Evening star., 1941-10-09
Subcommittee
Backs Hdnkin
Nomination
Senote Approval
Would Give Utilities
Body q Quorum

The long pending nomination of
Gregory Hankin, Federal Power
Commission attorney. to be men,
ber of the Public Utilities Commis-
sion, finally was moving toward
Senate action today, following un-
animous approval by subcommittee
late yesterday.
All three members of the sub
committee will urge the Senate Dis
trict Committee to concur in the
favorable report. They are Senators
Reynolds, Democrat. of North Caro-
lima; Clark, Democrat, of Idaho, and
Austin. Republican, of Vermont. The
committee probably will meet soon
after the return to the city of
Chairman McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, about October Is.
Action came quickly after Mr..
Hankin had declared his emphatic
opposition to communism and his
firm belief in the democratic prin-
ciples and institutions of this coun-
try. Mr.. Hankin told the Senators
he had reason to appreciate this
country's form of government. be-
cause he came from a country
where there were practically no
opportunities and less freedom"
Born in the Ukraine.
Mr. Hankin had told at the outset
how he was brought to this country
by his parents at 13, from the
Ukraine. where he was born in 1894;
how he had gone through New York
public schools, New York City Col
lege and continued to study philo-
sophy and law at Columbia and
Harvard Universities. He recalled
his operation of an information serv-
ice on Supreme Court litigation
decade ago and listed several Gov
eminent agencies for which he did
legal work before going to the Power
Commission.
Il am rather inspired by your
testimony" Chairman Reynolds told
Mr.. Hankin, after the nominee had
stressed his faith in American in
stitutions. "I wish more people
could have heard your testimony
here today"
The North Carolina Senator, who
has been an outspoken opponent of
communism and leading advocate
OF restrictions on immigration, told
Mr.. Hankin it was inspiring to see
a foreignborn citizens with such
an appreciation for the American
form of government.
Austin Explains Questioning.
Before questioning Mr. Hankin
about his viewpoint on various forms
OF government, Senator Austin ex-
planned he was doing so because
certain incidents had been brought
to the subcommittee attention and
he thought they should be cleared
up before action was taken.
Mr.. Hankin testified that three
days after his nomination was first
submitted to the Senate last March
by President Roosevelt, there was
a newspaper report to the effect
that a whispering campaign was 60
ing on to link him with communism
L emphatically denied 1 was ever
connected with the Communist
Party, or any organization favor
able to it," Mr.. Hankin told the
/ subcommittee.
He said he has refrained from
commenting on the subject since
| that time, first, because it was too
ridiculous" and, secondly, because he
felt any further statement by him
should be made to the subcommittee
Yesterday was the first hearing held
on the nomination.
Senator Reynolds said Yesterday
he has had people come and tell
me this or that" about the nomi-
nee. The Senator said he told them
to come and testify openly, but they
would not come.
Asked by Senator Austin if he had
ever been connected with the
kerenSky government of Russia. Mr..
Hankln said he had never repre-
sented it as government. He ex-
planned that, as young man, he
had to work while going to college
and obtained employment for
short time inspecting shoes that
were being bought in this country
by a Russian commission in 1918.
His job. he said, was to see that
no nails were sticking up in the
shoes.
Tells of Harvard Incident.
Answering further questions, he
told OF being asked by some of the
students while at Harvard to help
arrange series Of lectures on Rus
sia. He said he told them if they
wanted propaganda, he could take
no part in it, but if they merely
wanted factual analyses of the new
government In Russia, he would
help arrange the program.
| Senator Austin asked him about
an address he once made on the
Soviet regime and what stand he
took.
Il not only did not approve it, 1
definitely disapproved" the nominee
replied.
DO you believe in the principles
of collectivist economy?', asked
Senator Austin, and the nominee
answered, Il do not
Asked if he believed in the
totalitarian system, Mr.. Hankin re-
piled, definitely not" He explained
he was against these systems be-
cause 'in a government with no
economic freedom, you also will find
that there is no freedom of press,
no freedom of speech or freedom of
religion"
When the questioning was COM
pleted Senator Austin said, "I am
for this man." and Senator Clark
added, so am l." The vote was
unanimous. and Chairman Reynolds
expressed hope the full committee
would ratify it promptly.
For more than six months the
Public Utilities Commission has
been without quorum, there being
two vacancies on the three-man
board. During that time only
| routine matters have been con-
i