Evening star., 1948-06-01
Inside U.S.A.' Source
OF Criticized Phrase,
Voice Writer Says
By ChoImers M. Roberts

vvsS~ "'sSs S~JS
By ChoImers M. Roberts
Rene Borgia. the author of the
Voice of America scripts under con-
gressional fire. said today he got
the much-criticized phrase New
England was founded by hypocricy
and Texas by sin" from John Cum
theirs best selling book, Inside
U. 8. A."
But, Mr.. Borgia explained to a
joint Senate committee hearing to-
day, the statement was used only
to illustrate the prejudices of
Latin America" about this country
prejudices which the broadcast
series were designed to eliminate
The chunky Venezuelan born
writer, speaking in broken English,
said he protested against the type
OF broadcasts in the Know North
America" series to, his superiors at
the National Broadcasting Co.,
which beamed them to Latin Amer
ica on contract-arrangem with
the State Department.
Says Protests Were Unheeded.
Senator Ferguson, Republican, of
Michigan, a co-chairman of the
committee, said:
You kind of expected an explosion
about these programs?"
Mr.. Borgia replied:
Yes, l thought they weren't
dignified"
Mr.. Borgia said his protests were
unheeded and that he was told by
his direct superior, Alberto Gandero,
head of MICS Spanish desk.
"Borgia, you are working for a
commercial concern. Why are you
all the time trying to put in propa-
ganda?"
Mr. Borgia replied that he told
Mr. Gandero he thought that since
the Government was spending all
this money" for such broadcasts
he should put in little word for
democracy"
The Senate investigation. joint
effort by the Foreign Relations and
Expenditures Committee, is headed
by both Senator Ferguson and Sem
ator Smith, Republican, OF New
Jersey In an opening statement,
Senator Smith took an implied dig
at a House Expenditures Subcom-
mittee inquiry also under way on
the same Short-Wave broadcasts.
The Senator said this investiga-
tion will in no sense be a witch
hunt"
Opposes CurtaiIment.
He added that I'VE are definitely
opposed to any implication that the
Government get out of the broad
casting business We oppose also
any suggestion that this would be
discontinued or curtailed. 1t must
be continued with full vigor, but
with prompt recognition and cor
rection of any mistakes in its execu-
ton
The House inquiry, which was to
hear Mr. Borgia later today, was
marked last week by repeated state
ments by its chairman, Representa-
tive Chenoweth, Republican, OF
Colorado, that the Government
ought to get out" of part if not all
of the short wave broadcasting
business. ~
Mr.. Borgia told the Senators that
his scripts were known to five NBC
officials and therefore he could not
be blamed Beside Mr.. Gandero, he
named Stanley P. Richardson in di-
rect charge of the broadcasts for
NBC, and Ray Green, Frank Nesbitt
and Juan Vasquez, all in MICS
Spanish department.
With. wave of the arms. Mr..
Borgia declared there was such
a lack of culture among those people |
in charge of those programs" Mr..
Gandero, now in Cuba, he called
lust an announcer without any in
tellectual -"
He waved his hands for lack of
a concluding word.
Jailed for PrO-Allied Speech.
At last weeks House inquiry. NBCI
officials put the blame for the Of
Tending scripts on Mr.. Borgia and
Mr.. Gandero, but said both the
broadcasting chain and the State
Department also were at fault. Of
ficials of both groups were present
at todays Senate hearing.
The script writer. who said he is
81 and had spent some time in a
Venezuelan Jail in 1916 because ne
had made a pro-Allied speech, said
he was paid $400 month by NBCI
while writing II scripts in the
series. During the period from No
vember Is, 1947. to February l6,
of this year, he wrote scripts on
Philadelphia. New Orleans, the Mis-
siSsippi River. Texas, Hollywood,
Alabama, West Point. New York
City. the Great White Way, San
Francisco, Nevada Utah, Colorado
and Wyoming.
The writer said NBC threw me
out On March 10 wnen it received
a protest over the wyoming broad
cast from Representative Taber, Re-
publican, of New York.
Senator Smith asked Mr. Borgia
If he thought your picture of Utah
was helpful to the understanding of
America The Utah broadcast con-
talned reference to Brigham
Young, the States founder, as car
rying whisky in one pocket and to-
bacco in another.
Mi Borgia replied:
NO, that's why protested"
Told to Obey Superiors.
He said he had Mr.. Gandero 60
to Mr.. Richardson with one of his
protests, but that Mr.. Gandero