Evening star., 1952-10-30
Larson Orders
Full Probe Of
5PerCentDea
Democrats Dismiss
Official for Role in
Tungsten Contract
By james (. Roper

Inc General services AdmlnlS-
tration today ordered "a complete
investigation" of an attempted
f1ve-percenter deal that caused
the dismissal of Col. Lawrence
Westbrook from the staff of the
Democratic National Committee.
GSA Administrator Jess Larson
ordered the investigation after
disclosure that Col. Westbrook
might have made 100000 in COM
missions on the deal.
The Democratic Committee
! fired Col. Westbrook as a top party
worker for negotiating the deal
while a committee employe.
Represented Syndicate.
Col. Westbrook, representing a
syndicate of owners of Portuguese
tungsten mines, contracted to sell
the Government SO million worth
of tungsten ore in a period OF
nearly three years.
Democratic National Chairman
Stephen Mitchell dismissed Col
WeStbrook last midnight under a
policy of barring its employees from
negotiating with the Government
But the GSA investigation will
develop all aspects of the case
including whether the commission
arrangement was legal.
100000 for Westbrook.
Col. Westbrook, a close aide of
House Speaker Rayburn, was to
receive 100000 as his part of
a S per cent commission to be
shared with two other men. A
law forbids such commissions to
persons not bona -fide employees
of a company. Col. Westbrook
claimed he had power of attorney
in the Negotiations.
He said there was nothing
wrong" with the proposed deal
The Government, however, can
celed the contract Monday or
grounds that the firm failed tt
supply tungsten from its owr
mines. The company was re-
ported trying to buy the metal or
the open market for resale to the
Government.
Mr.. Larson added, however
that he would have Cancelled tn,
contract earlier had he knowr
about the five per cent aspects o.
the case.
The Democratic Committee free
Col. Westbrook last midnigh
after the New York Herald Trib.
une publicized his activities.
Commission Set at $3.50, 900.
The newspaper said total O.
$450,000 in commissions woult
have been divided among Col
Westbrook. Heinz Pulverman O.
Rye, N. Y, and Thurman Hill
who ran unsuccessfully for tht
United States Senate from Kan.
sas in 1914 and was formerly chie1
counsel Of the Treasury Procure.
ment division. Mr.. Hill, who now
lives in Washington, said the con.
tract was perfectly legal.
Mr.. Hill said the disputed com
mission arrangement was "a good
clean deal" that would have bene-
fitted the American Government
Mr.. Hill gave this account OF
the disputed deal:
Col. Westbrook and Mr.. Pulver-
man, a prewar refugee from Hitler
Germany, helped organize syn
dicate of Portuguese who owned
tungsten mines.
Col. Westbrook and Mr.. Pulver-
man were to get a per cent
commission on the SO million
contract-and give 10 per cent OF
their take to Mr.. Hill for legal
services.
Attached to Contract.
Mr.. Hill told The Star that q
copy of the commission deal was
attached to the contract under
which the Government agreed tc
buy tungsten from the especially
formed mining syndicate, Com
panhia Atlantica.
The Democratic Committee
promptly fired Col. Westbrook un-
der a policy barring committee
employees from negotiating with
the Government. Col. Westbrook
is in Texas helping the Demo-
cratic campaign.
Committee Chairman Mitchell
said: II have asked Col. West
brook, one of my assistants,
if he had participated in the ne
gotiation of a Government con-
tract while on the staff of the
| (See WESTpOONK paoe A0N