Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-01
KohIberg Denies China Lobby
Exists; Says He Pays Own Way
Importer Ready
For Amy Inquiry,
He Declares
By Crosby S. Moves

Alfred Kohlberg. billed as the
central figure of the mysterious
China Lobby, said fatty yesterday
that there is no China Lobby.
The food OF printed statements
he sends to Congressman and to
newspapers. upholding the China
Nationalist government and at
lacking the State Department, he
pays for out of his own pocket, he
said, and his motives are patriotic.
In the course of an interview in
his hotel room here yesterday, Mr..
Kohlberg had the following points
to make in connection with grow
ing demands for congressional in
vestigation of the China Lobby:
/. He has never, either directly
or indirectly received financial
support from the Nationalist. His
fight against Administration for
eign policy, past and present, has
been paid for out of his own or his
firms pocket.
Unaware of Spending.
2. II the Nationalist are spend
Ing any considerable money for
lobbying purposes in this country,
as has been charged, he is not
aware of it. Furthermore, it is
money poured down the sewer"
for all the effect it has had.
3. Although he is willing and
anxious to testify before any con-
gressional committee about his &C
Invites, he doubts that an investi-
cation will come off las long as the
Democrats are in power"
4. That public opinion has
forced the State Department to OPP
pose the Communist Chinese for
the time being, but an invasion of
the Chinese mainland by Ma
tionalist forces could be &C
complished only "over the dead
body" of the present Administra-
ton.
S. That he did supply Senator
Mccarthy, Republican, of Wis
consin, with much of the material
he used in his attacks against the
State Department, but did not
contribute to his political cam
paign. The Senator, he said, re-
turned his check for $780,.
Called For Information.
The idea Of an investigation of
the China Lobby came up in the
course of hearings before the joint
Senate Committee investigating
Gen. Macarthur dismissal and
American Far Eastern policy. At
the time, Senator Morse, Republi-
can. Of Oregon asked Secretary CT
State AcheSon for whatever infor-
nation the State Department had
on what I understand is power
fully at work in America-the
China Lobby" Mr.. Acheson re-
ported back that the President
had authorized executive agencies
TO compile any facts they might
have on the matter. Then and
since then, Mr.. Kohlberg's name
has cropped UP constantly. Chair
man Connally, of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee at
one point suggested that he was
the head of the mysterious pres
sure group.
To all this, New York Importer
Kohlberg has a simple explana-
ton: He isn't a lobbyist at all,
Under the law, you have to
represent some organization or be-
paid by some organization to be
classed as a lobbyist.
THE only person I represent"
says Mr.. Kohlberg, lis myself"
Cites Treasury Investigation.
Not only is there no China lob
by, in the technical sense, but the
administration is well aware of
the fact, Mr.. Kohlberg said.
They went into the whole thing
when the Treasury Department.
the Internal Revenue people had
their own investigation last year.
There never will be an investiga-
ton as long as the Democrats are
in power. no matter how loud they
may yell for one. They know it
Just doesn't exist"
The only paid lobbyist known
to him, he said. was D man named
William J. Goodwin, who filed re-
ports aS o foreign agent for Ma
tionalist China from 1913 to 1850,
but who subsequently went out
of the business. According to his
reports his salary ranged as high