Evening star., 1936-03-08
Ne,o Deal Supporters Clients
Sacrificed by Lobby Probers
Mullen Told Their Part
of Quiz Was Over.
Goes on Trip.
Then His Clients Called
in Try to Justify Tele.
gran, Seizure.
BY CARLISLE BARGERON.

The Senate Lobby Committee. faced
with an outbreak of indignation over
its seizure of some 100000 kilograms,
sacrificed the clients of President
Roosevelt,s 1882 Middle Western CAM
paign manager in an effort to justify
its procedure. it has been learned on
nimpeachable authority.
And after it had done SO, its shrewd
chairman, Senator Black Of Alabama
announced confidently to the press
that "our case Is complete. we are
prepared to go into the courts" to
defend the action to stop the seiz-
ure, brought by Silas H. Strawn,
Chicago lawyer and prominent Re-
publican.
The lawyer whose clients were sac
riflced is Arthur Mullen. who was
Democratic national committeeman
from Nebraska until the uproar
about prominent Democratic politic-
ians practicing law here developed in
1888. Along with others, he re-
signed his party affiliatlon. but has
continued to exercise the same party
influence.
After the committee had heard
last Monday one Of his clients, an
official of Henry l.. Doherty's SUBJ
salaries. Mullen was told by Senator
Black that he could 60 ahead on q
contemplated trip to Florida. which he
did. Three days later, when the
storm had broken. Black unexpect-
edly called five Doherty employees
from within and near Washington.
and from them he elected testimony
which he said justified the commit
tees action in seizing the 100000
kilograms.
The explanation now is that q
misunderstanding" existed between
him and Mullen.
Doherty Among Clients.
Doherty is foremost among the cli-
ents listed by Mullen in the lawyers
manual. He inaugurated the Presi-
dents annual birthday balls, donat-
ing Sl.OOO,O00 at the time. but on
this occasion, slightly more than two
years ago, caused the Columbia Broad
casting System some inconvenience
because no arrangements had been
made for him to appear at the White
House and introduce the President,
who was speaking on the program, as
it had been assumed he would do.
He showed up at the Columbia studios
after the President had spoken and
instead of introducing him. simply
made a brief talk telling how the pro-
gram was intended to help the infan-
tile paralysis victims.
The story of the hectic week Of
the Lobby Committee is chronology
cally as follows:
1t opened Monday following stories
printed here and there over the pre-
vious few months that 1t was to con-
duct most spectacular campaign
against the New Deals opponents.
These stories in various form, but
on which Senator Black refused to
comment even to newspaper men most
close to him, pictured the committee
investigators as having seized the tele-
grams and checked the telephone calls
of anti-New Dealers and as plan
ming to conduct spectacular raids
upon such Offices as those of the
Liberty League, the United States
Chamber of Commerce. the Sentinels
of the Republic and the National AS
sociation of Manufacturers. Whether
these stories correctly reflected the
committees doings and plans is not
known. In at least one instance they
were printed in papers which are
avowed supporters of the New Deal
Witness Was Surprise.
With this expectation in the minds
OF the reporters, the witness Monday
was, surprisingly enough, an official
of Doherty subsidiary, accompanied
by Mullen as Doherty's attorney here.
At the morning session 1t was devel-
oped he had sent some 20 kilograms
opposing, at the last session, passage
OF the holding company bill, and had
signed the names Of various people.
When it was sought to make him
admit he had forged the names Of
these people he refused to answer.
In the afternoon he reappeared and
testified his sister had Just telephoned
all Of the people whose names were
used and they had authorized the use
Of their names, so no forgery was in
volved.
At the conclusion Of this hearing,
Mullen was told by Senator Black that