Evening star., 1947-08-02

Weu as the photo-reconnaiSSanc
venture, is due to testify Wednesday
Senator Brewster, Republican, O.
Maine added to the possibility O.
fireworks to come when he an.
nounced last night he will waive al
senatorial privileges and take thu
stand before his own War Investi.
eating Committee to answer Mr.
Hughes. The airplane builder hs:
charged that the Senator offered tt
call OH the inquiry If Mr.. Hughe:
would agree to a merger of Trans.
world Airlines with Pan-American
Senator Brewster said he would ge
before the committee as "a plair
American citizen under oath" afte,
Mr.. Hughes testif1es.
Mr.. Meyers appearance before
the Committee got of to brief bui
scorching start late yesterday, with
Senator Cain, Republican, of Wash.
ington, bringing out that the witness
was IS years old and in good health
when he took the post of publicity
man for the Hughes aircraft concern
a week or two after the attack or
Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Call Creates Excitement.
Senator Ferguson had just started
to ask Mr.. Meyer when he first me;
Mr.. Roosevelt, when Senator Cair
switched the questioning to what Mr.
Meyer did during the war.
| After hours of technical testimony
q wave Of excitement swept the
crowded caucus room in the Senate
Ofhce Building when Senator Fer.
guson called Mr.. Meyer to the
stand at 4:30 pm.
Kleig lights flashed on, throwing a
harsh glare like that in a third
degree chamber over the witness
chair, and a battery of movie and
still cameramen snapped into action.
The sequence of lights cam
eras action was nothing new tc
the dapper, rather chubby public
relations man. He was dressed ir
smart blue suit which suggested
an excellent tailor and, although he
was outwardly composed, there wa.
that about his speech and manner
the appearance of a man who has
steeled himself to go under fire, o,
take dive into chill waters.
At least SO cameras were trained
on him as he stood with right hane
uplifted to take the oath.
I'm Europe on Business.
He gave his name and address a!
1000 Roman street, Los Angeles, ane
in response to Senator Ferguson.
first questions told how he had re-
turned at the committees request
from business trip for Mr. Hughes
to Southern France.
Mr.. Meyer saio under examina.
ton he worked two years for Warner
Bros. before joining the Hughe.
organization, and prior to that rar
the La Conga night club in the Los
Angeles area for a year.
Joined Hughes in 1941.
Before that, he said, he was In
public relations for the Caliente
Race Track in Mexico.
when did you go with Mr..
Hughes?" Senator Ferguson asked.
"On December 1, 1941, for Hughes
motion picture productions. That,
as you gentlemen may recall, was a
week before Pearl Harbor. About a
week after Pearl Harbor I trans
ferred to Hughes Aircraft"
"Why?"
"At Mr.. Hughes request"
What were your duties?" Senator
Ferguson asked.
Public relations nebulous
term. I guess. 1 did what Mr..
Hughes asked me to do.
did that include entertaining
Army officers?"
YES"
"And Navy officers?"
Right"
."And public oficials?"
Fright"
Decided ON Entertainment.
"Were you permitted to Use your
own discretion in how you enter
tanned them?"
"I entertained them any way I saw
ft."
Did Mr.. Hughes instruct you to
furnish names, dates and places as
to entertainments"
yes"
Ibid you follow instructions"
ITO the letter"
did YOU turn back to your en-
ployer reports on who you enter
tanned and the cost?"
yes"
1.-The exact amounts in each case?"
mo"
Mr.. Meyer explained he did not
turn in the exact amounts in each
case because he sometimes let his
expense account run for two or
three months.
"At other times" he added, II
turned them in every few days.
Some of the names and dates could
be wrong. But the accounts satisfied
Mr.. Hughes, and he is the man am
working for"
How long have you been working
for Mr. Hughes?"
From December, 1941, up to- now.
i hope. AS far as I know I'm still
working for him, if I haven't been
discharged. I haven't talked to him
since I got back"
Never Repaid by Guests.
"Were you ever repaid by persons
you entertained, although collecting
the amount on your expense ac-
count?" Senator Ferguson asked.
Positively never"
Are you certain of this?"
VERY certain
"You never padded your expense
account and knocked down the diff
ference?"
mo. I didn't, although possibly I
should have. I make such low
salary"
$50 your income tax returns show,
then, only your regular salary?"
Eyes. I'm sure Mr.. Rogers has
photostatic copies of my income tax
returns. He has rhotostats of every
thing else" The witness apparently
was referring to William P. Rogers,
committee counsel.
Refers to Previous Testimony.
Senator Cain adopted another line
of questioning: do you have any
mechanical skills?