Evening star., 1948-06-20
Chicago Tribune Hit
By Democrats on
Parole Probe Role


use this committee to serve its own
private political hatreds and am
bitions" and that the papers activ-
ity mad impaired the committee s
dignity and effectiveness.
The assertion was made in a state
ment by Representative Hardy
Democrat, of Virginia, on the COM
mittee report of its investigation
into the paroling of four one-time
members of the Capone mob. Mr.
Hardy's Office said the other nine
Democratic members of the COM
mittee had concurred in the state
ment.
The committee issued its report on
Wednesday recommending that the
four men, Louis Campagna, Charles
Gioe, Philip D'Andrea and Paul De
Lucia, should be returned to prison
to serve their 10-year sentences for
violating notwithstanding laws.
The committee report said the
paroles were "improvidently granted
and ought to be revoked because OF
fraudulent concealment of the
facts" The four men were convicted
in New York in 1914 of conspiracy
TO extort 81 100000 from the movie
industry.
Statement Runs II Pages.
Mr.. Hardy signed the report and
said 1t was generally IAN accurate
and factual report" He added that
he felt that additional observations
needed to be smade. His 14-page
statement concluded:
I'm summary. the evidence before
the committee has failed to produce
the slightest indication that the
Board of Parole was Influenced by
any improper motive in granting
the paroles under consideration
The Department of Justice and the
FBI have worked diligently on the
case, and one of the PAROLES de-
Lucia) already has been arrested
with likelihood that his parole will
be revoked
Although the Chicago press is
commended for its interest in the
community welfare for calling at
tention to the release of four men,
bers of its underworld, final
conclusion concerning the investi-
CATION is inescapable.
Here the statement said the
Chicago Tribune sought to use the
committee through baseless attacks
on various political officials"
Confidential Report Got Out.
The statement continued:
"It (the Tribune) is we'll known
as the medium for expressing the
venom of its publisher toward any
Democrat and the Democratic
Party. It's activity has served to
impair the dignity and effective
ness of the committee and may
have seriously hampered the in
vestiga ton of the Department of
Justice"
Mr.. Hardy cited an FBI report
submitted in confidence to the COM
mittee by the Justice Department
He said this report, stating no
tangible evidence had been dis
covered and that persons inter-
viewed based their statements en-
tirely on rumor and gossip. proved
of little value to the committee.
The confidence in which the COM
mittee was supposed to hold the re-
port was violated, Mr.. Hardy said,
and Mr.. James Doherty of the
Chicago Tribune stated that he had
read it."
Writer Assigned to Group.
There is interest in this statement
because Chairman Hoffman has
sponsored a bill which would penal
ize any committee member. employe
or other individual disclosing data
held to be confidential. He later
agreed to removal of the "other in
dividual' clause.
Mr.. Hardy stated he was told Mr..
Doherty was assigned full-tlme to
the investigation 'purportedly AS a
matter of assistance to the commit
tee and specifically to one member. =
Mr.. Hardy cites what he says are
inaccuracies in quotations in the
Tribune attributed to Representative
Busbey. Republican. of Illinois. He
said the Tribune stated that Attor-
ney General Clark appeared volun-
tarily before the committee but not
until after Mr.. Busbey had left for
Chicago.
He said also the Tribune quoted
Mr.. Busbey as saying he was told
United States Attorney Otto Kerner
jr., at Chicago would show him a
list of names Mr.. Hardy said the
Tribune quoted Mr.. Busbev as say
ing Instead of showing it Ohe
listp to me, I was advised it was
being compiled That's at~least an
illustration of the inefficiency OF
worse of the Department of JUS
tice."
Hardy Recites Facts.
Mr.. Hardy said the facts were
these: When the committee met
June 9 Attorney General Clark was
asked by telephone to be present and
appeared in 10 minutes. Meanwhile
Mr.. Busbey had left to dictate a
letter. After Mr. Clark had waited
a considerable length of time, the
chairman called Mr.. Busbey. found
he had gone to his own office and
would return Immediately. After
another wait Mr.. BuSbey telephoned
that he would not return.
The Hardy statement includes a
letter from Mr.. Clark to Chairman
Hoffman saving that Mr.. Clark was
told Mr.. Busbey wanted to see list
of persons questioned by the FBI
and would look at the list on a
Friday in Chicago. Mr.. Clark said
he agreed to this but that Mr..
Busbey called at the United States
Attorneys office in Chicago on
Thursday when Mr., Kerner was on
his way there. and not on Friday.
Mr.. Hardy said Mr.. Clark and
members of his staff appeared be-
fore the committee on many oc-
easions and answered all questions
as fully as possible under existing
policy.
The Hardy statement also says
that TIE committee report men
toned Maury Hughes of Dallas. a
friend of Mr.. Clark. and Paul Dill
Ion of St. Louis, friend of Presi-
dent Truman. but did not mention
Emanuel M. Stern of Fargo N. D.,