Evening star., 1934-02-19

Continued From First Page)
and air passenger services in the
world and has done an irreparable
injury to the aeronautical industry, in
developing which our Government and
the public have invested hundreds OF
millions of dollars.
1T is inconceivable that the Presi-
dent of the United States, with all the
facts before him. will sanction such a
colossal injustice"
Glover With Brown.
w. Irving Glover, Assistant Post
master General, in charge of airmail
in the last administration, entered the
hearing room with Brown.
Also present was Senator Fess. Re-
publican, of Ohio, who arranged for
Browns appearance. The former
promised to waive immunity and to
permit anything he said to be used
"in any court in the land"
F'ess took a seat beside Brown as
committee members prepared to hear
him.
The former Postmaster General
chatted with a number of persons
before he began to testify.
Arch Coleman, another former AS
sistant Postmaster General, sat with
Brown.
Amplifiers had been installed so
the voices of committee members and
witnesses could be heard throughout
the large room
Brown opened a tightly-packed
brief case inches thick as he took
the stand and Chairman Black ad-
ministered the oath.
All the committee members were
present. They included Chairman
Black and Senators McCarran. Demo-
crat. of Nevada; King. Democrat. Of
Utah; Austin, Republican, of YER
mont. and White, Republican, of
Maine.
Valves Immunity.
Senator Black. lazily smoking a
cigar, sat directly facing Brown across
a table about 10 feet away.
Brown expressly stated he waived
all immunity from legal prosecution
arising from his committee testimony.
Black began his inquiry with the
appointment of Brown in 1921 by
former President Harding as chairman
of a committee to investigate the de-
STABILITY of changing and consolidat-
ing the duties of governmental de-
partments.
Tn 1907 q
pointed Assistant Secretary of Com
merce by President Coolidge. Mac
Cracken at the time was Assistant
Secretary Of Commerce in charge of
aeronautics.
Asked if he had anything to do with
airmail contracts while in this job,
Brown said he had paid no attention
to them.
"MacCracken was subordinate to
you, was he not?" Black asked.
II wouldn't say So"
Tells of Ocean Contracts.
During my term as Postmaster
General 20 ocean mail contracts were
awarded by open competitive bidding,
with the formal approval of an inter-
departmental committee created by
President Hoover consisting of the
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary
of the Navy, the chairman of the
Shipping Board and the Postmaster
General" Brown said in a second
statement read to the committee.
"All but one of these contracts were
let to the lowest responsible bidder
whose proposal met the specifications.
The one contract which was awarded
to the high bidder was so awarded at
the request of Congress set forth in
a Joint resolution duly adopted
by the terms of these contracts
the ocean mail contractors we're COM
PEELED to expend substantially all Of
their mail pay on the construction OF
new vessels.
"A magnificent fleet Of nearly 100
modern ships is being completed In
American shipyards, of American ma
terials, by American labor at an ag-
gregate outlay of approximately $780,
600, 900. This fleet, under the United
States flag today, is carrying our
commerce to every port in the world
and stands ready at all times to serve
as a naval auxiliary in time Of ma
tional emergency.
Let Contracts.
During my term as Postmaster
General, three domestic air mail con-
tracts were awarded out Of "a in all
let by the Post Office Department;
one the contract covering service from
Pasco Wash. to Seattle, via Portland,
before the passage of the McNary-
Watres act, and two contracts, cover
ing service from Atlanta to Los
Angeles via Fort Worth and Ell Paso,
and the service from New York to
Los Angeles via Pittsburg, st. Louis
and Kansas City, after the passage
of the McNary-W Watres act.
"In the letting of these contracts,
every requirement Of law was OBJ
served and no evidence whatever of
collusion between the bidders thereon
or the holders Of any other air mail
contracts appeared or was ever sug-
gested by anyone.
"Ihs two meetings Of air passage