Evening star., 1949-08-17
Maragon Indictment for Perjury
Asked asWitness Testifiesto Fee;
Vauqhan Pressure Denounced
Ex-OfficiuI Tells
General
In Molusses Deal
By Miriom Gutenberg

Testimony on the roles played
by Maj. Gen. Harry H. Vaughan,
the Presidents military aide, and
his friend John Maragon, in try
ing to get molasses for suspend
ed company today prompted one
Senator to demand a perjury in
dictment against Mr.. Maragon
and another to denounce Gen.
Vaughan as a "finagling bar
gamer"
Highlights of the days develop
ments at the Senate "f1ve-per-
center" inquiry were:
/. A witness testified he paid
Mr.. Maragon a total of $l,218
for his promised services in behalf
of the Allied Molasses Co.. then
suspended from getting molasses
ALLEGATION because of a serious
rationing violation. The witness
gave the committee a check for
$500 Endorsed by Mr.. Maragon.
2. Senator Mccarthy. Republi-
can, of Wisconsin demanded that
the committee asked the Justice
Department to prosecute Mr..
Maragon for perjury on grounds
that he swore under oath at an
earlier closed session of the COM
mittee that he had never received
any money for dealing with the
Government.
Mundt and Hoey Clash.
8. A former Agriculture Depart
ment official told the committee
Gen. Vaughan. in trying to get the
molasses ALLEGATION, was "a little
rough" on him and implied he
could get" the officials job.
4. That testimony promted Sen.
Mundt, Republican. of South Da-
kota, to declare that Gen. Vaughan
"by pressure, intimidation. bluff
and bluster" tried to get Gov
ernment official to do something
he knew was wrong simply as a
favor to a Vaughan friend who
was operating as fixer for a
fat fee"
S. Chairman Hoey of the ex-
penditures subcommittee conduct
ing the investigation sharply
chided Senator Mundt for his
@denunciatory comments" and
said he did not think they were
proper until Gen. Vaughan has
had his chance to testify and all
the evidence is in.
6. Two witnesses, both former
Government employees. said Mr..
Maragon gave them the impress
sion that he was associated with
Gen. Vaughan in an official
capacity. Mr.. Maragon, man
about-town who once had a White
House pass, held no such official
capacity, it was brought out.
Maragon Paid S1,21S.
The committee started develop
ing the molasses story with the
testimony of Milton POLAND, a
Milwaukee insurance man who
identified himself as the uncle by
marriage of Harold M. Ross, pres
ident of the Allied Molasses Co.
Mr.. POLAND, in describing his
efforts to help the molasses COM
pany get an ALLEGATION despite its
difficulties with the Agriculture
Department, gave the committee
the Cancelled check for $500 which
bore Mr.. Maragon's Endorsement.
He testified that that check, dated
in November. 1916. and other pay
ments he made to Mr.. Maragon-
some of which he had trouble re-
calling-amounted to 81 ,218.
Although Mr.. Poland said he
could not actually recall handing
Mr.. Maragon $500 in cash in Oc-
tober, 1916. he said he must have
done so, since he so reported to
the molasses company.
The committee had company
invoice to cover this $500, the
Cancelled check for $500, a COM
pany invoice showing Mr.. Mara
gon was paid $50 for a trip to
Milwaukee, and the committee
(see F1VE-PERcENTERs. A-5J
TL:>fT~L@-R.~~4t