Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-21

R4kacketS COmmlCCee, lneXpncaDl,
y seminar. He was treated v
served for a visiting professor. |
as certain Senators. eager as
freshmen, sought his confirma-
.tion of some Of their most |
cherished views.
For three weeks past. the
committee has been stalking
Mr.. Hpffa through the New
York Teamster unions. They
have followed his trail through |
paper" locals, they have
wanted to bring home proof
shat their quarry had used
:gangster Johnny Dio as his
:catSpaw to seize control of the
Manhattan empire.
But at the sight of him. their
hunters instincts faltered.
They seemed to forget why they
had taken the field in the first
place. They were overtaken,
apparently, by a thirst for in
itellectual companionship.
Mr.. Hoffa didn't seem to
mind. He had done his home
work. He had dressed for the
occasion in an iridescent suit
which glowed black and brown
in the bright lights. His wavy
hair was neatly brushed back
from his low forehead. He took
the oath with a flourish, said
loudly, Eyes, / do" when asked
If he would tell the whole truth.
With his old adversary, young
committee counsel Robert F.
Kennedy. Mr.. Hoffa's manner
was brisk and familiar.
When Mr.. Kennedy inquired
how many times Mr.. Hoffa had
fallen afoul of the law, he re-
piled offhandedly. IT don't
know. Bob. I've been accosted
by the police many times"
The few times Mr.. Kennedy
found him unprepared with a |
fact or figure, Hoffa would say
:accuSingly. You didn't ask me
to bring that here"
AS the afternoon wore on
with its details of Mr.. Hoffa's |
money loans and enterprises,
his answers became more la
comic.
Its just possible" he would |
say to an increasing number Of
questions.
Finally. he was down to al
.terse. II think"
With the Senators who saw
only the crown prince of the
Transfers and not the cloud
under which. he had supposedly |
entered the Caucus Room, Mr..
.Hoffa was more expansive.
Senator Ives. Republican of
New York, was Smitten with |
the intelligence of the witness
The Senator has acted with a |
singular petulance at revela-
.tions Of nefariouS goings-on in
his home State. has alternately
:sulked and roared at witnesses
Jas if they had misbehaved for
the sole purpose Of irritating
:him.
Complement by Ives
But in MIR. Hoffa, Senator |
lives had at last found a man
he could talk to.
Mr.. Hoffa's quick identifica-
.tion of q newspaper story,
which he said misquoted him. |
brought forth from Senator |
Ives this admiring admission;
:"You have a high /. O."
Senator Ives referred to a
milk strike in New York and
the possibilities Of a Nation
wide tie-up of transportation.
Replied Mr.. Hoffa senten-
.tiously, II wonder if you ever
stop to think of the other side
of the picture, why workers who
join organizations should not |
have the same rights and
ALLIANCES between themselves
like businessmen"
Senator Ives drew back. Now
don't get me wrong" he said |
.placatingly. THE right to strike
is basic in American philosophy. |
Don't get me wrong. You and |
L are on the same ground on |
that basis"
Senator Goldwater, Repub-
lican Of Arizona. confided his
:well-known fears about the
.bigness of unions to Mr.. Hoffa,
who has been charged with |
trying to enlarge his domain.
Pauses to Reply
Mr.. Hoffa was at that mo-
ment busy putting documents
back into his handsome pig
skin dispatch case, but he
paused long enough to set
Senator Goldwater straight. He
pointed out 10 him "the diff
ference between working for a
living and trying to use the
unions to organize and in
dividuals whose sole purpose
is to control prices and try to
make larger profit"
Senator Goldwater sought to
mollify the theorist. II know
you are honest in your convic-
tions," he said.
The Senator then warned Mr..
Hoffa that unions were mem
aced by power-hungry labor
leaders hostile to him who
sought to control political
thought.
Reassured by HOffa
Mr.. Hoffa was able to reas-
sure him that he knew of these
dangerous elements but that he
for one was dead set against
activity of that kind.
For the good of the Ameri-