Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-28
Two BaIky Witnesses
Create a Mystery
At House Hearing
One, Refusing Tell .
Name, Charges His Phone
Wires Were Topped
Rx JAMES E. CHM.


The House Military Affairs. Com
mittee will decide next Wednesday
what action to take against a wit
ness who appeared before the SUBJ
committee investigating war con-
tracts today and refused to give his
name or answer questions after
hurting out that his telephone wires
had been tapped and that he had
been warned by-a New Deal" Of
fetal that he was going to be perse-
cuted.
The witness was called after Albert
Bennett Fey of East Orange, N. j.,
a former contract agent for the
Narragansett Machine Co. of Paw
tucket, r. l., had testified he was a
guest at dinner party about six
months ago at the home of a Mrs.
Smith at 2101 R street NV, which
was attended by Army and Navy
officers and Mr.. Monroe who he
believed had something to do with
politics"
Mrs. Eula Smith was subsequently,
called to the witness stand On
the advice of counsel, she said, she
also fatty refused to reveal her
address or other questions asked by
Representative Davis, Democrat. of
Tennessee, the acting chairman
and Ralph Burton, committee coun-
sci.
Photostatic copies of seven checks
payable to Mr. Fey were introduced
in evidence before either Mrs. Smith
or the man who refused even to
reveal his name were called to the
witness stand.
Can't Identify Officers.
Mr.. Fey declared he was unable
to identify any of the Army or Navy
officers he met at the dinner party.
Mr.. Fey told the committee he had
represented Narragansett for some
time and during his connection of
about year with the company
had crossed approximately $4,000.
He explained that his own expenses.
which he said were heavy, were in
cluded in the total
Mr.. Fey said he had made social
calls at the home of Mrs. Smith,
and gave her the checks. over a Pc
Rod of about three months last
year. in payment for various re-
search work she had done for him."
Called to the witness stand, the
Unidentified witness announced be-
fore any questions could be directed
at him that on the advice of counsel
he would give the committee no in
formation. And in the next breath
he declared:
MY wires have been tapped.
Agents are acting funny with my
friends. I have been told by New
Deal official that 1 am going to be
prosecuted"
Refuses to Tell Name.
as your name John Monroe?' he
was asked.
"On the advice of counsel I will
not answer he replied.
From then on, followed the re-
fusal to answer questions:
Tn 1910 did you change your name
from John Kaplan to John Monroe?
bO YOU 1--WE az Ilol ~ otAtNs'
Did you entertain Army and Navy
officers at 2101 r street?
DO YOU own a Packard car?
IT'S the number of your cars
license tag 10W-586, issued by the
State of Louisiana?
"Dou you have congressional tag
on your car?
Where did you get the tag?
do you receive your income, IN
part or in whole, from Government
contracts?
Have you ever done any business
with the Petroleum Products Co. OF
Louisiana?
Was Mrs. Eula Smith ever an
officer of the Perkins Foundation?
Later Representative Morrison,
Democrat, of Louisiana, told re-
porters the congressional license
tag on Mr.. Monroe's Packard car
belonged to him.
Mr., Morrison, who sat through the
hearings, explained that he knew
the witness as John Monroe and
had used his automobile recently,
during which time he had trans
ferred his congressional tags to Mr..
Monroe's car. He just hadn't taken
them off yet, he said.
Mrs. Smith Takes Stand.
Mrs. Smith, a matronly looking
woman. her dark hair mixed with
gray was summoned to the witness
stand shortly after Mr. Fey had
told about the party at 2l01 r
street.
After taking the prescribed oath,
she said in hardly audible tones:
Il don't know what it's all about.
On the advice of counsel I am not
going to talk because anything
say might be used to incriminate
me"
Despite the request of Acting
Chairman Davis she refused even
to divulge the name Of the lawyer
who gave her the advice.
To each of the questions she re-
Piled
ION the advice of counsel, refuse
to answer"
Some of the principal questions
we're:
do you know A. Bennett Fey?
How long have you been in WASH
ington?
Asked About Contracts.
Have you at any time been con-
suited by Fey about Government
contracts?
Have you ever introduced Fey to
any Army or Navy officers, or Gov
eminent officials?
Have you ever received any pay
from Fey?
do you know a Mr.. John Mon
roe?
Have you ever entertained any
Army or Navy officers at your
House?
do you live at 21ol r street?
Are you the lessee of 210l r
street?
Have you had anything to do
directly or indirectly with procuring
contracts of any kind for industrial
plants?
The two witnesses had responded
to subpoena. In view of that fact, |
NJ