PUBLIC INQUIRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 May 1942, Page 4

PUBLIC INQUIRY

DEMANDED BY “NEW YORK POST” CHARGES AGAINST SENATOR. SEQUEL TO EXONERATION ANNOUNCEMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.20 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 20. Following on the announcement in the Senate by the Democratic Leader. Senator Barkley, that the Justice Department had completely exonerated Senator David Walsh of charges published in the “Nev/ York Post” that he had frequented a Brooklyn house of degradation where Nazi spies congregated, Mr Ted O. Thackrey, editor of the “New York Post,” in a statement, said: “Senator Barkley made his statement before the Senate after a secret investigation, made apparently at the informal request of a member of the Senate, and has seen fit to bring to the Senate a report of an investigation which the Senate never ordered andrefused to take public notice of with a public, hearing. The “Post” will have more to say later about the unfounded and amazing charges of conspiracy made by Senator Clark. The “Post demands a full public Senate investigation.” The Senate was crowded to hear Senator Barkley’s statement, in which he said the facts made a weird and fantastic story. It was alleged that Senator Walsh had been a frequent visitor to a house in Brooklyn at which, it was reported, soldiers and sailors were plied with liquor in order that information about ship movements might be obtained. The facts were that Senator W } alsh had never been to the house in question and had only been to Brooklyn three times in his life. Senator Barkley said Beekman, 1 it v/as supposed, made an affidavit naming Senator Walsh under some sort of impression that if he told the whole truth he might obtain leniency. In his statement to the Justice Department, Beekman said he did not know what was in the original statement relating to Senator Walsh, but he signed it because his lawyer advised him to sign it. Senator Barkley said photographs of the man who actually went to the house were no more like Senator Walsh than they were like Haile Selassie.

Senator’ Clark suggested that the Senate, for the maintenance of its own integrity, should examine into “the motives behind this filthy conspiracy.” To that end Senator Clark suggested that the publisher of the “New York Post” and Mr Walter Winchell be. called before the bar of the Senate for questioning.