Evening star., 1950-11-25
The Political Mill
Senate Unit Due to Drop
Probe Of HonIey Letter
No Infroctions of Law Are Seen
In Purported New York DeuI
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

The belief is growing here that the
inquiry made by the Senate Rules and
Administration subcommittee into the
Hanley letter episode In New York has
revealed no infraction of Federal laws.
And for that reason, the subcommittee
will proceed no further in the matter.
Details of the report to the subcom-
mittee by its investigators, however, have
not yet been made public. Their publi-
cation, which may be expected after the
subcommittee has met on Tuesday, will
bring renewed interest in the affair
which had its effect on the reelection
Of Senator Lehman, Democrat, of New
York and the defeat of Republican
Representative w. Kingsland Macy, also
Of New York.
The very fact that the Senate investi-
gators interrogated 1t. Gov. Joe r. Han
ley. Gov. Dewey and others involved
prior to the recent elections-and moth
ing was done by the subcommittee at
the time-lends color to the idea that
there were no infractions of the law.
Since then, Gov. Dewey, against whom
his Democratic opponent, Representa-
tive Walter A. Lynch, hurled charge after
charge Of having bought off" Mr.. Han
ley so that he, Gov. Dewey, could be
drafted" for the gubernatorial nomi-
nation, has been reelected by $50 900
vote lead over Representative Lynch. Mr.
Hanley, who was the Republican nominee
for Senator against Senator Lehman, was
defeated by more than 260, 900 votes.
Letter to Macy.
In his letter, written to Representative
Macy, Mr.. Hanley asserted that certain
l1no hlc ond 11nnl1octioro blv loRnita
propositions" were made to him. He said
he had been assured that if he would
agree to take the Senate nomination Che
had been candidate for the guberna-
torial nomination. he would be able to
clean up" his financial obligations
within 80 days so that would be clear
for the first time in twenty years of my
life" Mr.. Hanley said, too, in his letter.
that he had been promised a job with
the State If he were defeated for Sem
ator.
Mr.. Macy had. along with Frank Gan
nett. publisher of string of newspapers,
advanced to Mr.. Hanley considerable
sums of money. presumably to be used
to aid in winning the Republican guber-
material nomination. Both Messrs.
Macy and Gannett had been opposed to
Gov. Dewey's domination of the Repub-
lican organization of New York. Mr..
Hanley, in his letter. wrote that the one
bright spot was that he would, within
reasonable time, be able to pay them
both in full.
Dewey followers charged that the Han
ley letter had been "let out" by Mr..
Macy, charge which Mr. Macy has
vehemently denied. Apparently, the
voters of New York did not take much
stock in the charges brought against
Mr.. Dewey. At the same time, the voters
in Mr.. Macy's district who had elected
him to the House in 1946 and 1948 de-
cided they did not want him any more.
He lost by only 1873 votes. and says he
will continue to challenge the count. Mr..
Hanley, too, lost in his race for the
Senate, when had it not been for the
letter he wrote, he might have gone on
to victory on the Dewey coat-tails.
Strengthens G. o. P. Grip.
The net result of the election, however,
has been to strengthen the grip of the
Republican Party on the State govern
ment of New York to a degree not
equalled since the turn of the century.
What's going to happen to Mr.. Han
ley now is further matter of consider
able interest. He was beaten in the
Senate election and will be out of his
present job as Lieutenant Governor the
first of the year. He said in his letter to
Mr.. Macy he had not only been promised
another job in the State government
but had been told just what that job
would be.
Mr.. Macy has filed suit for libel
against New York newspaper and has
said he would bring out all the facts in
the Hanley case at the trial of that suit.
How much bearing, if any. the report
OF the Senate investigators will have on
the suit remains to be seen. Mr.. Hanley
and Mr.. Dewey. presumably, both gave
to the, Senate investigators the facts as
they knew them-and Mr.. Hanley may
have interpreted for them the remarks
he made in his letter to Mr.. Macy.