Evening star., 1944-04-06
Both Sides Demanding
Inquiry in Fight Over
Miss Ke|Iems' Mail
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Demands for official action came
from both principals today in the
verbal duel between Representative
Coffee, Democrat, of Washington
and Miss Vivien Kellems, Westport
Comm war plant executive, who
has been accused by Mr.. Coffee OF
having corresponded with "Nazi
agent" in Argentina and making
"seditious" speeches.
Miss Kellems declared in an in
terview here that her personal mail
had been tampered with, that Mr.
Coffee must know who was re-
sponsible and implied that as a
woman of action" she would press
for prosecutions.
Commenting on her statement, in
which she accused Mr.. Coffee of ut
tering "lies" and called him a
"sneaking coward" who ought to
be in prison." the legislator said:
II reiterate there should be
an inquiry by the appropriate au-
thorities, on the basis of the state
ment I made to the House"
Conspiracy Charged.
He referred to a speech in which
he said Miss Kellems had publicly
urged businessmen to refuse to pay
income taxes, and had carried on a
correspondence with Count Fred
erick Karl Won ZedlitZ, whom he
described as a "Nazi fifth-column
spy" in Buenos Aires.
Calling on the Justice Depart
ment to put an end to this incred-
ible conspiracy" Mr.. Coffee at that
time said Miss Kellems had been in
CLOSE touch" with Won Zedlitz for
over two years, discussing with him
her political thoughts and personal
affairs"
Miss Kellems, who held her press
conference in the Office of Senator
Reed, Republican, of Kansas, told
reporters that the letters on which
Mr.. Coffee based his House speech
must have been taken Illegally from
the mails.
ut is criminal offense to tamper
with the United States mails" she
said. Some one has interfered with
those mails. Mr.. Coffee has those
letters and must know who the per-
son responsible is"
Notes Called Affecti0nate.
She did not name that person.
The letters, Mr.. Coffee told the
House, were affectionate notes to
Count Won Zedlitz.
Miss Kellems identified the count
rs Argentine representative of a
German metals firm and asserted he
never had been a member of the
NaI party. She denied, incidental
ly, that she was engaged to him and
asked:
How can you be engaged to some
one who has never asked you to
marry him?"
Miss Kellems singled out for spe-
cial denunciation as lies" Mr.. Cof-
fees assertions that she had been
motivated in her remarks by sedi-
tious enemy influences" and that
she had been in close touch with
Na1 Agent Won Zedlitz, discussing
with him her political thoughts and
personal affairs"
Pearson Remarks Cited.
I have written to Count Zedlitz
since 1885," she said. 'I have never
denied knowing him. I met him in
the United States. But 1 haven't
written to him since T found that
my letters were finding their way
straight into Mr.. Pearson's hands.
She explained she first concluded
that her mail was being tampered
with when Drew Pearson, a column
ist, read excerpts from one of then,
IN radio broadcast in January
this year.
1T seems to me the integrity of
the United States mails is at stake. /"
she continued. II know that some
OF these letters never reached the
count"
Miss Kellems said she had received
no reply to letters she wrote early
tnis week to Postmaster General
walker and Mr.. Coffee asking how
the letters came into the latter's
possession. Asked if she intended
to press for an explanation, she re-
piled:
I'm a woman of action; we'll wait
and see about that"
Senator Reed interrupted to imply
that a congressional committee
might want to inquire into the situa-
ton.
New Deal Opposed.
The Post Office Department NAV
be asked about that-the mysterious
way that those letters were OBJ
talned," Senator Reed said.
Miss Kellems said she did not
know why Mr.. Coffee made his
allegations, but suggested perhaps
1t was because of what I stand for
opposition to the New Deal"
Concerning speech at Kansas
City, Mo, in which Mr.. Coffee de-
clared Miss Kellems had urged busi-
nessmen to refuse to pay income
taxes, she maintained that she
never advised any one not to pay
taxes"
Il said my company didn't have
the money to make the December
Is d943 tax payment" she said
What did was urge businessmen
TO lay aside some money as a re-
serve. I was trying to show the
plight Of small business and urge
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