Evening star., 1940-02-05
BULLETIN.

BULLETIN.
Representative Starnes, Demo-
crat, of Alabama declared with
emphasis today that the Dies
committee had never accused any
member of Congress of "a plot"
against it's continuance: He
spoke before the House Rules
Subcommittee which dug into the
career of David Mayne, WASH
ington man whom the Dies COM
mittee once employed to hunt for
William Dudley Pelley and now
stands accused of forging letters
which linked Representative Dies
to the missing leader of the Sill
yer Shirts.
Representative Hook, Democrat, Of
Michigan refused today to "concede
ANYTHING" as to the invalidity of
letters purporting to link Chairman
Dies of the House Committee In
vestigating Un-American Activities
to William Dudley Peley, Silver
Shirt leader.
Mr.. Hook told a House Rules Sub
committee that even if the docu-
ments were forged, their inclusion
in the Congressional Record did not
violate the House rules.
He was the first witness before
the subcommittee, considering a
resolution by Representative Hoff-
man. Republican, of Michigan to
expunge the material from the
record.
Mr.. Hoffman. speaking in behalf
of his resolution, told the committee
that, even assuming the documents
were genuine, Mr.. Hooks remarks
we're improper because they reflected
on a member-Mr. Dies-who was
not on the House floor at the time
and was confined to his home by
| illness.
Public Opinion Cited.
Mr.. Hoffman said the remarks
connected Mr.. Dies with trickery
and with "subverting" the power
given him by the House when 1t
authorized the investigation.
He contended, too, that remarks
published in the Congressional Rec
ord frequently were given undue
weight" by the thousands of persons
| throughout the country who read
them "and so countered any good
that the Dies committee may have
done"
In the background of the "Pelley"
letter furor was discussion OF a din
ner at the home of Gardner jack
son, legislative representative OF
labor's Non-Partisan League, where
plot" against Mr. Dies allegedly
was cooked up.
Mr.. Hook said today he thought
the date of the dinner was Janu-
ary 16.
You discussed ways and means
of stopping this resolution (for con-
tinuance of the Dies Committee ~
Representative Cox, Democrat, OF
Georgia, asked.
Eyes" Mr.. Hook replied.
did you make this speech for the
purpose of stopping this commit
tee?" Mr.. Cox asked, referring to
Mr.. Hooks remarks at the time he
inserted the letters in the Record.
II certainly did" Mr.. Hook an
swered.
Not Yet Proved, Hook Says.
do you think a member should
use forged documents-?" Repre-
sented Dempsey, Democrat, of New
Mexico started to ask Mr.. Hook
interrupted to retort, We'll. it has
not oeen proved yet that those
documents are forged"
! will you tell this committee that
those documents are genuine?" Mr..
Cox asked.
Mr.. Hook said that question was
for handwriting experts to de-
termine.
After Mr.. Hoffman's initial state
ment, Mr.. Hook resumed testifying
and declared ''the integrity of the
House has not been violated"
Speaking of the letters, Mr.. Hook
said
Say they were forged and I dc
not say they were, still they dc
not impugn the motives of the
House or member of Congress
AS legal proposition and from a
moral standpoint. it is not unlawful
for any one to be a member of the
Legion of Silver Shirts. 1t is not
; unlawful for any one to associate
with any one who is member OF
the Silver Shirts.
No Impugning of Motives.
This Dies) committee was ap.
pointed by the House. Certainly nc
one can say that it is possible fol
this committee to make thorough
investigation of every organization
throughout the United States.
This committee has been in exist.
. ence some two years No legislation
, has been proposed making asso-
citation with members of any Silver
Shirt organization or making mem.
(See DIES, Page A-50