Evening star., 1946-09-13
Brewster Blast Ends
Nonpartisan Front
OF Mead Committee

Charges by Senator Brewster, Re-
publican, Of Maine that Senator
Mead, Democrat, of New York was
attemnting to run the Senate War
Investigating Committee as a "ons-
man show" have shattered the COM
mittee's five-year nonpartiSan front.
Senator Brewster, committee
member who has just been re-elect-
ed, contended yesterday that Sem
ator Mead, retiring as committee
chairman to run for Governor OF
New, York, was attempting to put
off an investigation of United States
military occupation activities IN
Germany until after the November
elections.
Within an hour after he leveled
his critical blast, Senator Brewster
said his New York colleague called
him on the telephone and pledged
cooperation in getting the military
government investigation under way
speedily.
Saws Mead Was Apologize.
Despite this apparent effort TO-
patch things up, Senator Brewster
said he is going to continue to en-
phasize that this committee is not
a one-man show He had also
charged that Senator Mead was is
suing committee statements without
consulting other members.
Senator Brewster described his
colleagues as quite apologetic' and
added that Senator Mead accepted a
suggestion to cable Senator Con-
nallv, Democrat, of Texas to ask II
the latter would serve on Subcom-
mittee holding hearings in Ger
many.
The suggestion was made, he said,
after Senator Mead contended that
no Democratic Senators were avail
able to 60 to Europe at this time
because all of them, except Senator
Connally. have stiff election con-
tests on their hands.
Meanwhile, Senator Mead issued
a statement declaring that the COM
mittee agrees that an investigation
of occupation activities in Germany
"is Of prime importance and de-
serves q top priority on the COM
mlttees agenda." Public hearings
will be held but first a field in
vestigator and possibly a Subcom-
mittee will go to Germany, he said.
Sending of a subcommittee, he
added, will depend on the avail
ability of Senators to serve at this
time.
Declares Month Wasted. /,
Senator Brewster said today that
when he left for Maine for the
recent election in which he won an
other Senate term, he was under
the impression that a field inveSti-
gator would be sent Immediately to
Germany and that public hearings
probably would be held fairly soon
thereafter. When he returned this
week. he declared, he found that
"a whole month had been WaSted.f
He was especially angered, he
said. when he heard that the in
vestigation would be postponed until
after November. Such a delay he
asserted, would lead many people
to believe that the committee was
concerned with making political
hay rather than continuing its COM
mendable nonpartisan record
Elaborating on his comments,
Senator Brewster said the occupa-
ton issue was a current problem
and should have priority over in
vestigation of matters that oc- 4
Cured during the war. He revealed
that there had been earlier COM
mittee talk of designating him as
head of a subcommittee to visit
Germany.
Horses Out of the Barn
He differed with Chairman Mead's
suggestion. made several days ago
in connection with the New York .
Senator's pending resignation as
chairman, that the. committee
should dig deeply into wartime
operations of giants of industry"
such as steel. airplane, aluminium
and shipbuilding. Senator Brews-
ter said he believed those matters
we're beyond the present scope of
the committees work.
"A lot of things outlined for the
committee are horses already out of
the barn" he remarked. This oc-
cupation issue is problem pressing
on us now.
Stepped-up activity in the investi-
CATION of occupation problems will
not interfere with other scheduled
hearings of the committee this fall.
Committee Counsel George f.
Meader said a schedule of such
hearings is being prepared and will
Include some in late September and
october.