Evening star., 1955-07-26
Air Force Aide
Saw BrowneII
About Talbot
Continued from First Page

NO Hullng on Pf0prlety
Mr.. johnson said that last
January his opinion was based
solely on the legality of the pro-
posed Mulligan-RCA contract.
He said he did not rule on the
Ipropriety of such an agreement.
But the Air Force counsel said
it was his opinion then and still
was that the Mulligan-RCA
|agl cement violated neither "the
letter nor the spirit" of Federal
conflict of interests statutes.
MI. johnson said Mr.. Talbot
first consulted him on the RCA
matter last January 4 and that
the two of them telephoned
Samuel E. Ewing, RCA attorney
at Camden, N. j., about the
matter.
Mr.. Ewing testified yesterday
that Mr.. Talbot broke into the
conversation he was having with
Mr.. Johnson and seemed an
noyed" that RCA was raising
questions about the proposed
Mulligan contract.
Mr.. johnson testified that he
was unable to recall what Mr..
Talbot had said to the RCA
attorney.
On January S, the day after
the conversation with Mr.. Ewing,
Mr.. johnson said the Air Secre-
Itary asked him to take the mat
tier of legality of the Mulligan
contract up with Mr.. Brownell
as RCA had suggested. The fol-
lowing day. he added. he met
with the Attorney General.
Told Contract Was Off
Although Mr.. johnson testi-
fled that he heard no more from
Mr.. Brownell on the matter, he
said that two days later. on
January 8, Mr.. Talbot told him
there will be no contract be-
tween Mulligan and RCA." He
said he heard no more about the
matter until last Thursday when
the Air Secretary asked him to
refresh his memory" about the
RCA matter.
The Air Force counsel was
asked if. as Mr.. Ewing testified,
he had told Mf. Ewing he was
preparing a legal opinion for
RCA rather than Mr.. Talbot.
The Federal lawyer said that
he didn't wish.to contradict the
words of Mr.. Ewing but my ac-
tivity was confined solely to pre-
pairing a legal opinion for the
Secretary Of the Air Force"
Counsel Defines Role
How do you regard your role
in the matter?" asked Subcom-
mittee Chairman Mcclellan.
Mr.. johnson said he consid-
cred it his duty to give an opin-
ion to the Secretary as to
whether he thought Mr.. Talbot
had violated any law.
For example. if any secre-
tary asked me if it was all right
to buy a block Of stock in a
corporation I would feel bound
to give him an opinion" Mr..
johnson said.
In a brief appearance before
the Senators last week, Mr.. Tai
bott testified under oath that
when he heard that RCA had
raised a question of propriety
he Immediately ordered Mr.. Null
ligan to break off negotiations.
Mr.. Talbot also indicated the
proposed agreement with the
Mulligan company would have
covered a much smaller part of
RCA's operations than Mr.. Ew-
ing said it would.
Mr.. Ewing said yesterday that
to the best Of his recollection
neither Mr.. Talbot nor Mr..
johnson had intimated that
RCA's business would suffer If
the contract with Mulligan vas
not signed.
Tells Of Agreement
The attorney also testified that
nothing was said by either Mr..
Talbot or Mr.. Mulligan that if
the Mulligan company got the
RCA account Mr.. Talbot would
not share in the profits. The Air
Secretary testified that when he
accepted his Government post he
entered into agreement with Mr..
Mulligap than on any business
with contractors predominant
ly" holding contracts with the
Defense Department he would
take no share of the profits.
Senator Bender, Republican of
Ohio, brought out that RCA'sI
contracts with. the Air Force
have increased since Mr.. Tai
bolts conversation with Mr..
Ewing.
Mr.. Ewing said, however, that
RCA never signed the new con-
tract with Mulligan.
Phone Call to Oil Man
The subcommittee also placed
in evidence document indicat-
ing Mr.. Talbot had telephoned
the president of the Union Oil
Co.. a big defense contractor,
last January while Mulligan was
trying to swing a contract with
Union.
The document. a memorandum
signed by Mr.. Mulligan's secre-
tary, reported that Talbot has