Evening star., 1947-11-08
Hughes
Continued From First Page>

cOTOuS manner, De gwen Cnc T1gnG
to ask any questions he wants"
Senator Ferguson, replied:
This committee always has and
always will endeavor to get the
facts. This is not trial. No one
is on trial here. This Is an inquiry.
We are trying to conduct it in an
orderly way and to get all the facts
We have followed consistent policy
and, as in the cast of the Pearl
Harbor inquiry and others, we have
ruled that questions may be sub
mitted to us in writing to be asked
by the chairman if the subcommittee
so decided"
No "Briefing' Provided.
Senator Ferguson declared that a
week ago Mr.. Hughes was notified
that if he wanted witnesses called
he should provide the subcommittee
with some advance "briefing" about
the type of testimony he believed the
witnesses would bring out. In that
way the subcommittee would have
been in a better position to question
the witnesses today. No such brief
ing" was provided, he said.
During an earlier committee re-
cess Mr. Hughes had wandered down
to the Senate Office Building cafe
terra for a cup of coffee.
Senator Ferguson had recessed the
session temporarily when informed
by Thomas A. Slack, a Hughes at
torney, that there apparently had
been misunderstanding" as to the
exact time the nine witnesses would
testify.
The subcommittee members were
not in the room when Mr.. Hughes
strode In. But Committee Council
William Rogers came insto call the
roll and found that four of the nine
witnesses requested by Mr.. Hughes
were present. He announced that
the subcommittee would reconvene
and call the four or any others of
the nine who might be present.
General to Be Questioned Again.
Earlier, Senator Ferguson had said
that Maj. Gen. Bennett E. Meyers,
retired Air Force procurement chief,
would be questioned further in con-
nection with his testimony yester-
day in which he:
l. Denied he tried to borrow $50,-
900 from Mr.. Hughes during the
war while active in negotiations on
Hughes plane contract.
2. Admitted he asked Mr. Hughes
for a $4,000 loan this year.
3. Declared Mr. Hughes in 1914
offered him a postwar job with the
company and told him he could
write his own ticket as to salary.
The Hughes public relations man.
John w. Meyer, may testify again
today If testimony touches on pay
ment of Hughes money for enter
tainment in connection with Gov
ernment contracts for a flying boat
and photo reconnaissance planes,
Senator Ferguson said.
Meyer Back in Lineup.
Mr.. Meyer broke into the lineup
briefly but spectacularly late yes
UCIudy. Ii WhS lllS lA 81 AHRCdlhAlL
in the caucus room since last Au-
guest. His disappearance was given
as one of the reasons for abrupt
postponement of the hearings from
August II until this month.
He denied testimony by Gen. and
Mrs. Meyers that Mrs. Meyers gave
him approximately 5000 in cash
in an envelope to pay hotel and
railroad bills on an inspection trip
by Gen. Meyers to the Hughes plant
in California in April, 1914. Gen.
Meyers declared he objected to hav-
ing his expenses paid by Mr.. Hughes
and that, at his request, Mrs. Meyers
gave the money to the Hughes pub
lie relations man.
The hearing ended late yesterday
amid a furry of charges and coun-
ter charges that Gen. Meyers asked
Mr.. Hughes for postwar job, that
Mr.. Hughes offered him such a job