Evening star., 1947-08-07
pears thus, early. that very serious

doubt was entertained by these re-
Sponsible members of this subcom-
mittee studying carefully-Senato
Wallgren. Senator Hatch, and Sena-
tor Burton-as to the wisdom of pro-
ceeding with this; and, of course,
much Of what has since developed
which it is now easy to characterize
as hindsight, Is justified at that
time as being vindicated as foresight
because the events seem to have
proven they were right.
Now, we next come to the period.
in February, 1914. when Mr.. Nelson
was then prepared to cancel the
contract, and at that time, Senator
Truman, as chairman of this COM
mittee, asked Mr.. Nelson for a full
report on this matter.
I think that Senator Ferguson
was the one who brought this matter
to the attention of the committee
on the basis of information which
he had received from what he had
apparently considered a reliable
source, and it was from that, that
the current investigation stemmed;
and it was following that that Mr..
Flanagan apparently in accordance
with the instructions Of the COM
mittee prepared this memorandum,
which I think should go in the
record as giving complete history
Of his flying boat and of the COM
mittee's relation to it.
Senator Ferguson: At that time,
January 81, is the date of this
memoranda?
Senator Brewster: Yes.
Then Committee Chairman.
Senator Ferguson: Were you or
we're you not chairman of the COM
mittee at that time?
Senator Brewster: was chairman.
Senator Ferguson: You were the
chairman?
Senator Brewster: Yes. I do not
know when I saw this report. but it
was prepared shortly after Senator
Ferguson had made this complaint
to the committee regarding this
situation This goes into the whole
history of the matter showing how,
throughout the period, beginning in
July, 1912, Henry Kaiser and the
others appeared before the Senate
Military Affairs. then going on, to
the period in 1943, when there were
complaints to the committee about
the country club atmosphere and the
failure to function properly. then
the final recommendation in Febru-
ary, 1914.
There is a reference here to
complaint In August %, 1943, from
Mr.. Edward Bern who has appear
ed here. I think. Then, in Febru-
ary, 1914, when Mr.. Nelson proposed
to cancel, and all of the authorities
had agreed that that should be done,
on January 27, 1914, this states, the
NACA, which I think is the Ma
tional Aeronautical Conference, OF
whatever it was, advised the War
Production Board that i: agreed
that the project should be discon-
tinued and stated. and this is
quoted:
That the continuance of this
project of constructing the Kaiser
Hughes flying boat serves no useful
purpose in the interests OF advancing
the American aviation art"
Kaiser and Hughes Advised.
At this time, after having received
the above mentioned recommends
ton, Nelson was strongly opposed
to continuation of the project and
so advised Kaiser and Hughes.
cat this point Senator Ferguson
inserted into the record the
memorandum from Mr.. Flanagan
to Mr. Meader)
Senator Brewster continues: Now
we go down to the subsequent dates
II This matter was brought to my
attention next when I was in Kan
sas City, at the time of a Lincoln
Day address. I had accepted inyi-
tations to deliver four Lincoln Day
addresses: In Kansas City on Sat-
urday evening. February 8; in Nor
gantown w. Va, on Monday evening,
February 10; In Columbus, Ohio. on
Tuesday evening. February II, and
in Baltimore, Md, on Wednesday,
February IL.
have various records here 1t was
my custom always to make reserva-
tions both by train and plane. I
recall the call from Mr.. Hughes on
Sunday morning. I think he has
said that his records showed it was
1908 in Washington, which would
be s:0S in Kansas City. And that
would accord with my recollection
that he called me there at about
that time
This was the first time I had ever
heard from Mr.. Hughes since I