Evening star., 1947-08-03
Clash Interrupts Meyers Story
Of Parties for Elliott Roosevelt;
Huqhes ReheWs BrewsterAttock
Builder Says Senator
Accepted Free Rides
From Pan American

Stories of parties given for
Elliott Roosevelt and others dur
ing the war at Howard Hughes
expense, spread on the record at
a Senate War Investigating Sub
committee hearing yesterday,
we're countered by Mr.. Hughes
last night with the charge that
Chairman Brewster of the full
committee had accepted enter
tainment-"and lots of it'-from
Pan American Always.
John w. Meyer, free-spending
publicity man for Mr.. Hughes,
millionaire movie and aircraft pro-
ducer, was questioned by the sub
committee yesterday about his ex-
penses, including S106 for a New
York night club party for Mr.. Roose-
welt. then an Army Air Forces
colonel, on the day the latter drafted
a report recommending that the
Government buy photo-reconnais-
sance planes from Mr.. Hughes.
His testimony was interrupted by
q sharp verbal clash over fairness
of the inquiry after a Senator chal-
lenged Mr.. Meyers draft deferment
during the war.
Both to Testify.
Mr.. Roosevelt. son of the late
President, and Mr. Hughes will have
a chance to tell the subcommittee
this week their version of how Mr..
Hughes obtained Government air
plane contracts during the war. Mr..
Roosevelt is due to testify tomorrow,
and Mr.. Hughes Wednesday,,
Not waiting for his appearance
here, MIR. Hughes continued from
Los Angeles last night series OF
newspaper blasts at Senator
Brewster.
In a copyrighted article appearing
under his name in the Los Angeles
Examiner, Mr.. Hughes directed a
series of questions at Senator Brew
ster, the Associated Press reported,
and asserted
Difficult as it may be to believe,
YOU, yourself, the high and mighty,
holier- -than-thou Senator Brewster
himself, did actually accep; enter
tainment from Pan American Air
ways-and lots of it"
Brewster Chuckles.
Senator Brewster chuckled when
Mr.. Hughes comments were read
to him by telephone here last night.
He described them as "a little
repetitious."
He declined to comment further,
except to say that the matter could
be taken up further "as soon as he
(Mr. Hughes) will come here and
tell his story under OATH
The Hughes article said that
among other things Senator Brewster
flew to South America last December
as Pan Americans guest.
Mr.. Hughes, principal stockholder
in Trans World Airlines, has charged
previously that Senator Brewster
tried to persuade him to agree to a
plan sponsored by Pan American
for a merger.
Expense Account in Record.
Senator Ferguson, Republican, OF
Michigan, chairman of the subcom-
mittee conducting the hearings here,
placed in the record yesterday a
compilation purporting to show that
Mr.. Meyer spent $5,083.79 between
1s43 and 1945 for entertainment of
Mr.. Roosevelt and his wife, the
former Faye Emerson. Mr.. Meyer
said they were not the only guests
at some of the affairs listed,
however.
The public relations man was
questioned in detail about expense
vouchers showing generous presents
to girls, bills for liquor, theater
tickets and even headache tablets.
He insited that 1t was part OF his
lob with Mr.. Hughes to pay enter
tainment bills for Mr.. Roosevelt
and his friends. including gifts to
girls invited to parties in California,
New York and Washington hotels
and night clubs.
introduced Roosevelts.
Mr.. Meyer testified that in 1943
he introduced Mr.. Roosevelt to MISS
Emerson, movie actress, who later
Became Mrs. Roosevelt.
Mr., Hughes article in the Los
Angeles Examiner mentioned a re-
cent statement by Senator Brewster
that he has no connection with
Pan American Airways." This, MIR.
Hughes wrote, sis about as naive
piece of pulp-magazine literature as
have ever heard"
Mr.. Hughes, still in seclusion over
the week end pending departure
from California for Washington
Monday, directed these questions at
Senator Brewster:
Doesn't your conscience get a.
slight case of the hives when you
think over the many, many pleas
ant hours you have spent being
entertained by Juan Trippe (presi-
den0, Sam Pryor (vice president)
and Bill McEvoy (publicist) of Pan
American, right in Washington?
Trips Are Cited.
"And incidentally why did you try
so hard to explain away those free
. alrplane trips you accepted from
me, when you have been carted all
over the country, as the free guest
Of Pan American Airways in their
luxurious, private executive air.
plane?"
Would you say there were, may
be, just one or two little parties
or perhaps quite a few more-now
that you think back over it?
Would you say that Pan Ameri-
can has pretty good motive for all
the entertainment they have been
lavishing on you?
Eyes, Senator Brewster, don't
think Pan American has been throw
ing its money away when it enter
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