Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-11-15
Hughes
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Hughes
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quest, Mr.. Mccarthy told how he adj
vised Mr.. Hughes that such request
should not be granted, and that, in
any event, Gen. Meyers could not get
out of the Army during the war. Mr.
Hughes agreed with this, Mr.. Nc
Carthy added, and directed him te
go to Washington and tell Gen
Meyers.
He said Mr.. Hughes nevertheless
wanted to keep the friendship"
Now, Mr.. Mccarthy Subcom-
mittee Chairman Ferguson, inter
rupted, Here was a man making a
corrupt offer. Why did Mr.. Hughes
want to keep the friendship OF a
man like that?"
It don't agree with you Senator
that it was a corrupt offer" Mr.. Nc
Carthy retorted. Gen. Meyers had
said he would have left the army
anyway. Mr.. Hughes felt he hao
a lot of enemies in Washington and
needed some friendship"
it was in subsequent questioning
that Mr.. Mccarthy said he felt the
offer was corrupt.
Gen. Meyers, now drawing a pen
sion of $461 q month, has denied
that he sought a job during the wal
or loan. Instead, he said Hughes
offered him s250,000 for the bono
deal through Mr.. Mccarthy.
The start of today's session was
delayed almost an hour because Of
the late arrival of Mr.. Mccarthy BY
train from California. Subcommit'
tee members had expected him tt
arrive in Washington at 9 a m.
When he entered the committee
room at 10:45, he told the subcom
mittee his train came in about II
o'clock but he went downtown" tt
read a transcript Of testimony al
hearings earlier this week.
| Hughes Waits Impatiently.
Mr.. Hughes and his associates
meanwhile, waited impatiently in a
Senate ONCE Building corridor un-
til the attorney finally appeared.
Gen. Meyers spent the time writing
at a table in the hearing room and
comforting frequently with one OF his
lawyers, Smith W. Brookhart, son OF
the late Iowa Senator.
1t. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, retlrec
deputy commander of the Air Force
also is scheduled to testify today.
Before today's session opened
Senator Ferguson, referring to de-
mails last night by Gen. Meyers that
he concealed aircraft stock holdings
and other financial transactions
while the war was going on, re-
marked: 1--WE haven't even lit the
fire under him yet
The subcommittee will continue
Monday to dig into not only an
avalanche of allegations that Gen
Meyers proflted from official rela-
lions with contracts. 1t also will
try to determine whether Air Force
authorities had evidence OF such
dealings but did nothing and
whether the Air Force procurement
system is too weak or rank con-
scious" to prevent corruption in high
echelons.
| Testimony ref1ecJlng on Gen
Meyers came so thick and fast yes
terday and earlier this week that
the former procurement officer an
nounced he had requested a court
martial to determine his innocence
or guilt. Air Force spokesman said
the request, made last month, was
not granted.
War Fraud Status Weighed.
This raised the possibility that
any charges against Gen. Meyers
on the basis of the current hearings
would have to be preferred by the
Justice Department for trial in Dis
trict Court. A department repre-
sentative who has closely followed
the hearings brought up further
Question that a three-year statute
of limitations might operate against
prosecution on alleged violations
This might be the situation If al
legged violations occurred early In
the war, unless clear case of war
fraud" could be established, he ex-
planned.
The question, he said. is whethe,
an Army officers alleged financial
interest in, or relationship to, Wal
contractors company was a wal
fraud besides being violation OF q
long standing statute banning. such
relationships.
When another Justice Department
official disclosed later that the de.
partment had been looking into
the activities Of Gen. Meyers, the
former procurement officer COM
mented last night:
mo one wants an investigation
but I am willing to give the facts
as I have before the Senate com.
mittee in closed and open hearings.
Although the hearings yesterday
and Thursday were not concerned
directly with the Hughes warplane
contracts, reference was made to the
bond buying speculative venture Of
Gen. Meyers.
Maj. Gen. Oliver P. Echols. re-
tired wartime commander of the
Air Force Materiel Command, tes-
titled Gen. Meyers mad mentioned
the bond buying idea to him.
"But I didn't understand it," Gen
Echols remarked, In commenting on
the complicated financial method
Gen. Meyers said he used in acquir-
ing the bonds.
L Gan Echnle testified EARLIER In