Evening star., 1950-04-05
Johnson Says His Unit
Won't Compete With
Gambling Probers
By Miriom Ottenberq

clear today that he has no inten-
ton of competing with Senator
Kefauver. Democrat. of Tennessee.
on gambling investigation.
Senator Kefauver, backed by
the Senate Judiciary Committee
wants $4,000 to investigate or
ganized gambling and crime syn
dicates. So far. the Senate has
not acted on his resolution.
The Senate Commerce Commit
tee has been handed two bills sent
to Congress by the Justice Depart
ment to. curb interstate trans
mission of gambling information
and to halt shipment of slot
machines to States which outlaw
them.
The possibility of two investi-
cations into tie same thing
promptly arose but Senator john
son said today his committee Is
going to examine the legislation
rather than look at the evils it Is
trying to remedy.
Not Fighting Kefauver."
We're not fighting Senator Ke-
fauver or throwing any irons in
his way" Senator johnson de-
clared. I'VE don't even recognize
the Kefauver hearings. We have
legislation to explore. The bills
came to us and we've got to find
out what their effect is going to be
I'VE accept the fact that there
is an evil. What we have to find
out is whether this bill Cthe one
on gambling information) cures
the evil and what its effect would
be on legitimate communica-
tions."
Senator johnson said the slot
machine bill was self-evident and
the committee would simply have
to decide whether it thought their
shipment should be controlled.
The hearings, he said, will focus
on the information measure. The
bill, he explained, will 70 to
the communications subcommittee
headed by Senator Mcfarland,
Democrat, of Arizona.
The first step. he added. will be
to get opinions on it from the
Federal Communications Commits
sion, the Justice Department and
other affected agencies.
Open Hearings to Follow.
At the open hearings to follow,
he explained. spokesmen for news
papers, radio and television sta
tlons viii be called to describe how
the bill affects them.
The ban on gambling commune
cations proposed by the Justice
Department would exempt report
ing OF sports events for publicat ton
or broadcasting as news. although
placing some curbs on the broad
casting of horse races.
1t would be enforced by the Fed
eral regulatory power over COM
munlcations. Since it is regula-
tory and without penal provisions,
it was sent to the Commerce rather
than the Judiciary Committee
That is how it escaped possible
consideration in the proposed
kefauver investiga ton.
We have the bill and Senator
kefauver has the power to in
vestigate, If he gets his resolution
through" Senator Johns
summed it up. Senator Kefauver
tells us we don't cover the same
ground. l think he's right"
Senator Kefauver said he was
interested in crime syndicates and
Senator johnson was concerned
with the commercial angles" of
the regulations proposed by the
Justice Department.
I'VE want to make an all out in
vestigation of the whole crime
picture, how these syndicates op-
crate and the effect of their ef-
forts to corrupt local govern
ment," Senator Kefauver ex-
planned
He said he had written some
bills last November to deal with
interstate gambling operations
but had held them up to de-
termine through his proposed in
Vestigation whether Federal legis-
latiOn was necessary
He said he was confident that if
his resolution ever gets to the
Senate floor it will be approved.
The resolution was introduced ex-
actly three months ago.
The District is affected by the
fate OF the resolution, since the
House District subcommittee in
Vestlgating crime and law en-
forcement here has decided to
postpone any further Investigation
OF gambling until it finds out what
Senator Kefauvers proposed in
quiry may do about the District.