Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-07-17


had telephoned Mr.. Adams at
the White House, or at the
Adams home 43 times in the
six months period between No
vember. 1857 and May 1858. :.
He said he had lunch and
dinner quite a few tines with
DR.. Steelman. sometimes at the
Mayfiower Hotel and sometimes
at the Washington Hotel.
Asked by Mr.. Wolverton
what was discussed at those
meetings, Mr.. Goldfine replied:
Il don't know butlthe results
were very good the loan
was finally granted.
Never Carried Out
1t has been brought out that
the Government was interested
in the project as a possible air
raid shelter. The loan was
never calIied ost and the mat
ter was dropped after the RFC
came under investigation itself.
Mr.. Goldfjile, replying to
questions. testified that he had
given DR.. Steelman presents
at Christmas. The gifts, he
added, consisted Of baskets Of
/ delieacies.
He said some of the baskets
THAT he usually gave as
Christmas presents to many
individuals cost from $50 to
500. After the deIicacies were
used up. Mr.. Goldfine said, the
baskets "came in very handy"
for use in living rooms to hold
logs and other things.
Democratic Representatives
Moss of California and Flynt
of Georgia sought to bring out
that Mr.. Goldfine's contacts
with White House and Federal
regulatory agency officials prior
to 1853 were on a fairly minor
scale as compared with his
similar dealings during the Eli
senhower administration.
Ouizzed IN Contact
Mr.. Moss asked whether Mr..
Goldfine ever requested any
White House official to inter-
cede for him with Federal reg
ulatory agencies before 1858.
When Mr.. Goldfine said he had
contacted only DR.. Steelman.
Mr.. Moss said that was not in
connection with any regula-
tory agency matter. Mr.. Gold
fine then said that so far as he
could recall that was the only
instance Of any White House
contact.
did you ever give any public
oficial any gifts equal in value
to the gifts you gave to Mr..
Adams or did you pay any hotel
bills Of public officials prior to
1882" Mr.. Moss asked.
II can't answer that very
well. Mr.. Goldfine replied. II
would have to go back to the
records. But at this moment l
don't know Of any gifts gave
at that time besides the Christ
mas checks"
Mr.. Flynt asked whether the
subcommittee Gould assume"
that Mr.. Goldfihe had given a
complete account Of gifts and
the names of recipients.
Il have given the subcom-
mittee the truth and you can
assume what you want" MIR.
Goldflne said.
Regrets Political Turn
Mr.. Moss told the witness he
regretted that the line Of ques-
tioning had taken a political
turn. He said the subcom-
mittee and staff investigators
have tried to obtain all possible
evidence Of pressure or undue
interference with Federal regu-
latory agencies and has not at.
tempted to confine this to de-
velopments since the Eisen-
hover administration took
ONCE in 1858.
Mr.. Flynt then tried to sum
up the situation by asking.
Prior to 1858 did you ever
ask any White House official.
any member Of Congress or
any member or employee of
Federal regulatory agencies to
intervene in your behalf. TO
ask preferential treatment, or
to get information for your"
Il told you l never did that
before and / haven't done il
since" Mr.. Goldfine replied.
When MIR. Mack was unable
to obtain what he regarded as
satisfactory replies to several
questions about Mr.. Goldfine's
payment Of Boston hotel bills
for n Adams. the Illinois