Evening star., 1950-04-29

NUW Vvc TIVyIdIil
Discussing Campaign
The Florida Democratic sena
torial primary fight between Sen.
ator Pepper and Representative
Smathers sizzled today with &
charge by Radio Commentator
Elmer Davis that Mr.. Smather.
tried to prevent him from airing
views on that campaign.
Mr.. Davis asserted on hi.
broadcast over the American
BroadcaSting Co. last night that
Mr.. Smathers tried to intimidate
me and my employers" by threat
ening to complain to Federal
agencies. The program was heard
here over station WMAL.
He said Mr.. Smathers had
threatened to complain that var
ious Federal laws were violated
unless he had equal time to an
swer Mr.. Davis on his radio
program Monday night.
Smsthers Releases Telegram.
Representative Smathers, mean.
while. gave out the text of a tele.
gram he sent Thursday pro.
testing last nights scheduled
broadcast by Mr.. Davis. He sent
the kilograms not only to Mr..
Davis and the Federal Communi-
cations Commission but to the
chairmen of the House and SEN
ate committees on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce.
Elmer Davis announced last
night (Thursday night) over the
American Broadcasting Co. net
work that he would expose the
phoney issues in the Florida SEN
atorial campaign on Friday night,
April 2S." the Smathers telegram
declared. "The issues in this
campaign are not phoney but very
real indeed.
Davis has at no time contacted
me or any of my friends relative
to the issues of this campaign.
can prove that Davis made this
arrangement three weeks ago
through contacts with Senator
Peppers Office in Washington.
Davis Makes Retort.
Mr.. Davis retorted in his broad
cast last night: THAT is a lie. :"
He said he had telephoned Sen
ator Peppers Office for a copy of
his campaign speeches, but that
he never got them and never con-
tacted the Florida Senator.
"Smathers says also that I have
never contacted him or any of
his friends about the issues of
this campaign" Mr.. Davis added.
That is a lie."
Mr.. Davis explained that on the
day he asked for Senator Peppers
speeches he also asked for Rep
resentative Smathers' speeches.
In due course I got copies of
six of them, with other campaign
literature. from r. o. Danner of
Jacksonville. Fla" he said.
Calls 1t Basic Issue.
Referring to the Florida cam
paign. Mr.. Davis declared the
basic issue boils down to this:
1T is the fact that some years
ago Senator Pepper had far too
much confidence in the good in
tentions of the Russian Govern
ment and was far too sure that
we could get along with them
without sacrifice of American in
terests.
If Mr.: Pepper still held the
views that he held three or four
years back, that would be coed
reason for not returning him to
the Senate. But as everybody
who has followed his recent poll
cies, he has changed his mind, he
has learned better.
"Smathers, who used to be a
Pepper man, apparently learned
better somewhat earlier than Pep
per did, but Smathers is proceed
ing on the theory that Pepper
never learned and is campaigning
IN 1850 against the Pepper of
1947."
Charges Political Speech.
Mr.. Smathers said in his Thurs
day telegram that he was protest.
ing against Elmer Davis making
a political speech for Claude
Pepper under the guise of discus
sion of the news unless the usual
political broadcast announcement
precedes such broadcast"
If such is not done" he said,
II herewith demand the same time
on his program over the same
network of stations for next Mon
day night, May i. and unless I am
granted this time I will file appro-
pirate complaints with all proper
Federal agencies of the apparent
violation of the Federal Corrupt
Practices Act. the Federal Com
munication Act and the Labor
Management Relations Act by cor
porations sponsoring Davis on the
air for political broadcasts in be-
half of candidate for the United
States Senate"
From Thomas Velotta, vice
president of the ABC, Mr.. Smath-
ers said he received a telegram
which said:
Elmer Davisedvises us he in
tends to discuss Florida senatorial
race from a news standpoint and
his broadcast in no way is in
tended as political campaign
speech for either party"
LOST