Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-20
Regulatory Agencies
Code Of Ethics Urged
Continued From First Page

tOA1y
ceived two signed statement;
by a secretary and a former
partner of Col. Katzentine
corrobOrating his testimony
that a friend told him Com
missioner Mack was pledged to
Mr.. Whiteside for National
AirlineS.
They recounted conversations
between Col. Katzentine and
Perrine Palmer. jr., in which
Mr.. Palmer said the commits
sioner was in Miami to seek re-
lease from the pledge.
Mr.. Wolverton tried without
sucvcesS to develop a link be-
tween the alleged payments to
Mr.. Mack and 100000 trust
fund handled by Mr.. Whiteside.
Col. Katzentine represented the
owner of the trust fund in get
ting a settlement from Mr..
WhiteSide.
No Checks Drawn
The colonel said the settle
ment disclosed no checks drawn
on the fund to Mr.. Mack, nor
any money due on loans to
persons in Florida public life.
Col. Katzentine testified he
did not ask the FEC to reopen
the television case on the basis
of rumors that Mr.. Mack was
pledged. because his attorney
Paul A. Porter. said he lacked
sufficient evidence.
Representative Flynt, Demo-
crat of Georgia. produced a
June, 1857, letter from Col,
Katzentine to Senator Ke-
fauver, Democrat of Tennessee,
asking for an investigation OF
the channel 10 case. The
colonel told the Senator he
could prove Commissioner
Mack was pledged to Nationa.
Airlines before hearings on tht
case were held.
Col atzentine today
amended this statement, say
ing his first indication Of a
pledge came after the exam
iner's report was fled, and be-
fore the Fees final decision.
Under questioning by Rep
reSentative Moulder. Democrat
of Missouri. Col. Katzantine
estimated the value of the
Miami TV license at several
million dollars"
Only TV Shows Criticized
He said the only criticism
he had heard Of National Air
lines operation of the channel
was that they've got some
lousy shows"
Members of the subcommit-
tee-obviously shocked by tales
Of political wire-pulling-were
poised to dig deeper into Col.
Katzentine's account of eff
forts to rally Vice President
Nixon and other big names to
his cause.
The Vice President refused
to cSmment yesterday. Col.
katZentine'S contact with Mr..
Nixon declined to tell a reporter
whether the Vice President did
anything to help the colonel.
Later today or tomorrow. the
investigators may finally hear
some solid first-hand testi-
mony. AS Chairman Harris
tod reporters, mos. witnesses
so far have given second hand
accounts of what the other
fellow said"
Coming UP soon on the wit
ness list are Mr.. Whiteside, Mr..
Palmer and Ben H. Fuqua,
identified as emissaries who
tried to unpledge Mr.. Mack;
and Commissioner Mack.
Interrogation has been drag.
ging so slowly that Mr.. Mack
probably will not take the wit
ness stand before tomorrow or
Monday.
The blackmail charge arose
Tuesday when Paul r. Scott,
an attorney for National Air
lines. testified that Mr.. White
side accused Col. Katzentine of
Matchmaking him to stop work.
ing for award of Miami TV
channel 10 to National Air
lines subsidiary.
AS the subcommittee pro-
duced letters from the colonels
allies. he maintained that he
never asked anyone ton the
Fec to vote for me-" He said
his contacts with the commits
sion and the efforts of his
friends were aimed only at urg-
ing the commissioners to de-
eide the case ION the merits i"
Rumors that the commits
sion would grant the TV chan
mel to National started long
before the final decision, he
said.
Series of Shocks
1T was one shock after an
other" as reports from in
siders trickled in. he remarked.
In a June. 1855, letter to
Senator Kefauver-about two
months after the examiners
favorable ruling-Col. Katzen-
tine said:
I'VE have won a magnificent
decision. but / am troubled
that politics may intervene. -.
I do not believe there is a
dishonest man on the FEC. and
I do not believe that politics
per sc would persuade any of
these gentlemen, but ! do feel
that your offer to help could
be useful now. 1t may be
that nothing should be done.
but / just would like to elm
mate the possibility of any
political shenanigans."
The colonel asked the Ten
nessee Democrat-described as
a close friend since college days
Ito "let it be known that you
are my friend, and / am not