Evening star., 1946-07-20
Profits Probers
Will Ask Coffee
For Explanation
House Member Says
He Welcomes Inquiry
Into Entire Matter

Senator Brewster, Republican
of Maine, member of the Sen
ate War Investigating Commit.
tee, said today that Representa-.
tive Coffee, Democrat, of Wash.
ington would be asked to "ex.
plain" a flve-year-old $2,50(
Campaign contribution" from &
Tacoma (Wash.) war contractor
Earlier. at Tacoma, Mr. Coffe,
had declared:
Il welcome an investigation OF
the entire matter
Senator Brewster said the com
mittee already has asked the Justic,
Department for its files on an in.
vestigation which Mr.. Coffee ha
said it made of the contribution.
Senator Brewster bluntly called
Mr.. Coffee's definition of the $2,5Ol
as a campaign contribution a "be.
lated alibi",
Anderson Explains.
Senator Brewster said of Mr.. Cof-
fees willingness for an investiga.
ton:
He certainly will be welcome
The more quickly he appears, the
BETTER
At Tacoma, Mr.. Coffee said the
circumstances had been widely
published in the State and that
the Justice Department, after its
investigation. found mo basis fol
action"
Also at Tacoma, Eivind Ander-
son, the contractor involved, tolo
the Associated Press:
There was no evil purpose in
the payment of this money.
l was merely trying to achieve
something that was highly honor
able at the time-remove handi-
caps as it was urgent to get some
thing DONE
Mr.. Anderson explained he hao
a big building project then under.
way at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma
and things were not moving fast
enough"
The check went to Paul A. Olson
Mr.. Coffee's secretary at the time
Transcripts Made Public.
Senator Brewster's Office made
public transcripts of Photographic
copy Of letters to Mr.. Anderson from
Mr.. Coffee and Mr.. Olson. These
appeared in the Tacoma News
Tribune on March S, of this year
A copy of the newspaper has beer
filed with the Senate Committee
along with photostat of the S2,5OC
check.
Disclosure of the inquiry into the
five-year-old contribution came as
the Senate awaited the reaction
from Chairman May of the House
Military Affairs Committee, to a
summons to appear Tuesday to ex-
plain under oath his intervention
on behalf of an Illinois munitions
combine.
In the letter to Mr.. Anderson. MI
Coffee wrote that his secretary hao
shown him a slip of paper" anc
added: 1T is impossible to express
adequately my deep feeling o1
gratitude for your helpful co-opera
ton"
A committee spokesman said the
Coffee inquiry-still in the prelimi.
nary stage-came at the request Of
Senator Brewster. The Spokesman
said Senator Brewster's complain
is being handled like others which
reach the committee and the com.
mittee has not yet decided whether
it will make a full-dress investiga
ton.
Coffee Charges Politics.
In his formal statement in Tacoma
Mr. Coffee said: Il have learned tina
the Senate Mead Committee i.
studying the question of a check fol
$500, which was given to me by
Eivi1d Anderson in the spring O
l94l, through my then secretary
Paul A. Olson.
The facts relating thereto wer,
freely discussed during the mayor.
atty campaign in Tacoma in Marcl
of this year"
He cited his denomination in tn,
Democratic primary by voters whit
were familiar with the case il
print and from political rostrums
Mr.. Anderson and Mr.. Olson were
both candidates for Mayor in thu
primary campaign. Mr.. Anderson
was eliminated in the primaries
Thereafter he decided to impute tt
a campaign donation something oil
a questionable character.
For a defeated candidate, five
years after making a campaign con.
tributlon, to attempt to alter the en-.
tire complexion of the transaction
can only be construed as STOPPING te
the lowest form of unscrupulous
tactics.
Previously Investigated.
Heretofore, I have not wished to
dignity this political canard with q
detailed refutation. 1t was used in
the city campaign for political pur-
poses and is now being resurrected
as political attack on me. I have
recently been renominated by SUBJ
stantial majority as a Congressman
ny people in my own district who
were familiar with the charges.
1.-The campaign contribution was
thoroughly discussed in the local
press. The Department of Justice
has previously investigated the
charges and has announced there
was no basis for action on its part.
Personally, I welcome an investi-
CATION on the entire matter. I have
no doubts that the gentlemen serv-
ing on this committee will once and
for all clear up any question as to
the good faith of the transaction
in the minds of any person and will
completely exonerate me and Mr..
Olson"
Mr.. Coffee, long a leader among
young Representatives who support
ed strongly the Roosevelt New Deal
program, is seeking his sixth term
in the House.
He issued statement first on the
case last March 6, during the heat
OF the mayoralty campaign. At
that time he explained the check
TO his secretary, who handled his
campaign fund, was a campaign
contribution.
He said then that Harry p. Cain.
who Tor the second time is the