Evening star., 1946-12-19


life to pay for 1t. This I have done.
which accounts in part for my heavy
Indebtedness"
I Terry Accused of Taking Files.
At this point, Senator Ferguson
interrupted to- ask the witness II he
claimed that Indebtedness was
forced on him by his friends.
IT do not" Senator Bilbo re-
piled, "but in each instance gen.
1 tlemen did work for me for which
I am indebted. / didn't have to
accept their offers, but I thought
it was good business"
Before starting his item. by item
explanation of loans, gifts and
services as well as transactions with
war contractors, Senator Bilbo ac-
cused Mr.. Terry of having taken
AZ files from the Senator's Office
after he quit as secretary last JAM
uary. Senator Bilbo said he learned
the files were in the 1916 primary
campaign headquarters of Mr.. Col
Inns. But the Senator added that
he is convinced Mr.. Terry took the
| files more to protect himself than
to use them in Ross Collins CAM
paign.'
He also accused Mr.. Terry of
having gone absolutely wild in his
desire for money" While receiving
"the second best salary on Capitol
HILL" Mr.. Terry also had his wife
on the payroll at an $4,000 salary,
Senator Bilbo asserted.
/, Defends Acceptance of Gifts.
Turning to the Christmas gifts.
Senator Bilbo said he was '.sure no
man or woman will censure me for
accepting these presents (an auto
mobile and furniture) from real
friends" The giving OF automobiles,
The said, "is custom in Mississippi. :"
Telling how many previous Missis-
sippi Senators and Governors re-
1ceived similar gifts, Senator Bilbo
remarked:
81 understand that our past and
lpresent Presidents received automo-
biles as gifts"
| Concerning the furniture gift, Sem
ator Bilbo linked Mr.. Terry as
follows:
"He inveigled one of my friends
to sign a note with him for $500 for
this Christmas present and then he
proceeded to collect from my friends
who were lined up as donors.
He put this money in his pocket and
later persuaded M. T. Reed Of Bel
zoni, Miss, to pay this note"
BY stressing the point that nearly
all of the charges brought out be-
| fore the committee were aired in
Mississippi by his opponents dur
ling the campaign, Senator Bilbo
apparently was laying the ground
work for the defense that was useds
in the LANCER case.
When a contest was brought
against Senator LANCER, Republic
can, of North Dakota several years
ago, it was argued that the charges
had all been knewn to the people
of North Dakota before they elected
him. The Senate seated Senator
LANCER.
Loyal to Constituents.
Senator Bilbos explanations OF
individual transactions with war
contractors and others were, in sum-
mary, as follows:
He pleaded guilty" to being
loyal to his constituent" whom he
assisted by bringing Mississippi war
contractors to the attention OF
War Department authorities in con-
nection with contracts.
"By the same token" he said,
every worthwhile Senator and
member of the House In the national
Congress must likewise. bear the
burden of such condemnation"
He denied that he brought i'm
proper pressure or influence to bear
in helping the contractors get prof.
ects, or that he prof1ted in any way
from helping them.
Senator Bilbo admitted that his
former campaign manager. Alfred
B. Friend, figured in the $1,731 900
contract at Key Field, Meridian,
Miss. Mr.. Friends share was gross
of only 5000, Senator Bilbo de-
clared.
'sThe innuendo was advanced that
Mr.. Friend was not qualified to per-
form the work." he went on. "Ber-
ME Friend Is great organizer, an
excellent engineer and a high-toned
Christian gentleman whose services
have been sought by governmental
agencies and municipal organiza-
tions for many years. ought to
know his ability because he Success
fully managed two of my campaigns
for Senator"
Handled $4,000 Fund.
Senator Bilbo said heshandled the
s25. 900 which Felix T. Newton, an
other war contractor, has testified
he gave him because II was deeply
interested in the reelection of
Wall Doxey to the Senate in 1912.
Senator Bilbo repeated substan-
TALLY the same story told earlier by
his attorney, Forrest B. jackson,
and Robert Candy, Mississippi in
surance man, about the manner in
which MIR. Newton gave four checks,
totaling 5000, to Senator Bilbo in
a Jackson Miss hotel room, for
use in the Doxey campaign.
He declared he spent all the
money for that campaign, including
$11 900 to pay Cecil Travis for the
collins setup." Mr.. Candy and
others have testified that the $11 600
went to the Collins organization in
return for its support of Mr.. Doxey
in runof primary.
Senator Bilbo brought another
laugh when he explained, in reply
to question by Senator Ferguson.
how the money repeatedly contrib
uted by Mr.. Newton and others for
the Doxey campaign was held in
safekeeping.
II kept it under my pillow" Sen
ator Bilbo said.
Spent as Needs Arose.
He said it disbursed it in sums
ranging from several hundred to
several thousand dollars as the need
arose and at the request Of Mr..
Jackson in behalf of the Doxey