Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-08-13
Wire-Tap Probers
To Confer With Fay
On Shimon Activities
information to Be Sought
On Lieutenont's Reports
And Records of Work
By Don S. Warren

ny NOu - N0IISH
Senate investigators are to con-
fer tomorrow with United States
Attorney Morris Fay in search of
further information on alleged
overlapping activities by Police
1t. Joseph w. Shimon.
Until about a year ago, 1t.
Shimon was the head of an in
vestigation unit attached to the
United States attorneys Office.
The Pepper subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee, in
charge of the overlapping inquiry,
will seek to find out to whom, If
anyone, 1t. Shimon made reports
of his investigations.
In addition, according to Ger
hard P. van Arkel. counsel to the
subcommittee, information will be
sought on any records of the work
Of 1t. Shimon while he was on
assignment to the United States
Attorneys ONCE.
Cooperation Urged.
The subcommittee last week
voted to ask the Justice Depart
ment for cooperation in the Sem
ate probe with the possibility of
access to FBI reports on wire
tapping and checks on the income
~ II ChiY1ann
Meanwhile, the House Crime
Subcommittee, headed by Repre-
sentative Davis, Democrat, of
Georgia, took note of overlapping
information being gathered by the
Senate subcommittee. Mr.. Davis
said he was asking that his group
be advised of any developments
that would pertain to the work
Of his own group.
Four members of the Metro
politan Police Department so far
have given sworn testimony before
the Pepper group that they had
participated in overlapping of
the lines of several persons-all
at the direction of 1t. Shimon.
Fifth Policeman to Be Called.
A NTH policeman, Detective
James Bryant. was to be called
at an executive session of the
subcommittee tomorrow morning.
He. too, according to advance in
formation on file with the sub
committee, engaged in eavesdrop-
ping on private telephone wires at
1t. Simmons direction.
Another witness scheduled to
appear tomorrow is Joseph TAFT
Of the United States Recording
Co.
This concern has been men,
toned as a source Of recording
and overlapping devices en-
ployed by police listeners.
Committee sources said they
wanted to get some idea of how
much equipment was used, and,
If possible, by whom, and how
the devices were operated. There
has been no question about the
legality Of the provision Of such
equipment. In fact, Chairman
Pepper has agreed that wire-tap-
ping, under present law, is not
illegal as such, so long as there
is no divulging of information OBJ
tanned.
Shimon to Testify.
1t. Shimon will be called before |
the subcommittee to tell his own
story. The date for his appear
ance has not been set.
One public hearing is to be held
either Wednesday or Thursday
to hear the story of Pvt. John
McHale. one Of the former assist
ants to 1t. Shimon, who re-
portedly complained Of wire
tapping assignments.
Whether the. subcommittee will
invite Senator Brewster, Repub-
lican. Of Maine to testify has not
been decided. In this instance
polite game of after you, my
dear Alphonse" is being played,
observers on the Hill said.
AS one explained it. the sub
committee would like to have
Senator Brewster ask to testify,
since he recently told reporters
he had directed a payment of
about 500 be made to 1t. Shimon
for expenses" in chasing away
a man who had been "Shadowing"
the Senator.
But the subcommittee appar-
emily does not want to make the
first move because it might be
accused of playing politics" or
at least violating Senate cour-
tesy."
Brewster Unlikely to Ask.
On the other hand, it is said,
Senator Brewster, while willing
to appear, cannot ask that he be
called for fear that this, too,
might be given a wrong inter-
probation.
This shadowing of Senator
Brewster is said to have occurred
during the 80th Congress Senate
probe Of the wartime plane-build-
ing contracts of Howard Hughes.
Both Senator Brewster and Sen
ator Ferguson, Republican, of
Michigan, have denied knowledge
of the overlapping of the phones
Of Mr.. Hughes while he was here
in 1947 for that investigation.
There has been police testimony
lately. however, about the tap
ping of the Hughes phones at the
Carlton and Mayf1ower Hotels at
that time, repeatedly at the direc-
ton Of 1t. Shimon.
The Hughes Brewster Shimon
case was investigated by the grand
jury here but it returned no in
dictment. This phase of it's work
ended Friday night when the
statute of limitations as to 1947
activities expired.
The grand jury this week is ex-
pected to go into other alleged
overlapping operations.