Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-24
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG
Star Staff Writer

Star Staff Writer
The story of how a public re-
iations firm tried to influence
the United States to support
Portugal's policies in Angola,
its African colony, is the latest
chapter in a Senate investiga-
ton of Americans who lobby
for foreign countries.
The firm, Sewage and Lee of
New York, working under a
s500,000 budget, created the
Portuguese american Commit
tee on Foreign Affairs and
hired Boston Attorney Martin
Camacho for .$400 a week plus
expenses to head it.
In return, Mr.. Camacho Wis
tied Congressman and issued
statements about what the
Portuguese American Society,
and he, its president, thought
about American policy toward
Portugal. Mr.. Camacho even
got into the White House with
a little group.
His committees membership
list was composed of people
who returned cards saying they
were interested in receiving in
formation about Portuguese af-
fairs.
Mr.. Camacho'S activities were
only a part of the story of Sell
wage and Lee unfolded at a Sc
ries of closed hearings before
the Foreign Relations Commit
tee as it pursued its invertiga-
ton of the activities of paid
American lobbyists serving for
eign interests.
Other Disclosures
The hearings, made public
last night, also disclosed:
/. Sewage and Lee paid $125
a week to Bernard Teixeira, the
press attache of the Portuguese
Embassy here, to pass on to
the public relations firm infor-
nation embassy officials got
from the State Department.
Mr.. Teixeira is an American
citizen of Portuguese descent.
2. Although the Portuguese
Embassy told the committee
Portugal refrained from engag-
ing in public relations. Sewage
and Lee cleared viSas for travel
to Angola and wrote press re-
leases quoting the Portuguese
ambassador.
8. Sewage and Lee had on
its payroll a Southern public
relations man who wrote vio-
lently anti-Negro stories for
Southern consumption and a
Negro public relations firm here
to get good publicity in the Ne
gro press.
Disclosure Gaps Cited
In nearly 400 pages of testi-
mony and exhibits, the COM
mittee dissected the activities
of the firm, paying particular
attention to what Sewage and
Lee failed to disclose in its
foreign agents registration
forms and what Mr.. Camacho
failed to disclose as a paid
agent during visits to Congress,
lectures and letters to editors.
Officials of the firm testified
that a Portuguese group of
private businessmen with in
terests in Angola hired Sewage
and Lee in May, 1861, at an
annual fee Of $4,000 plus ex-
penses, that later was raised to
$4,000. A registration state
ment described the firms du-
ties as publicizing the accom-
plishments Of Portugal in les
overseas provinces and Ito
combat with facts in all avail
able media false and mislead-
ing information relating to the
present strife in Angola"
At the time, Angola was torn
by disorders and the United
States had voted in the United
Nations Security Council for
an anti-colonialist resolution
demanding a full-Scale inquiry
in Angola. 81
In New York, Sewage & Lees
board chairman, James Cope,
said in a statement that his
firms work for the overseas
companies has been good for
the people of the United States
as we'll as for our client" He
added; I'VE expect to contin-
ue in the same way"
CamachO Assignment
Less than two months after
Sewage g. Lee got the &C
count, it approached Mr.. Ca
macho, who had been active in
Portuguese American affairs
around Boston, and served on
the Kennedy campaign staff.
He was called first by the former
Portuguese Consul at Boston
and told he would get a call
from Washington and would be
expected to come here with a
delegation and present me
mortal" to Congressman.
When he made his rounds of
Congressman, he said, Paul
Wagner, a Sewage & Lee en-
ploye, went with him.
Mr.. Camacho and his group