Evening star., 1951-08-28

4Ile leCCer was DelleVeQ TO come
from numbers writer. It was one
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"Foscinotion" Come at oeeon City Ruled
All Chance, No Skill. Poqe A-5
of the letters which Senator Wiley
Republican, of Wisconsin, said had
a clear ring of authenticity
Senator Wiley. a member of the
outgoing crime committee, has led
demands for full-scale inquiry
into crime and alleged corruption
here.
Little ENCOURAGEMENT Given.
Senator Wiley apparently was
referring to this letter when he
commented on the wealth of cer-
tain law enforcement officers
wealth which even on its very
face is completely diSproportion-
ate to the amount of income
which they would have from their
regular duties"
The agitation to ask some
pointed questions on the basis of
this and other anonymous letters,
as well as on the revelations
turned up by the Senat Crime In
veStigating Committee in its
Prince Georges County inquiry
has met little encouragement so
far.
There are these developments:
/. Chairman Neely of the Sen
ate District Committee said he
would renew his appeal for $50 900
to finance a District crime in
vestigation, but Chairman Hayden
Of the Senate Rules Committee,
which has to pass on the request,
told newsmen:
THE object of any hearing is
legislation, not to put some one
in jail, or get a newspaper head
line. Senator Kefauver's COM
mittee (the Senate Crime Investi-
eating Committee) held hearings
and is now working on bills as
the result of the hearings. What's
the use of more hearings to ac-
complish the same thing?"
Case Wants Investigation.
2. After the HouSe-passed Davis
bill to curb District crime had
Slumbered in the Judiciary sub
committee of the Senate District
Committee for nearly three
months, the subcommittee chair
man, Senator Johnston, Demo-
crat, of South Carolina, suddenly
announced he will open hearings
on it Thursday.
This conceded. with Senator
Hayden telling newsmen he had
asked Senator Nicely: why do
you want to investigate crime
when you already have the bill
passed by the House they have
worked on two years?"
Holding out for a new investi-
cation was Senator Case, Repub-
lican, of South Dakota, ranking
minority member of the Senate
District Committee. It was his
original resolution. backed by sew
eral others, that prompted the
District Committee to decide last
April that it would conduct
District crime investigation. The
unfulfilled request for $4,000 fol-
lowed.
Expects Republican Backing.
Senator Case said he had talked
with Republican members of the
Rules Committee and felt certain
most Of the minority members
would vote for the $50,000.
Senator Case said it would be
"nalve" to think that Charles E.
Nelson, admitted numbers backer
and key figure in the Crime Com
mittee's inquiry, could be operat-
ing that kind of game anywhere
else nearby and not operate it.
within the District"
AS for the projected public
hearings on the Davis bill, Sen
ator Case said they probably would
be devoted to a discussion of
changes in the law.
"It might take new crime
investigation to assure passage"
he added. "The smoking axle
gets the grease"
Barrett Welcomes Probe.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Robert
j. Barrett said through an inter-
mediary that his department
would welcome any investigation
of reported police tie-ups with
gamblers.
An aide, 1t. Lewis Peters, said
Maj. Barrett, who is on leave at
Virginia Beach, could be quoted
as saying. "If any one of US has
done wrong, there's a grand jury
and Let justice take its course"
Maj. Barrett was quoted as say
ing that anonymous letters mean
nothing, that he gets them him
self and keeps them on file and
that if he were shown the letters
he could come close to identifying
them.
The police Chief, according toI
1t. Peters. said he has offered to
cooperate in the current District
grand jury probe of gambling but
so far his department has not
been asked to help.
The grand jury probe, which is
centering on Nelson, is scheduled
to resume tomorrow with eight or
10 more witnesses. Most of those
called were mentioned in some
phase Of the Senate Crime Com
mittee's Prince Georges County
hearings.
ArIinnfnn Mnn lnimrnd