Evening star., 1949-08-15
Wait Described
AsSeekingW Work
For Hunt 'sFirn1
White House Influence
Might Help Him Later,
Major Quotes General
By Miriom Gutenberg

Inc SenaCe HVe-peTCelIeTS IN
quiry was told today that Maj
Gen. Alden H. Watt. suspended
chief of the Army Chemical
Corps, showed personal interest in
assuring an Army contract for a
research trust because the trust
had some influence in the White
House that might prove valuable
to him later"
The witness, Maj. John F. Gay
former chief liaison officer be-
tween Gen. Watt and his research
staff, testified that Gen. Watt
told him to take a message to the
Army Chemical Center saying
that Gen. Watt was interested in
seeing that the Deering Milliken
Research Trust got a contract
with the Chemical Corps.
The research trust. according
to earlier testimony. was repre-
sented by James v. Hunt, the
management counselor whose
activities touched off the five
percenter inquiry.
Smuggling Attempt Charged.
Before the committee picked
up the sequence of events leading
to the suspension of Gen. Watt,
there were these developments:
/. Senator Mccarthy, Repub-
liean. of Wisconsin, charged at
tempted smuggling activities" to
an employe of the perfume COM
pany which footed the bills for
deep-freeze units sent to Wash
ington notables.
2. Senator Mccarthy announced
for the record that re was sure
there was nothing even remote
ly suggesting anything improper"
on the part of Mrs. Truman in
accepting a eep-freeze unit.
8. Chairman Hoey called a
closed session for pm. today to
question Harry Hoffman. the Mil
waukee advertising man, through
whom Maj. Gen. Harry H.
Vaughan, the Presidents military
aide, said he made the arrange
ments to get the deep-freeze units.
Mr.. Hoffman repeatedly was
once associated with the Albert
Verley Co.. a perfume firm by
which John Maragon, a friend OF
Cen. Vaughan, also was en-
ployed.
Defends Mrs. Truman.
Senator Mccarthy made his
statement in defense of Mrs. Tru-
man. Immediately after Senator
Hoey announced the committee
would take up the deep-freeze
case as soon as it had all the facts.
In view of Gen. Vaughan's
statement Saturday saying that
the Little White House at indie
pendence, No, got one of the gift
home freezers, Senator Mccarthy
said, he wanted to make it clear
that he believed Mrs. Truman is
the type of lady incapable Of
doing anything remotely i'm
proper"
"She's in an embarrassing posi-
ton" Senator Mccarthy con-
tinued. but not through any,
thing she did. 1t was through
the activities of her husband S
military aide.
II don't think she knew any,
thing about the perfume COM
pany's prior connections. She
surely did not know of the
attempted smuggling activities of
an employe of this company. She
did not know of any attempted
influence being used. She gra-
ciously took a gift. She knew
nothing about the background of
this gift"
After the session, Senator Nc
Carthy said he assumed it was
general information that Mr..
Maragon was involved in an effort
to bring perfume essence into the
country in a champagne bottle.
Mr.. Maragon, whose name has
cropped up repeatedly in the in
vestigation as a former frequent
visitor at the White House, denied a
New York newspaper account that
he tried in vain to avoid payment
of customs duties in 1886 on a
bottle of perfume essence valued
at $4,000.
Mr.. Maragon was employed by
1see FIVE-PERCENTERs, A-6D
20Reported Killed by Bomb