Evening star., 1942-03-12

NSOIlIlIlucu TIOIIl IlISU FdRc0
built it be made large enough tt
house his other functions.
For nearly two hours Mr.. Mellett
defended the work Of the o. G. r
in testimony before the committee
Even as he appeared the House
Public Buildings and Grounds Com
mittee decided to start its own pub
lie hearings on the issue at 10 am
tomorrow. Representative Satter-
field, Democrat, Of Virginia. spon-
sor OF a resolution to stop con-
struction of the Information Center
building. and Mr.. Mellett were
listed by the committee as expected
witnesses.
Chairman Lanham said the House
committee. meeting in executive
session today, considered the o. G. r.
resolution as 80 important as to
deserve immediate consideration"
Mr.. Mellett's appearance was
marked both by his own explanation
of the activities of the o. G. r.. and
some tart remarks by the official
questioners.
Congress Declared Thwarted.
At one point in the hearing Sena-
tor McKellar, Democrat. Of Ten
nessee told Mr. Mellett he was vio-
lating the expressed will of Congress
| by going ahead with the building
after a request for funds for equip
ment and personnel had been de-
MED in deficiency bill last month
AS the hearing ended, Senator
Byrd asked: DO you expect to
give Congress an opportunity to
pass on it?"
I'VE do, indeed, SIR" Mr.. Mellett
replied.
Senator Byrd observed. however,
that If the limitation which pre-
vailed for this fiscal year on the
amount Of emergency funds the
President may allocate to o. G. r
is left off for the coming year. Con-
gress would have no effective con-
troll.
MIR. Mellett contended O. G. R. Is
the only agency on which limita-
ton has been imposed as to the
amount it may receive from the
Presidents emergency funds.
McKellar Asks for Data.
Senator McKellar asked Mr.. Mel
lett if he could obtain figures on the
total amounts the Government pays
annually to the radio and motion
picture industries for program serv-
ices. and the total spent by all Gov
ernment agencies for travelling ex-
penses.
Mr.. Mellett said he would do his
best to get the information. He
caused a ripple of laughter in the
committee room when he told Sem
ator McKellar: You realize this
will impose additional work that
may cause us to come back for more
money"
Mr.. Mellett disagreed from the
start that there has been any ex-
preston Of the will of Congress con-
cerning the building He said it is
being erected as the result of action
| by the Public Buildings Administra-
ton and the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, and that
Congress merely had refused to in
crease the limit on what it could
| spend between now and July l to
furnish the building and hire added
personnel.
I'VE were given this undertaking
to carry out by the President" said
Director Mellett, "and we will do
the best we can without the added
| funds If necessary"
When the Appropriations Com
mittee considered and turned down
the request last month to allow the
President to allocate more money to
o. G. r. before July /, 1t was testi-
fed $285 900 was needed for equip
ment and personnel. One OF Mr..
Mellett's assistants testified today
that was a hurried estimate. which
has since been scaled down to
$l12,735.
Senator Byrd asked to what extent
the central bureau will cut amounts
spent by other departments for giv-
ing information. recalling that he
had seen an estimate that $l9 900,
900 Is spent for publicity and infor-
nation throughout the Government
I'VE have reason to believe there
will be some" said Mr.. Mellett, but
added he could not name any partic-
ular illustrations at this time.
Every agency Of the Government
Is asking as much or more than last
year for publicity and information,
Senator McKellar observed.
What has been going through
my mind" said Senator McKellar
"is that while We are engaged in
this life and death struggle with
two powerful enemies, couldn't we
dispose OF some OF these research
programs for a year or two. We
need to conserve our resources"
Work Detailed Before.
Representative Woodrum. Demo
crat. of Virginia broke in to say
that, regardless whether members OF
Congress like what the agency is
doing, they have had detailed in
formation of that work time and
again in appropriation hearings.
Representative Taber, Republican,
OF New York predicted visitors will
have las hard a time finding any
body in this setup as they would in
YVff