Evening star., 1946-09-11
Launching Gift Probed

Launching Gift Probed.
The likelihood of reopenine hear
ings to question Mr. May developed
at time when Sena tor Mead is
about TO turn over the chairman
snip TO successor who will be
elected as soon as the committee
reassembles here.
Meanwhile the committee dis
closed today that it Is starting a
tull-scale investigation, with later
public hearings, into the acceptance
Of gifts by more than 5,700 woman
sponsors at ship launchings.
surprised by the number of rel
stlves OF Maritime Commission Of
flclals and employees on the list of
those who accepted expensive gifts
of 1eWelry and other ornaments for
champagne-smashing activities, the
committee demanded further data
from the commission.
Tne committee is particularly in
terested in learning whether such
ellts were paid from company profits
before or after taxes. Assistant
Counsel Francis D. Flanagan dis
closed. 1t also has asked the Mari
time Commission whether there:wsre
wartime regulations governing ac-
ceptance of ship-launching gifts by
employees or relatives of officials.
Abuses to Be Probed.
Speaking for Chairman Mead
MIR. Flanagan declared the commit
tee does not csoject to the tradition-
a. practice of giving gifts to spon-
Sors." But it is determined, he said
10 IND out whether the practice was
abused during the war. Mr.. Flana-
gan revealed the committee will look
closely into cases in which the same
person acted several times as a
sponsor and into instances where
apparently excessive" gifts were ac-
cepted. No time has been set for
public hearings because much addi-
t1onal material preliminary infor-
NATION must be obtained. he
explained
Meanwhile, another congressional
committee was reported TODAY to
he certainly very much interested"
IN the list.
The House Merchant Marine
Committee obtained a copy from
the Maritime Commission and will
study it thoroughly, Marvin Coles,
committee counsel, said. The sub
lect OF gifts to ship sponsors is not
likely, however, to come up Septem-
Der 70 when the committee opens
hearings on wartime profits of ship
yards and wartime administrative
and auditing practices of the Mari
time Commission and the War
Shipping Commission. MIR. Coles
said. Hearings on the latter aspects
were held earlier this year
Committee Stats Study List.
Staffs of both committees today
were going through the list of be-
tween $500 and 5000 names, includ-
ing Implications, Of women who
cracked champagne bottles at shin
launchings from early 1899 through
l945.
While the prominence and VARIETY
of the names held considerable at
tention, special notice was given to
values of the wartime gifts, officials
said. These went all the way from
1885 oriental sapphire ring and
s2,5l6 diamond bracelet to a SIS
tr1nket box and $40 wooden blan-
ket. In practically every instance
the shipbuilders claimed the Gifts
were PAID for out of profits and not
from Government funds.
The bulky, complicated report
shows the value Of the gifts from 81
companies ran into several hundred
thousand dollars.
Although the Sun Shipbuildine
Co, for example, presented more
than score of gifts valued about
$1,000. and another Is exceedins
$3.50, the value of most gifts from
all the shipyards ranged between
500 and s400.
One of the most expensive was tn,
81 ol675 diamond bracelet given ir
1899 to the late Mrs. William D
Leahy, wife of the Presidents Chic
of Staff. The most valuable on tn,
list, however, was a $2.695 Orienta
sapphire ring which the Gulf Ship
building Corp, gave to a Mrs. E. A
Roberts of Mobile, Ala, in Novem
Der. 1941.
At the other end of the scale wer,
$40 woolen blankets given by th'
New England Shipbmloing Co. t.
Mrs. Paul L. Powers and Mrs. A. G
Dyer Of Freeport, Me. A Mrs. Franl
Fabas, address unknown" receives
. SIS trinket box.
Several ship CT rers, however