Brittin added that they had no
business being there.
Black Questions Witness.
Black questioned him as to other
correspondence in the file. particu-
larly regarding a Washington airmail
conference called by former Post
master General Walter F. Brown in
1880.
The correspondence removed. Brit
tin testified, was written in 1880.
Brittin baked at saying to whom
the letters were addressed, insisting
they were purely personal,
They couldn't be very personal if
they we're left in MacCrackens f1le,"
Black said.
1T was the day after you tore up
these papers that you notified Mr.
MacCracken he was at liberty to turn
over these files to the commNtee,
wasn't it?" Black asked.
Il notified him subsequently,"
J. A. Bradley, Post Office Depart
ment inspector, testified that as rep
resentative of the committee he was
IN MacCracken's office until about 6
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column 81