Evening star., 1954-10-06

was gwen ny ALBEIT !. CaSSet,
architect at Howard University
from 1920 TO 1898 and the origi-
nal sponsor of Mayfair Man
sions housing project at Kenil-
worth avenue and Jay street NE.
Now valued at about SIS mill
lion. It is now owned by the
Gospel Spreading Mission and
the missions head, Elder Light
foot Michaux.
In Cassel's testimony about
the tangled web of financial
difficulties the project encoun-
tered. he brought in such names
as those Of the late Marvin H,
Mcintyre. secretary to the late
President. Franklin d. Roose-
velt: George E. Allen, friend of
former President Truman and
of President Eisenhower: Harry
C. Butcher. wartime naval aide
to Gen. Eisenhower; Donald
Dawson, White House aide to
President Truman. and Harry
Hise, once head of the Recon-
struction Finance Corp.
Three Installments.
Mr.. Cassel testified that when
the FILA commitment was in
creased by $709, 900, he saw Mr..
Powell and said, 'Mr. Powell
told me of the amount of work
he had done on this and that !
had to give him $4,000" He
said he gave him the money in
three inStallmentS from the
Mayfair Mansions funds.
That was in December, 1916,
he said. He testified that about
January. 1913, he loaned Mr..
Powell $2,500 to pay a gambling
debt and that this sum was re-
paid about six months later.
Mr.. CaSsel testified he took
an option on the old Benning
race track site. for the housing
in 1888. Thereafter,
he said. he worked continuously
on the project but had trouble
interesting the FHA.
I'm mid-1940," he continued,
IT had a phone call from a high
placed Office. The man said he
was talking from the Office of
Marvin Mcintyre at the White
House and said I had to get
some one who had political con-
stituencies."
Then he said he met Elder
on P street, and the
Elder seemed to know what Mr..
Cassel was trying to do. The
witness said the Elder remarked
that Mr.. Cissel had everything
he needed except influence and
money" So Mr.. Cassel paid
Elder Mchaux $12.5OO for inf1u-
ence, Mr.. Cassel said. Some time
later, he said. the Elder raised
100000 for the project.
Committee Formed.
A committee was formed, in
cluding Mr.. Allen and Mr..
and there was meet
ing in Mr.. Aliens Office at the
Home Insurance Co. There were
five sponsors for the project,
each listed as having put up
$1,000 cash and land worth $25.-
900, and each held one-fifth of
the project.
Some of the five had put up
Senator Capehart said,
and added that this illustrated
the pattern of responsibility"
Of the FILA. He also brought out
that Mr., Allen and Mr.. Butcher
got nothing out of the project
and. in fact. turned their one
fifth shares over to the Elders
church.
Mr.. Cassel said the RFC ad-
some Of the money for
the project and, in June, 1949,
increased the amount of the loan
it made to $685. 900.
1--WE were helped by the people
at the White House to get the
loan," he said. Donald Daw-
son at the White House helped
us with Harley Hise at the RFC."
Mr.. Cassel testified about re-
peated efforts to raise money for
the project. At the suggestion
Of Elder Michaux, he said he
went to Arthur M. Chaite who, it
developed. was attorney for the
Elders church and then for May
fair Mansions.
Tells of Loans.
The architect said he borrowed
up to $23 900. paid it back and
then borrowed $4,000, paying
Mr.. Chaite a $1,000 commission.
AS security, Mr.. Cassel said, he
put up his 20 per cent stock in
terest in the project and his
364-acre farm. BY that time. he
said, he and Mr.. Michaux each
owned 20 per cent Of the project,
and the Elders church, so per
cent. ...
Mr.. Chaite, whose office is
at 1923 L street NV, later took
the stand. He testified the Cos
pei Spreading Association pro-
vided the money to lend Mr..
Cassel and said. ''As far as I
s