Evening star., 1946-01-31
Tobey Charges
Pressure 10 Halt
Pau|ey Inquiry
Nominee Says He
Will Fight for Post
He Did Not Seek
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

Edwin w. Pauley, California
oil man and former treasurer Of
the Democratic National Com
mittee, told the Senate Naval
Affairs Committee today he did
not seek the nomination to be
Undersecretary of the Navy, but
intends to fight it through" in
view of attacks and innuendoea
that his appointment would be
detrimental to the Navy.
Mr.. Pauley. now American men,
Der of the Allied Preparations Com
mission, was questioned closely by
Senator Tobey, Republican, of New
Hampshire, who declared at the out
set of the hearing that pressure has
been brought on him recently by
business interests not to pursue the
inquiry.
Senator Tobey told Mr.. Pauley he
was not assuming an attitude of
persecution or prosecution" and
that any questions he asks will be
entirely "impersonar' and prompted
by desire to carry out the Senate's
function to ascertain qualifications
of appointees.
From East and West.
He added, however, that 1T is an
amazing thing, the pressure that has
been brought on me to keep me from
asking these questions 1t comes
from the West as it comes from the
East" He said it gave rise to the
suggestion that there must be some
thing they are afraid Of" The Sem
ator told Mr. Pauley he does not as
sociate him with the effort, but
ascribed it to his friends.
Mr.. Pauley assured him he had no
part in any such pressure and was
ready to answer all of his questions.
Mr.. Pauley told the committee
that the suggestion that he be
named Navy Undersecretary was
first broached to him by the late
President Roosevelt in 1914. The
subject was next raised. he said at
the 1945 Potsdam Conference.
Under questioning by Senator To-
bey, Mr.. Pauley denied;
! That he ever urged members of
Congress to vote for or against a
pending bill recognizing State rather
than Federal title to tidewater lands
containing Oil.
That he ever told Secretary of
the Interior Ickes that the filing of
a Government suit to obtain Fed
eral title to such lands would be a
political mistake, or that he could
get campaign contributions if he
could assure California oilmen such
suit would not be filed.
Suit Pending in High Court.
The Government suit was fled
and is still pending in the Supreme
Court. The bill, which would have
the effect of mailing down the claim
OF the States to control over these
tidelands, has passed the House, but
Is still awaiting hearings in the SEN
ate Judiciary Committee.
| Mr.. Pauley was asked by Senator
Tobey about reports that his pend
ing nomination is only a stepping
stone to making him Secretary of
the Navy when there is a vacancy.
There is no plan" Mr.. Pauley re-
piled, adding that he has not dis
cussed that possibility with officials.
Many of my friends have spec
ulated on it," he continued, and
would hate to think that if I did
a good job-and intend to do a
good job-that I would not be con-
sidered a qualified person"
Although he denied trying to per-
suade members of Congress how to
vote, Mr.. Pauley said he did intro
duce w. w. Clary, special assistant
to the attorney general of Califor-
MIA, to two or more Senators.
He told Senator Tobey he did not
remember their names, because the
introduction was made at a lunch
con and he did not want to make a
mistake by naming the wrong SEN
ators.
i Told Rayburn of Interest.
i He said also he introduced him
or wrote a letter, to Speaker Ray.
burn.
Senator Tobey asked him if, wher
he made these introductions, he
felt that his position as a former
treasurer of great party" would
make any difference.
i "At the time of introducing Mr.
lClary, I told Speaker Rayburn, over
the phone or in person, that I didn't
want to deceive him-that I had a
| (See PAULEY. Page A-6.)