Evening star., 1936-05-03
TOWNSEND TRIP
ASSA|LED BY BELL
Probe Chairman Says Pill.
grimage Is "Another
Cruel Hoax"

Plans of the Townsend organization
to start motor caravan from Los An
geles Tuesday for a trip to Washing
ton were branded last night by Chair
man Bell of the House committee
investigating old age pension schemes
as another cruel hoax on the aged
and inf1rm people already deluded and
misled to believe the Townsend PEN
sion plan could be enacted by Con-
gress."
Bell declared the march on WASH
ington would be futile, and that 1t
has been clearly shown that Town.
send leaders, whose fertile minds
conceived this latest fantastic dream,
were primarily interested in the none
tary returns from the members for
their own personal benefits"
Il can already visualize In my own
mind that if many make the motor
trip" he said, they may suffer physi-
cal injury from such an arduous jour-
ney across the American desert at this
time of year Many may even die
prematurely on account of the rigors
of the trip"
Townsend Issues Call.
The call for the overland trip to
Washington was made in bulletin
issued over DR.. F. E. Townsend's sig
nature. Eleven mass meetings are
scheduled along the route before the
caravan reaches Washington May l6
''Of course, we would like to have
as many Townsendites as possible al
the hearings" said Bell, because we
feel that they would leave feeling as
several Eastern Townsendites did
They told me they were surprised at
the fairness and orderliness of the
hearings because of stories in the
Townsend weekly and speeches by
organizers we're to the contrary.
They will all be welcome and will
be treated cordially and fairly by this
committee, I am sure"
Bell said the latest issue of the Town
send weekly carries on its front and
back pages a large map of the United
States, outlining the itinerary OF the
trip. A large picture OF the Liberty
Bell is used to mark Kansas City, Mo.
the home of Bell. He declared he die
not know whether this was AN at
tempt at levity or just an idea oi
ridicule."
Scheduled to Testify.
DR.. Townsend is scheduled to ap-
pear before the committee when II
resumes its hearings Tuesday at 1C
am.
Members of a subcommittee who
have been holding hearings In Cali
fornia and Michigan will return tc
Washington with new testimony to be
used as a basis for questioning the
elderly retired California physician
who proposed payment OF 5000 month
ly pensions to all over so.
Into the record will be inserted
1,1e7,53s af1davits from members oi
3.464 Townsend Clubs which Repre-
sentative Tolan, Democrat, of Cali
fornia said he had received in protest
against the investigation.
Representatives Gavagan, Democrat
of New York and Collins, Republican
geles hearings, while Representative
Hoffman, Republican. of Michigan in.
vestigated Townsend activities ir
Michigan.
AS the full committee prepared tc
resume open hearings, directors of the
Townsend movement. meeting in Balti-
more. said their national convention
this Summer in Kansas would be "the
answer of the Townsend Clubs and
the Townsend Legion to the congress
sional investigation"
James r. Sullivan, special commit
tee counsel, who has been in Los An
geles with Gavagan and Collins, has
indicated the recent questioning of
Robert E. Clements, co-founder of the
organization and former national Sec
retary. was background work for the
examination of Dr. Townsend.