Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-03-24
Inside Lobby For
German Cartels
Exposed By LPA
By Nathan Robertson
For Labor Press Association

WASHINGTON (LPA) - One of the most
w important planks in American f or e ig
policy is the destruction of the German cartel,
or monopoly, system which helped bull
IIitlers war machine and supported his manlcal
WAR
Recently there has been strong evidence
that this policy has not been carried out. This
This evidence has come from none less than
John j. McCloy, American High Commissioner
in Germany, and an official of the Justice De-
partment who called the program complete
failure"
One reason for this failure has been
clever propaganda campaign in this country
to convince Congress and the public that to
dismantle German plants would destroy the
hopes of a new democratic Germany by max
ing the democratic government too weak to
survive attack from the communists or fascists
Many liberals in this country convinced OF
this danger - but it is obvious that this line
of reasoning plays into the hands of the cartel
lists who want to save their plants.
This propaganda was put over through
tremendous campaign financed by number
of sources-some of them believed to be the
German cartelists, the nazis, and their allies
in this country. (There may have been similar
campaigns by French and British industrial
lists on the other Side.)
The House Lobby Investigating Committee
has evidence that two of the most important
figures in the conduct of this propaganda cam
ing from inside the Capitol. One, says the COM
mittee, was John Crane, administrative as
sistant to Senator Malone (R, New; the other
and more important-one was his wife, Joan
Crane, who was employed for while by Rep.
Katherine st. George (R, N.Y., the successor
to Ham Fish, who as Congressman was tool
of NaZi propagandists.
Both Malone and Mrs. st. George have
denied to this correspondent that they had any
knowledge of, or responsibility for the lobby
ing campaign carried by the two Cranes.
Both admitted hiring these inside lobbyists
and Mrs. ST. George admitted paying the ex-
Hoenses of trip last summer by Mrs. Crane to
xGermany during which she gathered much of
the data she used to impress Senators with the
desirability of stopping the dismantling pro-
gram. Mrs. st. George also carried Mrs. Crane
on her payroll for a couple of months while
she wrote report on the trip and lobbied
with Senators.
But when questioned about the activities
of the Cranes, both Senator Malone and Mrs.
st. George denied they knew of their lobby
ing when it was taking place.
When the lobbying was being done most
intensively, Mrs. Crane was on Mrs. ST.
Georges payroll Mrs. Crane was administra-
tive assistant to Senator Malone. Neither was
registered as a lobbyist or foreign agent.
Whether they should have been under the
law, remains question for the lobby inves-
tigating committee to determine.
But investigation by this correspondent
discloses that there is question about the
J lobbying activities. Mrs. Crane talked to many
Senators and their assistants-selling to liberal
Senators such Douglas d. Ill), O'Mahoney
ID, Wyo), Kefauver ID, Tenn), Humphrey
D, Minn.), and others the story that the dis
mantling program was hurting the chances
for democratic Germany. They apparently
talked some other line to the conservative
Senators-Who were lined up almost solidly
in the camD3iQn to StOD CiSmantlnQ
Investigation by this correspondent dis
closes also, that neither Crane nor Mrs Crane
admitted to the liberal Senators their con-
nections with conservative Senator Malone and