Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-09-24
Brannan Challenges
Senator's Report Of
Agriculture Probe
BY jones {. Roper

mittee, after two months of public
hearings. blamed the department
for grossly n1ismanaging the farm
storage program. The committee
said poor administration helped
private wafehousemen steal $40
million worth Of Government
. grain.
The committee asked the Agri-
culture Department to shift some
personnel and tighten manage
ment practices. It also asked the
General Accounting ONCE to help
the COMMITTEES keep close watch
on the department. in the future.
Brannan Finds Errors.
Secretary Brannan commented:
Although of no great conse-
quence, there are a few misstate-
ments in the report, and also
find myself in disagreement with
many Of the conclusions drawn
from the evidence.
Nevertheless, the recommends
tons are welcome. Many of them
are already in force and were so
before the hearings began"
Secretary Brannan said the
committees 43-page report is "a
complete answer and refutation to
all the vicious and false innuen-
does of Senator Williams, Repub-
1ican, of Delaware, and Senator
KEN. Republican, of Missouri.
and others"
The committee report, written
by Chairman Ellender of Louisi-
ana and Committee Counsel Paul
j. Cotter, hit the department with
unexpected fury.
It blamed the department for
failing to inspect warehouses
where 1t put Government grain.
for failing to inspect the grain
after it was stored, for failing to
prosecute warehousemen who stole
the grain but were able to replace
it when they were caught.
Brannan Testimony Hit.
The committee almost jibed at
two parts of the testimony Of
Secretary Brannan, and blasted
other department officials for de-
Tending practically everything they
did when, the committee said,
there was mo excuse for certain
conditions found to exist"
The committee said it did not
expect perfection in a program in
volving SO billion worth of COM
modities. but it added that lad
ministrative deficiencies" all the
way from the Washington level on
down contributed to losses from
embezzlement and rotting Of Gov
eminent grain.
The committee said 1t 'is
amazed" to find Fred D. Enter
mile still deputy director of the
Agriculture Departments grain
branch. Mr.. Entermille was blamed
for giving price support to Cali
fornia rice that was not entitled to
support-and delivering trial tes-
timony that conflicted with other
evidence.
'The committee is amazed and
deeply concerned that high Of
fetal in the department could give
such testimony as he gave /.
and still be performing the highly
important functions of his Office"
the committee reported.
The committee criticized testi-
mony which Secretary Brannan
gave about two former depart
ment officials-Jack Cowart and
Clovis D. Walker.
Walker Pleads Not Guilty.
Walker, indicted for allegedly
conspiring to defraud the Govern
ment in buying Egyptian cotton,
pleaded not guilty to the charge
yesterday, but blamed his plight
on false accusations originating
from a spiteful man."
Walker was indicted with Loutfy
Mansour, an Egyptian cotton
dealer. Dyke Cullurn, local COM
modities trader, was named as q
co-conspirator, but was not In
dicted.
The committee attacked Secre-
tary Brannan for saying that II
Walker had been buying cotton
for a private concern instead Of
for the Government he would have
received a bonus for his type Of
operation.
IF it had been possible for the
Secretary to attend all the hear
ings related to the purchase Of
Egyptian cotton" the committee
said. ''he could not possibly
have reached this conclusion. !.
The committee can reach no other
conclusion than that Walker, q
high official Of the department.
by preaching every trust Of his Of
flee, may have cost the Govern
ment millions Of dollars"
The committee also made q
point Of the way Secretary Bran
nan and his assistant, Wesley Nc
Cune, at first denied they received
o derogatory report about Cowart
more than a year before they took
any disciplinary action against thel
important department of1cial.
Secretary Brannan and Mr..
McCune," the committee said.
when interviewed by committee
counsel, advised they had mol
recollection COT the tip against
Cowart)."
Subsequently, the committee
noted, Secretary Brannan acknowl-
edged receipt Of o written report
about Cowart land indicated his
memory had been refreshed"
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