The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-08-02

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2-lR-The Senate War Investigating Commit tees inquiry into $4G00O, GOO wartime airplane contract award- sd Howard Hughes broke up n TOW today over questions about selective service doferments for John w. Meyer. Hughes publicity man.
 The questioning arose after Mey- CT had testified concerning ex- tensive night club entertaining for Elliott Roosevelt, son of the late President, who as an air force Col 'cnel was head of mission that recommended purchase of 100 air planes from Hughes for photo-re- connaissance work in Europe.
 Tom H. Slack, attorney for Hughes, violently protested it was impossible to get the truth" when Senator Cain tR-Wash.) suddenly turned the questions from cocktail parties and nylon stocking gifts to Meyers wartime draft status.
 Meyer had been attempting to explain more than $l65, ,000 worth of entertainment expenses in con- nection with the big airplane con- tracts awarded the Hughes com pany.
 'Six Deferments" Quiz
 Suddenly Cain asked Meyer about what he termed Meyers '.six de- ferments" from selective service.
 Slack broke in to protest that the Justice Department rather than 9 Congressional committee should look into that issue.
 Meyer had little chance to ans- wer questions as Slack and Sem ators Ferguson (R-Mich.). Cain and finally Brewster CR-Me.) got into wordy dispute about whether the Senate committee could allow all facts to be presented
 Cain at one point asked Fergu- son to refer Meyers entire draft record to the Justice Department.
 Reces3 to Monday
 Chairman Ferguson delayed de- cision on this, saying that Slack lad asked that these records be presented to the committee.
 This is no place to get the truth Slack shouted
 Ferguson rapped for order and then quickly announced a recess of the inquiry until Monday.
 Ferguson told reporters that Meyer is being held under sub poena for all of next week, when both Elliott Roosevelt and Howard Hughes are scheduled to testify.
 Roosevelt is due here Tuesday Ferguson said he hopes Roosevelt can supply some answers" to questions to which Meyer may not be able to reply.
 He indicated, also. that Meyer will be kept on the stand while Hughes testiiies. Hughes has said he will not agree to go on the stand with Meyer.
 Hughes announced in Los An- geles that he was going away for d week. end rest and that he plans to be here to take the stand We'd nesday.
 Entertainment
 Meyer acknowledged to the Sen- ators that he spent $106 entertain ing Roosevelt in party of six at New York night clubs the day Roosevelt drafted a report recom- mending that the Government buy the Hughes planes.
 Meyer identified an expense voucher he had turned in for en- tertaining Roosevelt Aug 20, s943.
 Chairman Ferguson (R-Mich, said that was the same day Roose- welt drew up his report of trip to Culver City. Calif., to inspect Hughes photo reconnaissance plane.
 Ferguson told the witness the Roosevelt report said, in effect, that Hughes plane was the only one he had found in nationwide tour which met the specifications he had laid down for photo-recon- Eaissance flying in Europe.
 The Committee heard testimony yesterday that Roosevelt's report upset previous unanimous rejection of the plane by Air Corps experts and resulted in the award of a 8.500,000 contract to Hughes for 100 planes.
 Meyer denied he had talked to Roosevelt about the plane, or it's prototype, the D-2, a plywood ship.