Evening star., 1935-06-21
ROPER ANSWERS
MITCHELL CHARGE
At SENATE PROBE
Describes 0usted Aide as of
Exceedingly Suspicious
Temperament"
COMMERCE SECRETARY
IN SWEEPING DEFENSE
sit Has Been My Aim to Carry
Out Will of Congress-" He
Tells Senators.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Secretary Roper went before the
Senate Commerce Committee today to
reply to charges made against his ad-
ministration by his Geposed Assistant
Secretary of Commerce, Ewing Y.
Mitchell.
The Commerce Department head
described Mitchell as man Of "ex-
ceedingly suspicious temperament"
and prone to treat every rumor or
unsupported statement as true
He took the stand after Mitchell, in
his third day Of testimony, had made
allegations of bribery and dry rot"
in the Steamboat Inspection Service.
He charged that steamboat inspectors
at San Juan were paid 'gratuities,"
and that large amounts Of fines as
sessed against shipping companies for
violations of maritime regulations
were remitted by the department.
Members Show Respect.
Secretary Roper made a sweeping
defense OF his administration while
WAOAA q
respectful attitude not characteristic
of their reaction to the deposed as
sisant's testimony.
1T has been my aim," Roper said,
''to carry out the will of Congress as
expressed in the various enactments
having to do with the several bu-
reauS"
VNYYT1aIAoY- 81
tators and fewer committee members
were on hand for the days proceed
irgs. Among those in attendance,
however, was Joseph B. Weaver, di-
rector of the Commerce Departments
Bureau of Navigation and chief of the
Steamboat Inspection Service, who
sat not far from the witness, listen
ing closely.
He is attacking my department,
don't bother me now," he told re-
porter who sought to question him.
Weaver was expected to take the
stand during the day to reply to some
OF Mitchell's charges.
Mitchell Cites Lykes Case.
AS soon as the hearing today
opened Mitchell cited the case of the
steamer Margaret Lykes. operated by
the Lykes Bros. Lines in the Gulf OF
Mexico
Mitchell told the committee that at
one time it was permitted to sail with
only two of its four propeller blades
in condition, and that it repeatedly
had been passed by inspectors after
an inspection of only three hours,
when "a thorough inspection would
require five or six hours"
Has any one testified" Senator
White, Republican, of Maine de-
manded, "that it is unsafe to sail with
a two-blade propeller? You know
there are two-blade propellers, three
blade propellers and four-blade pro-
pellers."
Before Mitchell could reply, another
Republican committee member, VAN
denberg of Michigan, sought from the
witness information concerning charges
of repeated waivers of fines in the case
of the Pacific Steamship Lines, Ltd,
q Pacific Coast operator.
ReciteS Old Testimony.
Despite demands of committee
members that he disclose new facts"
not already made public in various
hearings, Mitchell continued to recite
testimony brought out at earlier
hearings.
He declared that during Post
Office Department investigation it was
brought out ir testimony of the first
officer of the steamer Margaret Lykes,
q passenger and freight carrier, that
the San Juan, Puerto Rico, inspection
in August of 1888 was incomplete.
"A5 the instance of Secretary Roper,
the Department OF Justice detailed a
special agent TO investigate" Mitchell
testified after examining TIE rec
ords of Lykes Pros. at Galveston,
Tex, the special agent reported that
out of IA annual inspections Of six
vessels made by steamboat inspectors
at San Juan, the record showed the
steamboat inspectors were paid eIatu-
tiles in six instances totaling $500
I'm four other instances, gratuities
(See MITCHELL, Page A.