Evening star., 1943-07-03
FEC Hearing 10 Reveal
Sensational Incident
Friday, Officials Hint

Hints of Sensational develop
ments when the special House COM
mittee investigating the Federal
Communications Commission re-
sumes hearings Friday followed in
the wake of yesterdays fiery OPEN
ing session, during which more than
50 charges were leveled at the FEC
Intimations of big things to come
originated with committee attaches
who recalled. Committee Counsel
Eugene L. Garey's charge that i'm
properly evaluated information fur
nished by the Federal Communica-
tionS Commission" resulted in IAN
Incident" in Alaskan waters.
Just what the incident was. COM
mittee attaches would not discuss
in advance, other than to say 1T
will shock you
The charges, made by Mr.. Carey
in a written statement put In the
record, ranged from accusations of
general incompetency on the part
of the FEC to actual enlargement
of the national security. All the
charges. Mr. Carey said, have been
substantially established through
previous committee investigation.
Complaints to Be Probed.
Other charges into which the
committee would inquire, members
said, included complaints that FEC
Chairman James L. Fly has sought
to set up a censorship over radio
speech and has used his office to try
to influence the editorial columns
of newspaper publishers operating
radio stations.
The first phase of the inquiry will
be devoted to operations of the FEC
radio intelligence program and its
value or lack of value to the armed
services.
Mr.. Garey's charge that Army and
Navy officers requested to testify
later in the hearings had been
gagged" was elaborated upon by
Chairman Cox of the committee,
who said he had been Informed from
official sources that the officers
would not be allowed to testify.
Several Clashes Occur.
But Representative Magnuson.
Democrat, of Washington suggested
that the committee make its own
determination of whether witnesses
have been gagged" after hearing
their testimony
FEC Counsel Charles r. Denny. jr..
clashed several times with Mr. Cox
the first of which occurred when
the youthful attorney rose to ques-
ton Mr. Carey after the latter had
read into the record letters from
Admiral William D. Leahy to Secre-
tary of the Navy Knox and Secre-
tary of War Stimson and from Mr..
Knox and Mr.. Stimson to President
Roosevelt requesting that the Presi-
dent transfer the FEC military radio
intelligence activities to the armed
services. Dated last February. the
requests were not acted on by the
White House
MI Denny was admoniShted by
Mr. Cox to retain his seat and not
to interrupt Mr.. Carey. Later Mr.,
Denny said he desired to ask Mr..
Carey if the secret designation
had been removed from the letters.
He knew of their existence, he told
reporters, but they were marked
secret" when he saw them.
They we're not secret when We
got them" Mr: Cox said. .s
Fly Is Attacked.
Throughout Mr.. Garey's state
ment were charges that Mr.. Fly
tried to dominate the entire radio
field and thwart the desires OF
Army and Navy officials with respect
to communication facilities.
The letters from Mr.. Stimson
and Mr.. Knox recommended dis
continuance of FEC participation in
radio intelligence for these reasons:
Since radio intelligence develops
information as to the movements
and disposition of the enemy, it is
essential that there be full
military control.
Since the responsibility for mill
tary action rests with the armed
forces, the responsibility for obtain
ing the technical information gov
erning that action must also be in
the armed forces,
Military activities have been
hampered by severe shortages of
trained personnel and critical equip
ment essential to radio intelligence.