The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-08-30
DIDN'T DO
 ANYTHING
 IMPROPER
Admits Collecting Cam paign Funds ' Did Help
 Getting Govt. Business

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30.-tR- Maj Gen. Harry H. Vaughan &C., knowledged today that he collected campaign money in 1946 from some of the business men he helped in dealings with the government. He said he got $2.000 or $3,000 from race track owned William He- | lis, who sought Vaughan's aid in l948 in getting permit for scarce building materials for the 1anfor- an tCalif) Race Track. And, Vaughan said, he "probab- ly' got $2,000 from John Maragon, Washington man. n-about-town and one time employee of a Chicago perfume company.
 Vaughan, the Presidents military aide, was in the witness chair of the Senate Investigations schcom- mittee.
 Nothing Improper
 Flatly and repeatedly, he denied that there was anything improper in anything he did for any busi- ness man--or that he ever received any fee, gift or favor in return for his aid.
 Senator Mccarthy (R-Wis) said at one point he felt that Vaughan did not personally profit financial ly' from his assistance to persons who have figured in the inquiry. But he demanded that Vaughan produce for the committee the names of all persons from whom he received money for campaign l purposes, the exact amounts and the disposition of the money. Vaughan had testified that he thought the Maragon and Helis contributions had gone to the Mis- souri Democratic campaign. He was still being questioned about this when Chairman Hoey
 DINO ordered a. recess until q. m. tEST) Wednesday. Vaughan will return to the witness chair then.
 Truman Didn't Know The White House army aide told Senate investigators that the things he did were done without the know ledge of President Truman. He did not mention them to the President, he said, because T didn't think it was necessary" Vaughan came in for rugged questioning from members of the Senate subcommittee looking into the question of whether there has been improper. influence in letting government contracts. l Much of it revolved about his relations with Maragon, who stood on his constitutional rights and re- fused to tell the committee that Maragon banked $119.O00 during a five-year period in which he had said his income was about $30.O00. Did Aid Maragon 1 Vaughan acknowledged he had
 
 been helpful to Maragon from time to time. but he swore he had never authorized Maragon to represent. or speak, for me or the White House"
 Under a fire of questions from Mccarthy. Vaughan denied specifi- cally that he ever told the State De- partment that President Truman was personally interested" in a trip Maragon proposed to make to Eu- rope in 1045 for a perfume com pany-the same company which gave Vaughan seven home freezers for himself and friends that year. Vaughan read the committee prepared statement which contain ed among other things, his explan- ation for accepting the freeze box es from officials of the Albert J. verley Perfume Company They were simply gifts from old friends. he said, and had no connection with any assistance he may have given those friends.
 The witness said he had nothing to conceal in his record; T have discharged my duties honestly and to the best of my ability"