Evening star., 1950-05-11
Crime Inquiry Begins.
Chief Counsel 10 Be
Appointed Quickly
By Miriam Gutenberg

Senate crime investigators will
get down to business today with
appointment of a chief counsel
high on the agenda.
| The new five-man committee is
due to meet this afternoon. Elec-
ton of Senator Kefauver. Demo-
crat, of Tennessee as committee
chairman is foregone conclusion
since he sponsored the resolution
| for the $l50.000 investigation.
Half dozen lawyers have been
mentioned for the job of chief
counsel at s17,500 a year. The
committee also has been author
lied to take on an assistant coun-
sci at $l2.500 a year.
Observers considered it signi-
ficant that Senator Kefauver
mentioned two names in his Sen
ate speech last week urging pas
sage of the crime investigation
resolution.
| Kefauver Mentions 2 Names.
Recalling an investigation he
headed while in the House, Sen
ator Kefauver brought in the
names of Max Goldschein, a JUS
tice Department attorney who
was counsel for that investigating
committee and Boris Kostelanetz,
former chief of the War Frauds
Section in the Justice Depart
ments Criminal Division.
Later in his Senate speech,
Senator Kefauver said Mr.. Gold
schein is now working with the
Federal grand jury in Kansas
City which recently made public
its findings on the multi-million-
dollar gambling operations there.
Mr.. Kostelanetz is now in pri-
vate practice. Senator Kefauver
called attention to his great rec
ord" with the Justice Department
and recalled that he took part in
the prosecution of some members
of the Capone gang and of Willie
Biof and George E. Browne on
racketeering charges.
Wheeler, Mitchell Included.
Others whose names have
cropped up in speculation are
former Senator Burton K. Wheel
er. Democrat. of Montana, and
William D. Mitchell. Attorney
General under President Hoover.
Mr.. Mitchell served for two
months as chief counsel for the
joint congressional committee in
vestigating the japanese attack
at Pearl Harbor, but resigned
along with the rest of the legal
staff.
In advance of today's strategy
session of the committee. a pro-
posal made by one of the members
got support from Senator Ke-
fauver.
Senator Tobey, Republican, of
New Hampshire, member of the
special committee, said he would
request the committee to summon
Frank Erickson and Frank Cos
tello, two reputed gambling king
pins who testified recently before
a Senate Commerce subcommittee
studying a bill to bar interstate
passage of gambling information
IF perjury is the only crime on
which such characters can be
nailed" said Senator Tobey, "let
us start with that"
Tobey Suggestion Approved.
Senator Kefauver said of Sena-
tor Tobey's suggestion: AS far
as I'm concerned, the idea is
sound"
Senator O'Conor, Democrat, OF
Maryland, another committee
member. said he believed the in
quiry should be "thorough-going
and that no effort should be
spared to uncover all facts and
conditions which are within the
scope Of the committees func-
ton"
The Maryland legislator and
former prosecutor stressed that
the rights of innocent persons
must be safeguarded and the COM
mittee must steer clear of impair
ing the functions of State and
local law enforcement officers.
Senator Kefauver predicted the
committee may open hearings in
about two weeks in the drive
against what Senator Tobey de-
Scribed as "the rats in the meal
of democracy"