Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-29
Mitchell Aroused
As Dixon-Yafes
Hearing Is Deferred
By the Assoeiossd Press !

- aa5S go g $500
BY the Assoeiuisd Press
A proposed congressional hear
ing on the controversial Dixon
Yates power contract was post
poned indefinitely yesterday and
Democratic National Chairman
Stephen A. Mitchell charged that
''backstage maneuvering" Is
keeping the facts from the
public.
What goes on here?" Mr..
Mitchell asked. Never in pub
lie life have ! seen such gyra-
lions as have been occurring
over this multimillion-do dollar
contract, which is going to
amount to a huge giveaway to a
private utility syndicate"
MI. Mitchell, who had accept
ed an invitation to testify at the
hearing on why he considers the
proposed contract a raw DEAL"
joined Senator Gore. Democrat,
of Tennessee, in demanding that
terms of the proposal be made
public.
New Date to Be Set.
1.-THE truth is" Senator Gore
commented, this contract If
drafted according to plan will
not stand the light Of day."
Word that the hearing. which
had been set for September 2
by the Senate House Atomic
Energy Committee. had been
called of indefinitely came from
committee aides.
They said the delay was or
dered by Representative w.
Sterling Cole, Republican, Of
New York, committee chairman.
after the Atomic Energy Com
mission said its officials would
not be prepared to discuss the
proposed contract in detail next
week.
They said a new date will be
set when Acc officials indicate
they are ready.
The controversy is over an
Eisenhower administration pro-
posal to contract with private
group known as the Dixon-Yates
syndicate for power to be sup
piled in the Tennessee Valley
area, from a plant to be built
at West Memphis. Ark. This
power would be purchased by the
Acc and turned over to the
Government-operated Tennessee
Valley Authority to replace cleo
tricity furnished by IVA to
Acc facilities at Paducah, KY.
Sees White Feather
Administration spokesman
have defended the plan as "a
reasonable and practical solu-
ton to the problem" Of provid-
ing more power for defense and
civilian needs. They say fur
Their that IL would be in the
spirit of American free enter
prise. r.
Mr.. Mitchell's initial reaction
at Sioux Falls. S. D., where he
iS attending "a political confer
Guce. was that the Republicans
apparently were running up the
White feather"
Later he issued a statement
through Democratic National
Headquarters here saying Repre-
sentative Cole had called a Sep
TENDER 2 special hearing on the
contract after Congress had adj
journed land all Democratic
members of the committee had
left Washington"
1.-THE obvious intent was to
ram this deal through while the
ramming was good" Mr.. Mitchell
said.
Cooking For Months"
But then, he said, Representa-
tive Cole yesterday advanced the
hearing date to August 81, two
hours later notified Mr.. Mitchell
that it had been Cancelled until
further notice" and today de-
cided that the hearing was not
Cancelled" but postponed" to
an unspecif1ed date.
What kind of talk is this?",
he asked. The Dixon-Yates deal
has been cooking behind closed
doors for many months. The
administration long ago said it
was satisfied with the terms; the
White House itself was so salts
fled that it ordered the deal con-
summated over the objections Of
Acc and iva directors. Now
we are suddenly told that the
contract is not in shape for
public dissemination.
"It is time that the terms of
this contract be made public.
There is no national security in
volved in the construction of a
steam plant for generating
power"