Evening star., 1952-10-11
Probers Quote BiddIe
On Clark Handling
|0f Vote Fraud Case
By George Beveridee

HOUSE Investigators say 1OIUleT
Attorney General Francis Biddle
has backed up their contention
that former Attorney General
Tom Clark was guilty of a serious
|irregularity" in handling the 1916
Kansas City vote fraud case.
The House probers of the
Justice Department, lkeaded by
Representative Chelf, Democrat.
of Kentucky, based this conten-
tion on testimony they took from
Mr.. Biddle in Boston on October 3.
Mr.. Biddle's testimony did not
relate directly either to Mr..
Clark's actions or to the Kansas
City case. But it was strongly
critical, as matter of general
policy. of actions that have been
attributed to Mr.. Clark.
Mr. Biddle. who said he now
lis a retired Washington lawyer,
was Attorney General from 1941
to 1945. Mr.. Clark. now a Supreme
Court justice. was Attorney Gen.
ICI al 1lOI11 x0fO 1878.
Limit on Probe.
Releasing the Biddle testimony
yesterday, Mr.. Chelf and Repre-
sentative Keating, Republican, of
New York. said they are convinced
Iof the serious irregularity." 1t
occurred, they said, when Mr..
Clark approved a memorandum
directing the FBI to conduct
preliminary probe of vote fraud
allegations, which was limited to
interviewing only six persons.
After this preliminary probe, cru
cial evidence in the case was
stolen.
The memorandum referred to
was prepared by former Assistant
Attorney General T. Lamar
Caudle. The fraud allegations de-
veloped after the 1916 Democratic
primary. in which Enos Axtell
defeated Representative Roger
Slaughter in Missouri.
~0AAs A@AS~AS . NAVWSs
Mr.. Chelf and Mr.. Heating said
approval of the limited FBI-probe
directive Showed at least ex-
tremely poor judgment on the
part of Mr.. Clark and might we'll
be characterized as improper"
They added:
However, before substituting
our Judgment for that of former
Attorney General Clark, we sought
expert opinion from Mr.. Biddle.
His testimony characterizes such
procedure as inappropriate, i'm
proper and unheard Of. That isl
our opinion today, and in the alb
Isence of further explanation, it
stands as our final judgment.
Mr.. Biddle. in his testimony,
said the policy during his tenure
was to look with great care att
vote fraud charges because of the
possibility they were brought for
political reasons. In each case,
he said. preliminary FBI check
was made to see if there was evi-
dence of violations of law. III
there was, a full probe followed.
Would Not Curb Investigators.
Mr.. Biddle said, however, that
he would not in any way
limit the investigation of the
FBI.
They were the trained investi-
gators" he declared. II never
considered that came under the
scope of my judgment"
Mr.. Biddle then was asked what
he would do if a memo had been
referred to him, directing the FBI
to interview only certain named
individuals in preliminary in
vestigation.
THAT never occurred, so far as
I can remember, and I certainly
would not have approved it," Mr..
Biddle replied. Il don't think It'll
would be appropriate or proper for
me to limit the scope of the in
vestigation because we wouldn't t
get what were trying to get"
And, especially" Mr.. Chelf
asked, "to pinpoint a specified
number of persons to be inter-
rogated?"
We'll, certainly. I wouldn't ap-
prove that" the witness asserted.
II wouldn't approve any limita-
ton"
Testimony on Doyle Studied.
In other developments, mean,-
while:
l. Justice Department officials,
it was learned. today were giving
intensive study to testimony be-
fore the Chelf group on the out
side legal activities of Howard L.
Doyle. United States attorney at
Springfield. Ill. Mr.. Doyle said
he kept no records on a private
legal practice, which brought him
at least $500 between 1945 and
1850. He also admitted filing an
amended tax return last week on
5000 he said he overlooked in
1945 legal fees.
q. The Chelf subcommittee,
after a final closed-door session
yesterday, recessed with no specific