Evening star., 1951-03-03
Maryland Investigates
Butler Election Fund:
Senator'S in Recess
By w. H. shippen

FlOldtcO NY 1LepuDllCdu senator
Butler or his campaign aides we're
under investigation today in
Maryland while the Senate probe
was in recess over the week end.
Anselm Sodaro. Baltimore
States attorney. said he had
ordered photostatic copies Of
reports of contributions and ex-|
penditures which were filed with
the Circuit Court by Cornelius p.
Mundy, Baltimore attorney and
Senator Buffers campaign treas
urer.
Mr.. Sodaro revealed he is max
ing arrangements to obtain copies
of testimony heard by Senators
investigating the charges of
Millard E. Tydings, former Demo-
cratic Senator. who was unseated
by Senator Butler.
Meanwhile the hearing here
will be resumed Tuesday. with a
further effort to establish respon-
sibility for a four-page tabloid,
widely distributed in Maryland In
the final days Of the November
election.
Speedy Report Required.
Maryland officials, like the Sen
ate investigators, are interested to
learn how much Senator Butler
knew about the tangled financial
affairs at his campaign headquar-
tiers just before the election.
Maryland law provides that re-
ceipts and payments be handled
by campaign treasurer and listed
in detail with the Circuit Court
within 20 days after election. Only
this week a supplemental report
for more than $4,000 in receipts
was turned in by Senator Butler.
Mr.. Mundy has denied previous
knowledge of the additional sums
and disbursements. The treasurer
already had reported the amounts
handled in his account.
Mr.. Mundy suggested to Jon M.
Jonkel, former Chicago public
relations man. and Senator But
ler's campaign manager, that he
file his own supplemental report
since he had collected and spent
the money without keeping him
advised of the transactions.
Mr.. Jonkel testified yesterday
that the Butler Committee was not
supposed to have paid for the dis
tribution of the four-page tab
loid, From the Record, by Balti-
more printer, William H. Fedder.
Mr.. Tydings told Senate inves-
tigators this tabloid. printed at
the Washington Times-Herald
and distributed by Mr.. Fedder,
was "a tissue of lies"
He said those responsible for
this and other anti-Tydings lit
erature should be prosecuted
under the libel laws, if his charges
are found to be based on fact.
Jumped Into One Bill.
Mr.. Jonkel said the tabloid
was to have been paid for
by organizations other than
the Butler committee. He said,
however. Mr.. Fedder Jumped it
all into one big bill and said this
is what the Butler campaign owes
me-" .
Committee Counsel Edward A.
McDermott remarked the sub
committee is not interested in
what was supposed to happen. but
rather in what actually did hap
pen.
Mr.. Jonkel said he paid Mr..
Fedder and other insistent credi-
tors in the final, hectic days of
the campaign from checks con-
tanned in the additional contribu-
tions reported recently.
Mr.. Fedder testified that, on
November 2 and again on Novem-
Der 4, he obtained written guaran-
tees from Senator Butler that he
would be accountable personally
for the unpaid balance of $40
600 bill for services and printing.
Tells of Phone Call.
On the morning of November 6,
Mr.. Fedder said, Mrs. Katherine
Van Dyke. then Office manager of
the Butler campaign, and now a
member of the Senator's staff
telephoned him and said, "If Il
was contacted about the tabloid.
From the Record to say I did
the work for the Young Demo-
Gratis for Butler"
The printer said that by No
vember 8 he had received "a total
of $8,420" for the sole purpose of
getting immediate release of the
paper, From the Record"
Mr.. Jonkel testified that some
of the contribution checks used to
pay Mr.. Fedder were brought to
his Office by employees of Senator
Mccarthy. Republican, of Wis
consin. h
He said these included Don
Surlne and Mr.. Lee" and add
ed that Miss Jean Kerr, another
employe of the Senator, worked
as a volunteer for the campaign
while on leave of absence from
her regular job.
Mr.. Fedder said $2,42O of the
$S,420 paid for release of the
tabloid was brought over by Miss
Kerr"
Mr.. Jonkel, who said he was
hired by Senator Butler at $1,250
month, after a conference with
Maryland Republican leaders in
the Office of the editor of the
Times Herald last July, explained
he came to Washington as a re-
suit of a telephone call from Mrs.
Ruth Mccormick Miller. the editor.
Quizzed About Simmons.
Mr.. Jonkel was quizzed about |
the part played in the Maryland
campaign by Roscoe Conklin Sim
mons. colored, who writes for the
Chicago Tribune. the owner of
the Times-Herald. He said Mrs.
Miller suggested that Mr.. Sim