Evening star., 1940-02-03
Dies PLOT Furor
|Unabated on
Capitol Hill
Stornes Clears Four
House Members of
Smear Charge
By the Associated Press.

by Inc hSSOCldteu rIeSS
Four members of the House have
been exonerated of any completely in
an alleged plot to kill the Dies Com
mittee, but the furor raised by pub
ncation of letters purporting to link
Chairman Dies with the Silver
Shirts continued unabated on Cap
itol Hill today.
At the end of a late session Of
the House last night, Representative
Starnes, Democrat. Of Alabama, act
ing chairman of the committee.
arose to say that there had been
allegations of such plot at meet
ing attended by six House members,
but that such statements were
wholly untrue and inaccurate" in
sofar as they pertained to four OF
those named. Representative Starnes
did not include with them the other
two Representatives who he said
were at the meeting-Representa-
tives Hook, Democrat, of Michigan
and Casey, Democrat, of Massachu-
sets.
1t was Mr.. Hook who started the
controversy las. week by publishing
in the Congressional Record the let
ters which ..surportedly were written
by William Dudley Pelley, Silver
Shirt leader. The committee con-
tends that David Mayne of this city
has admitted forging the letters.
No Concerted Action.
In its investigation of the letters
the committee questioned Gardner
Jackson, legislative representative Of
Labor's Non-Partisan League. Six
House members attended a dinner
at Mr.. Jacksons home January 9,
and Mr.. Jackson told reporters that
the continuance of the Dies Com
mittee was discussed at that time.
In addition to Mr.. Hook and Mr..
Casey. Representative Starnes ad-
vised the House, those at the meet
ing in question were Representatives
Ramspeck, Democrat, of Georgia;
Larabee, Democrat, of Indiana;
Coffee, Democrat, of Washington,
and Murdock. Democrat, of Utah.
Mr. Coffee, Mr.. Larabee and Mr..
Ramspeck appeared before the COM
mittee at closed session yesterday.
Mr.. Murdock was out of the city.
They were the four whom Mr..
Starnes exonerated in his speech.
'"The committee finds" Mr.. Starnes
said, that there was absolutely no
concerted action, collusion, under
standing or agreement by either of
the three who testified before us
today, or their colleague, Mr.. Muir
dock. With reference to any concert
of actiop against the Dies Commit
tee orythe use of any of these docu-
mentss hieh have since Been placed
in the record"
Dies Expected Monday.
Mr.. Hook told newsmen he had
refused for the second time to ap-
pear before the committee in closed
session. He has stated repeatedly
that he would not appear before
the committee unless the meeting
was open and Chairman Dies was
presiding.
Mr.. Dies is expected to return
here Monday from his home in
Orange, Tex.
A subcommittee of the Rules
Committee will meet Monday to
consider resolution to censure Mr.
Hook for having placed the "Pelley'
letters in the record. The resolu-
ton was proposed by Representative
Hoffman, Republican, of Michigan.
An influential member of the
Rules Committee said that the res
olution would be permitted to die
within committee if Mr.. Hook would
declare publicly that the letters
were not genuine.
Representative Casey rose in the
House last night to make what he
called "a parliamentary inquiry"
Il want to ask, Mr.. Speaker, if in
future it will be necessary when a
gentleman is invited out to dinner
to obtain permission from the Com
mittee on Un-American Activities?"
he inquired.
The Speaker told him the question
clearly is not parliamentary in
quiry" and the House adjourned.