The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1951-03-15

mink coats being unearthed in tn,
investigation Of the Reconstruc
tion Finance Corporation there wa
a good deal of politics, Washington
observers agreed.
Some saw politics in the attemp
by Sen. Wallace Bennett OR, Utah
to suggest that Sen. James f. Muir
ray Cd, Mont.) was improperly in
volved in the procedure by whicl
loan was obtained for a million
dollar hotel in Miami Beach from
whose hackers his son collected at
torney fees.
The facts as Bennett brough
them out were that the Saxon.
Hotel, the Sorrento Hotel and thu
Maxwell Hotel Supply Co. received
big loans recommended by an RF(
examiner named Hilton Robertson
James +. Murray, Jr., son of thu
Senator, was the hotel attorney
collected $21 900 for helping nego
tiate the loans. Meanwhile, Sen
Murray himself wrote a letter t.
the RFC chairman, Harley Hise
suggesting that Sorrento projec
merited more generous treatmen
than the RFC was offering. Even
tually more generous terms were
granted, after at least one discuss
ion in RFC headquarters at which
Charles Murray, another son Of thu
Senator and his administrative
assistant, was present.
Quite so, said Sen. Murray, whC
is chairman of the Senate Labol
committee, when he heard abou
the disclosure. 81 want to state
that | most certainly did intervene
with the RFC to request review o1
loan application which was rep
resented to me as presenting per
fectly sound case and similar Il
others which the RFC has handled.
every Senator and Congress
man is called upon to make recon-
mendations to the board in cases
which comply with the require
ments of the law. Where perfectly
sound applications have been turn
ed down, they are frequently call
ed upon to ask for review"
Congressional mail is full of re
quests for "just that sort of inter
vention", Murray continued, and tC
intervene is the "well-recognizeC
duty" of members Of Congress.
"As regards my sons participa
tion in this matter" the Senator
declared, 81 want to state unequi
vocally that treated the case JUS
as | did any other case. He is
lawyer conducting proper and ethi
cal services for his clients, and
see no reason why, because he is
my son, | should treat him differ
Gently than | would any other law
yer.
"When he called my attention
to the problems he and his associ
ate were encountering in connec
tion with this matter and when in
vestigation convinced me that hi
facts were correct, volunteered
to make exactly the same repre-
sentations to the RFC that | hav,
made in many similar cases fol
other citizens"
The Senator said he was so
course, indignant" that the hear
ing was conducted so as to leav,
the impression that "this particulal
loan was improper or unusual" H'
added that he insisted that "in al
fairness, the subcommittee shoulC
secure from the RFC and cause L
be published a complete listing o
all phone calls, interviews anC
letters bteween members of Con
gress and the agency since its in
ception." The record would show
he pointed out, his action to b,
"routine."
Observers with memories stretch
ing back six months recalled tina
Sen. Bennett, who stirred up tn,
Murray story, was elected last fal
in campaign in which veteran
Senate Democrat Elhert Thomat
was defeated in a contest whicl
rivaled the Maryland campaign il