Evening star., 1948-01-15
Speculation in Wheat
By Committee Expert
Probed by Groups

NOllSI coSlOlldl 4l1fCStlS oGOlo vi
charges of commodity specula-
ton by administration insiders
gave attention today to the case
of a Library of Congress employe
who was in the 'wffeat market
while writing a report on grain
for a House committee.
He is John Kerr Rose, on loar
from the Library of Congress to ths
special House Committee on For
|eign Aid headed by Representative
Herter, Republican. ,of Massachu.
sets. -ss- >---.
His activities were reviewed be.
fore q Senate Appropriations Sub.
committee late yesterday and he
may be called later before a House
group similarly investigating specu.
lation.
Mrs. Thomas Listed Again.
Meanwhile, the name OF Mrs
Edith Thomas" turned up again
today on a list of cotton traders
made public by Secretary Of Agri-
culture Anderson, as the Senate
investigators continued their study
Of transactions by Senator Elmer
Thomas. Democrat, of Oklahoma.
The Senator's wife Is named Edith.
When the same name appeared on a
list last week, Senator Thomas said
his wife has her own money and
trades in commodities.
He said he, too, has dealt in
stocks and commodities but never
has used any inside" information.
He later gave the Senate Appropria-
tions Subcommittee memorandum
Of his own trading.
Senator Ferguson, Republican, OF
Michigan, chairman of the Appro-
priations Subcommittee, refused to
say today whether Senator Thomas
will be invited to appear as a wit
ness. "All I can say" he told ques-
tioners, "is that we are studying the
memorandum"
Reflected on Congress"
Winding up the questioning of
Mr.. Rose yesterday afternoon, Sen
ator Ferguson asked whether he
did not think he had reflected on
the whole Congress by playing the
market" while writing report for
the Herter Committee.
To this Mr.. Rose replied that
"after seeing today's headlines
(about his own activities) I sup
pose I shall have to say yes"
Mr.. Roses name came to light
in one Of the many lists of COM
modify market traders made public
recently by Secretary of Agricul-
ture Anderson. 1t disclosed that he
had both bought and sold 1000
bushels of grain last September 20.
Yesterdays testimony before the
Senate group showed he made $37
on that transaction. but that in all
his market activities in 1947-from
April through November-he suf-
fered net loss of $1,74475
Questioned by Andersen.
Mr.. Rose also was questioned by
Representative August H. Andersen,
the Minnesota Republican who heads
the House group probing speculation.
but he was not formally called as a
witness. He may be called later, Mr..
Andersen said.
Mr.. Rose was hurriedly called be-
fore the Senate group by Senator
Ferguson after his activities were
reported in yesterdays newspapers
and he spent an hour and half in
a closed committee session. After the
session, Senator Ferguson invited in
the newspapermen and spent an
other hour and half listening while
she committee stenographer read the
ferbatim report of the hearing for
the press.
Much of the hearing centered
around the question of what consti-
tuteS inside information. Mr..
Rose insisted he had none and he
defined such information as advance
notice of Agriculture Department
:rop estimates or grain purchases.
Senator Ferguson, however, want
ID to know how MIR. Rose could have
been hired by Congress as an "ex-
pert" to help write the grain avail
ability report for the Herter Com
nittee If he were not an expert and
lid not have information available
to him not generally available to
n M. Ros; rho sat in the back Of