, 1935-10-27
Behind the
Scenes in
Washington
By RODNEY DUTCHKR
Brownsville Herald Washington
Mmmmmm mmmMwwM

BY RODNEY BUTCHER
Brownsville Herald Washington
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1T-If ttm
late Senator Huey LnnR-whn u1An
a strong admirer OK the lata Brum
son Cutting-were still alive. tha
next session w congress might ba
an uncomfortable for Senator
Dennis Chavez of New Mexico.
As q matter OF fact. the position
of Senator Chavez isn't any too
comfortable wen right now. FOR a
senator from New Mexico must
have many and frequent contacts
with the Department OH interior
and N Is 70 his advantage that the
relations be amlable. The inside
story is this:
Chavez was the democratic ex-
congressman who contested tho
election OF Cutting and was np-
polntel 70 the seat after Cutting
had been killed IN an airplane crash
Secretary Ickes subsequently hired
Edward nj. Puryear. Cuttings secre-
tary, rs his director of personnel
Much 70 the disgust * Chavez
Very soon Chavez was appearing
NC the White House and the Dem
ocratic National Committee with
charges that Puryear was secretly
active In republican politics. Ito
demanded Puryear's dismissal.
That put the valiant IrkeS. who
likes Puryear and his ability. more
than ever ON the spot. Not long
on White House and other inilu-
ence which had demanded the scalp
or his valued aide. Ebert K. Bur
lew, and his battles with Jim Far
ley have been notorious.
~ he were found ID be hRrboring
u COP spy in "a key position ~
would be just too bad.
Called Fake and Frame
Chavez submitted Is evidence q
purported contract In which th@
Republican National COMMITTEES was
represented a. offering IA William
Wlghtman Phillips 500 a week Tor
political publicity work I'm New
Mexico and other southwestern
states. Accompanying this was a.
typewriter memorandum III which
the writer said " the terms weren't
satisfactory to Phillips, Mrs O."
(which Chavez insisted meant Cut
tinR's mother probably would %
clad 70 contribute something extra.
The memo was signed by type
writer with the letter p (Which
Chavez insisted was the signature
| or Puryear).
Ickes assigned Louis CLAWS. the
New Deals most celebrated inFestl-
gator. to the case. CLAWS assumed
he had 4 frameup or his hands.
Neither contract nor Nero hm
found, could have come from Nny
typewriter In OF near Puryearn o.
flee.
Government paper had been used,
but Bureau of Standards experrI
said IL wasn't any of Tie types
used IL Interior. Republican Ma
tiOnal Committee officials EnUrted
nc the documents as IN fake.
evidence Falls Flat
Then the Claws sleuthg located
Phillips By a remarkable coinri-
/ dence In turned out that Phillips
was living In the apartment O.
cupied by Joseph Martinez, BccrU-
tary To Senator Chavez, and at
times by Dennis Chavez Jr. The
home of Mr.. Phillips was, IN fact,
a sort or hangout for the Chavez
rrrniru u,an taken nSidn. He said
he didn't know Puryear and hAd
never seen him. He had had .
couple w telephone calls from n
man who said he was Puryenr. He
had found the contract an ma
mailbox and had shown ~ -
Martinez. who urged him w SnoW
~ tO Senator Chavez. which me dln.
Another man who had been men,
toned In the document as q posi-
BE candidate FOR q Republican Ma
tlonal Committee job turned out tc
be I'M taxi driver.
And on the basis OF "A report from
Claws, Tckes completely exonerat-
ed hts director oi personnel.
Fend Likely t0 Go ON
High officials III the IckeS organ
lzatIon and other friends 0f Pur-
year are feeling pretty hot about
the incident Relations with the
office OF Senator Chavez are dis
tinctly strained.
III may or may not be significant
that Young MIR. Teab0t Chavez. "A
cousin or the senator. very recently
resigned ITS minor Job in the IN
terror Department
Probably You viii hear more oi
the Chavez Puryear feud. III one
accepts the official theory that Pur-
year was the object of an attempt
ed frameup, the incident may be
counted as the boidest effort 10
get an Official here that has come
w light In a long time.