Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-14
Continued From First Pag,

AIDE IN the nnancler'S proxy 1ght
to obtain control of Montgomery
Ward & Co.
One witness said a Merritt
Chapman official was asked
whether he had not once said
that Mr.. Balmer boosted he had
GSA and Mr.. Mansure in his
pocket. The official was quoted
as saying he did not make such
statements. But this did not
prevent subcommittee members
from specializing about the size
of Mr.. Balmer's pockets.
The Nicaro plant was built
during World War II and was
shut down afterward. 1t was
reopened during the Korean war.
It is run for the Government by
the Nickel Processing Corp. Sew
enty-four per cent of that COM
pany's stock is owned by the
National Lead Co.
Divided 81 Million
National Lead became prime
contractor for the expansion of
the plant in April. 1854. It
brought in as subcontractorS the
Frederick Snare Co., which had
built. the plant originally. and
Merritt Chapman & Scott. The
two construction concerns formed
a joint venture. under the name
of Snare Merritt, on a $3.50
basis and agreed to split the 81
million fee involved.
Mr.. ManSure limited last night
that complete investigation of
Nicaro operations back to 1912
3 might produce "a good story"
about previous administrations.
13-Month Gap
He turned to testimony by
Randall Cremer. project manager
for Snare-Merritt and vice presi-
dent of the Frederick Snare
Corp. He said Mr.. Cremer had
testified that on July Is. 1854,
Mr.. Mansure had requested that
the insurance business be placed
with Balmer & Moore, Mr.. Bal
mer's firm.
1.-THE firm of Balmer & Moore
was not formed until August 9,
1885," MIR. Mansure said. He
(Mr. Cremer) was 13 months out
of the way there"
Mr.. Mansure disputed Mr..
Cremer's testimony that the GSA
chief recommended that the
Snare Corp. hire Washington
public relations man Frank w.
Luther.
Witnesses yesterday afternoon
included Herbert Solow. an edi-
tor of Fortune Magazine. and his
research assistant. Miss Eleanor
Nader. Miss Nader read from
transcripts of her longhand
notes of interviews with Lewis
M. Schott, former executive vice
president of Merritt-Chapman.
and Mr.. Mansure. Mr.. Schott
had been described by an earlier
witness as MI. Wolfson's right
hand man in the company.
It was Mr.. Schott who was
asked about Mr.. Balmer's pocket,
which he denied.
Cabinet Recommendations
Miss Nader, an attractive
dark-haired young woman, then
read from her transcript Of sew
eral interviews with Mr.. Man
sure by Mr.. Solow and. on one
occasion, a substitute for him.
In quoting the administrator
as saying half the cabinet had
made recommendations of COM
panies, she said he mentioned
specifically Postmaster General
Summerfield, Secretary of Com
merce Weeks and former Air
Force Secretary Harold Talbot.
Mr.. Mansure. she went on,
said he had heard that Attorney
General Brownell was interested
in seeing that Merritt-C Chapman
got the job, but he learned this
was not the case when he called
UP Mr.. Brownell. she said.
Mr.. Mansure was quoted also
as saying he sent Republican
National Chairman Leonard Hall
a list of six companies seeking
the job. This was described as
mot for political clearance" but
to see If the companies had been
at "the political trough"
Asked About Wolfson
The list came back without
comment. The only question Mr..
Hall was said to have asked was
whether the Mr.. Wolfson of Mer-
ritt-Chapman was the same Mr..
Wolfson of Capital Transit.
Representative Reuss, Demo-
crat of Wisconsin, asked Mr..
Solow whether Mr.. Balmer had
written under the letterhead of
the Cook County Gll.) Repub-
lican Committee a letter to Mr..
Brownell urging the appoint
ment of Mr.. Mansure as GSA
administrator. Mr.. Reuss wanted
to know If the letter was for
warded to Sherman Adams, pres
idential assistant. Mr.. Solow in
Dictated he understood that
was so.
worked Both Sides"
Representative Hardy, Demo-
crat of Virginia, observed that
Mr.. Balmer had done a pretty
good job of working both sides
Of the street"
Representative Younger of
California, on the Republican
side Of the committee dais, made
the point there had been no
indication of bribery or corrup-
ton. Mr.. Reuss said that in-
side dealing and favoritism" had