Evening star., 1944-01-20
Letters
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Letters
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in the English language who handled
Interior Department correspondence
and writings for literary style.
| Meanwhile, the Justice Depart
ment indicated it expects to hear
some time today from Mr.. Briggs
Subpoena servers sought Mr.. Briggs
at his darlington tVaD home yes
terday, but they found no one there
Mrs. Clare Briggs, widow of the
cartoonist and sister, -in-law Of Mr..
Briggs, reported he had gone to
visit friends in Maryland in order
to get away from the ringing of the
telephone
Mr.. Sparks, former Akron Mayor
who is back in town to confer with
Justice Department officials and
possibly may appear again before
the grand jury. announced he would
hold press conference at 3 pm.
today in the Senate press gallery
Mr.. Sparks is the author Of One
Man-Wendell Willkie." in which
the Hopkins letter was published
Harry Hopkins. presidential adviser.
has called the letter a forgery.
Ickes' Statement.
Mr.. Ickes issued the following
statement at his press conference
today:
Il am beginning to see a verv
clear effort on the part of the iso-
lationists-particularly that group
organized in Chicago. the Repub-
lican Revivalist Committee, under
the sponsorship of Col. Robert Nc
Cormick, before which Sparks spoke
prior to coming to Washington to
appear before the grand jury-be-
ginning to see an effort to dis
credit any one who can possibly be
discredited. who believes In inter-
national cooperation after the
war.
1T seems that Mr.. Sparks is in
terested in activities not bearing on
the matter before the grand jury.
He seems to be out in front as an
agent of that group
Whether the Hopkins letter epi-
sode is part of this effort l don t
know. But I do say deliberately
that Mr.. Sparks is more interested
in activities having a bearing on
international affairs than he has
on any purely domestic issue"
The Secretary told reporters that
he came to meet Mr.. Briggs because
the man had connections with Frank
Gannet, Rochester IN. " publisher
and Republican stalwart. The
Secretary would not elucidate be-
cause, he said. he had gone over the
whole ground before the grand jury.
He was asked if he met Mr.. Briggs
through Mayor Edward J. Kelly of
Chicago. He replied
Il would like to be excused from
answering that question"
Sought Copy of Book.
The Secretary said he had asked
Mr.. Briggs to get him a copy of Mr.
Sparks book 1t is known that Mr.
Ickes was acquainted with the fact
that Mr.. Briggs knew Mr.. Sparks
for whom the Secretary's suspended
assistant worked in 1910 when Mr.
Sparks was campaign manager for
Mr. Gannett, who then was seeking
the Republican presidential nomi-
nation
Mr.. Briggs Office at the Interior
Department has been temporarily
closed, Mr.. Ickes said. adding that
he was looking for "first-rate man
or woman" in Mr.. Briggs absence
though he said he did not mean
that Mr.. Briggs might not return
to work for him.
Who is your grammarian now?'
a reporter asked Mr.. Ickes.
Il am my own grammarian," Mr..
lckes said. But I am looking for
a flrst-grade man or woman"
Keeps Stationery Locked Up.
The Secretary said, 1T isn't too
difficult to get White House station
cry" referring to the fact that the
Hopkins letter" was written on
White House letter paper. He said
his principal stenographer. who has
served eight Secretaries of the In
terror, keeps the stationery ,ocked
up, and it has to be obtainer from
him If 1t is obtained at the In
terror Department.
The Secretary maintained through
out his conference the attitude that
the case of the Hopkins letter" is a
mystery story.
He was asked if he knew what was
meant by the use of the word Ala
mo" which appeared in tn. t,rre-
spondence allegedly sent w Mr..
Briggs to Mr.. Sparks and which was
made public in the Senate Monday
by Senator LANCER, Republican, of
North Dakota. Mr.. Ickes said:
1T puzzles me. I've played with
that thing and I just don't get it,"
Mr.. Briggs is expected to be sum-
moned before the grand jury. The
jury is not dealing with the Hopkins
letter" today, however, according to
Justice Department officials.
Federal agents yesterday took into
the grand jury room a map case
such as might be used to carry en-
larged photographs of writing
samples. Earlier they had removed
from Mr.. Briggs ONCE two type
writers, but they declined to say
whether this was in connection with
the case.
Mr.. Briggs, IS, former newspaper
man, was named by Senator LANCER