Evening star., 1946-07-09

lIIldSlIle tlle ScubleHldi WIN was 81
apt in recording has not recorded
conversations between his present
fabulous, monstrous, fat employer,
the International Harvester Co..
that had billions and billions of
dollars worth of contracts during
the war.
Perhaps I may have been some
what importunate in urging Gen.
Campbell and Gen. Porter to rush
the production OF war materials in
order to get the bloody war to an
early end; but I did not then feel,
nor do I now. that l did any wrong,
nor do have any pangs of con-
science about it. If the war was
still on and any delay in produc-
ton anywhere was called to my
attention, l would do the same
thing again. I did not secure, nor
have anything to do with procuring
war contracts for any one. All !
did was to try to expedite the bust
ness after contracts had been
awarded. That was what I was
trying to do in all instances, and
the same thing I had done in scores
of instances when complaints were
made to me-
Duty TO Serve Every One.
Business concerns throughout the
country assumed that had the duty
to serve every one regardless Of the
section from which he came. Many
members of this House have re-
quested my assistance in matters
pertaining to business with the War
Department for their constituents
and 1 do not now recall a single in
stance where I failed or refused to
| try to be of assistance That in
cludes requests by several Senators
Even now, tens of thousands of con-
tracts are under renegotiation by
the War Department, and is it
possible that every Senator and
Representative in Congress must
deny the requests OF their friends
and constituents for help in such
cases or go ahead and help them
at the risk of having their converse
/ tionS-innocent though they NAV
be-recorded and hauled out later
by some prejudiced publicity seeking
individual, and used to supplement
the vicious and wanton attacks of
some designing persons.
Mr.. Speaker, let me sound a
solemn and stern warning that We
are rapidly approaching the day of
death for free government unless
there is some protection for men in
public Office against the geStapo
tactics of evil men who connive to
destroy the character and reputa-
ton of every man in public office
who does not bow the knee and
follow directions.
I have been informed that Gen.
Hammond, chief Of the Chicago
Ordnance District, has testified
that the S-inch shell contract let
to Batavia Metal Products Co. was
let only because no other concern
in that district could be found that
would undertake the job and Cars
son was urged by the general to
take it, and Hammond testified that
they did an excellent job
Mr.. Speaker and my colleagues,
when l talked to Gen. Campbell
as reported in his testimony before
! the Mead Committee, it was just
short time after l had visited the
/ Batavia and Elgin plants where !
was invited, not by the corpora =
tions but by the War Department
and incidentally at my own ex-
| penSe l received an invitation
from the War Department TO at
tend the exercises conferring the
Army-Navy E award for excellent
! performance upon one of those two
companies; and I never heard OF
or knew of any other company OF
the group, so frequently referred
to as a paper empire" In the pro-
ceedings OF the Mead Committee
until those hearings started.
| Let me interpolate here to say
that the banquet that the papers
/ flashed across the front pages in
great headlines. the banquet that
! l was supposed to have been enter
/ tanned at was banquet for 1900
workers, in their honor, the horny
/ handed toilerS with the CRIME, and
the SCOT. and the dust on them who
produced the material for the Army
They were being honored. and felt
honored to be there to enjoy it with
them.
No Business Connection.
/ have had no business connection
with, or any part in the manage
ment or control of any of the num-
erous business concerns mentioned
in the hearings of the Mead Com
mittee other than what l have
stated as to my connection with
the Cumberland Lumber Co. which
was simply a land owning and lum-
ber company and had no war con-
tracts. l am not now and never
have been interested financially in
any OF them, nor have l ever re-
ceived any compensation or ex-
pense whatever I took a train fol-
the trip to Chicago, paid my owr
expenses going and coming, anC
when I arrived there I was met by
an Army car and driven to the two
plants where I was met by an Army
officer, called an "expeditor,' who
escorted me along the production
lines through the plant. explaining
the various processes of production
which to me were very novel ano
interesting, something I had never
seen before.
Those were the days when the
need for shells with which to con.
quer our enemies was most urgent
as evidenced by the fact thai
thousands of Army officers were or
duty in plants throughout the
country, expediting production ir
i. plants large and small. Why, Mr.
Speaker, those were the days wher
J groups of the House Military Affair:
Committee were assigned by me anc
taken by the War Department tt
) visit and inspect war production
| plants throughout the country. A!
a result Of this investigation worl
and first-hand information obtained
your Military Affairs Committee wa!
much better prepared to do the
work of investigation we wer.
;. directed by resolution of this Houst
to do. We did it so well that Secre.