The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-07-31

0SAfbo dCCpCI lIlGO lllc history of the check, Coffee and
 tAlso See Story on Page One) Assistant Atty. General James P McGranery were scheduled to testi- fy.
 McGranery's presence was linked With Coffees recent assertion that Justice Department investigat tion Of the S2,500 check gave the Wash lngton Congressman and his former secretary, Paul A. Olson, a clean bill of health"
 Party Politics Involved
 The contractor, Eivind Anderson, told the committee yesterday that Coffee accepted the check after he had been told the Congressman would take care of your interests here in Washington.
 Coffee was quick to reassert that the check was a campaign contri- button and in no way connected with a sl,000,000 contract Anderson received to build a hospital
 During the stormy. day-long con- mittee hearing. Coffee and Ander- son denied each others testimony. Coffee extended his remarks to in- elude the Republican Party which, he said, had injected politics" into the investigation.
 Former Sen. Rufus c. Holman, (R.-Ore0. and Gen. Brehon B. Somervell (Ret9, former head of the Army Service Forces. remem- Der very little about the hospital contract on which Anderson was low bidder in 1941
 SomervelI Agreed
 According to Coffee. he and Hol- man saked Somervell, then a Brigadier general in charge of the quarte1master corps, togive Ander- son the contract even though some officers in the Quartermaster Corps didn't like the contractor and pre- ferred the second lowest bidder. Somervell compiled.
 After that, Coffee said. Anderson was delighted and promised to give him campaign contribution. ]" About 10 days later, he said, the check came along, addressed to Olson as Coffee's campaign man. ager.
 Anderson told an entirely differ ent version. He said Olson told him he should have representative" in Washington to contact the War Department. Anderson testified that when he revealed he had added S2,500 to his bid to cover Washing ton expenses, Coffee told him to make out a check for that amount to Olson. In return for it. Coffee promised to take care of your in- terests here in Washington, An- derson testified.
 Coffee admitted receiving the S2,- 800 check. He said it was delivered to him right away - within 24 hours" after Olson received it in the mail. All Olson did was cash it.
 Didn't Record Check
 Coffee said he deposited the money in bank and used it to reim- purse his bank account for funds expended in the 1888 campaign He did not report it to the clerk of the House under Federal Campaign Laws, because he regarded it as a contribution made in non-elec- tion year and consequently not cov- cred by the campaign laws.
 Neiher did he report it on his income tax returns, he said, be- cause he regarded it as "a gift" not as income"
 Both men testified under oath, a circumstance which committee members admitted would make 1t difficult for the committee to be- eide which was giving the correct version
 Coffee told reporters that he plans to go into alled conflicts" in a March, 1946, affidavit by Anderson. This affidavit was published during the Tacoma mayoralty primaries. Anderson and Olson were opposing candidates in the election Ander- son lost and Olson was subsequently, eliminated in the finals. The story of the check played large part in the final campaign.
 To Present Records
 Coffee also intended to present court records from suits filed against Anderson by c. C. Hall and Richard Rushlight of Portland, Ore, subcontractors on the hospital job Coffee said Anderson testified then that he had never paid any, one in Washington for help on the contract.
 Holman told the committee he could remember nothing about sec ing Somervell, although he remem- bered Rushlgint and Hall coming to his office When the committee produced a letter he wrote Somer- veil at the time he recalled that he had taken the matter up on behalf of Rushlight and Hall, his consti- tuents. He said he had never re- ceived any funds from them then e later for his efforts.
 Somervell now president of the Koppers Corporation, Pittsburgh, told Ihe committee he couldn't re- member the case at all