Evening star., 1936-02-29
A|RMA|L REPORT
CLEARS CONCERNS
IN CONTRACT ROW
Ristine to Make No Recon-.
mendations in Probe
Findings.
FACTS TO BE GIVEN
PUBLIC WITHIN MONTH
No Criminal Offense or Civil Liza
bility Cited, Though Certain
irregularities" Mentioned.

(copyrisht. 1896. by North American
Newspaper Alliance. Irc.)
The special investigation of airmail
contracts, begun two years ago by the
Department Of Justice after Post
master General Farley's sensational
annulment order, exonerates the avia-
ton companies of both civil and GRIM
inal liability and makes no recon-
mendation for procedure against them.
The report of Col Carl c. L. Ristine,
special assistant to the Attorney Gen.
eral, who conducted the inquiry, is
nearing completion and will be SUBJ
mitted to the Attorney General and
the President probably within 80 days.
It's contents will be made public.
Col. Ristine. who has been working
quietly and with the utmost secrecy,
refused to discuss the report or to ad-
nit that it had been made Other Of
ficials Of the Department of Justice
were similarly reserved. but from other
authoritative sources the general find
ings Of the report and pertinent back
ground details were available.
It was learned that the official rou-
tine Of completing and making public
the report in a campaign year had
raised serious question of political
expediency. There were rumors that
1t would be quietly beached, perhaps
to be eased out gently on some calmer
political sea.
On the basis of the known details
Of the report, considered in relation
to the wide ramifications of the air
scandal and MIR. Farley's sudden and
overt action, political counselors have
pointed out that the Government
would be ''eating q lot OF crow" and
expose Itself to charges OF white
washing" II it turned loose the report.
But this the Government has decided
to do. regardless of the above in
ferences. and it Is understood, but
not positively known, that the order
to complete and publish the report
came from the White House.
Col. Ristine's investigation, made
with the aid Of a large staff of
assistants, was conducted under the
Division Of Criminal Investigation of
the Department Of Justice. Hence it
was concerned with possible offenses
against criminal or civil law, as in
volved in the previous charges of
collusiye bidding for airmail contracts
and violation of legal requirements
for competitive bidding. No GRIM
inal offense is charged and there is
no citation of civil liability or obliga-
ton against the air companies. There
is no recommendation for punitive
action OF any kind. There is, how
ever mention of certain irregular
tiles" in the exclusion of independent
companies from bidding.
Rumors Involve Lindbergh.
Loose rumors have been afloat that
the Ristine report would be in some
way embarrassing to Col. Charles A.
Lindbergh, technical adviser to Trans
continental Air Transport, and this
irresponsible talk hinted that this was
the cause of the Colonel's sudden de-
parture for England. It can be def
nitely stated that this is not true. Col.
Ristine saw Col. Lindbergh frequently
and questioned him in the presence of
counsel. The report, this correspon-
dent is informed, contains no hint Of
improperly on the part Of Col. Lind
bergh, his ownership of $3.50, 900
block of stock in the air company or
his $4,000 annual retainer.
Col. Ristine, tall, angular, red
headed Missourian, was brought in to
head the investigation through Senator
Bennett Champ Clark of Missouri
They have long been intimate friends
and were war "buddies." Col. Ristine
got his title in the war and is not
Kentucky Colonel" as he once had
occasion to explain, with some acerbity,
when he was so rated by a hostile
critic. One of his exploits, for which
he received great acclaim, was to To-
cate, round up and bring safely In.
through murderous fire, an entire
''lost battalion" He is lawyer of
New Lexington, Mo.
Senator Clark, backing up Senator
Hugo Black, when the latter's COM
mittee was laying down a heavy bar
rage against the air companies, sug-
eested that Col. Ristine was sufficiently
competent and sufficiently detached
from all possible political influence as
to make an ideal man to conduct the
investigation. Brusque, tight-lipped,
indefatigable, Col. Ristine has delved
(See AIRMAIL, Page ~