‘TILTHY CONSPIRACY"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 118, 22 May 1942, Page 5

‘TILTHY CONSPIRACY"

SENATOR EXONERATED CHARGES BY NEW YORK PAPER (Recd. 7 pm.) Washington, May 20. Senator Barkley, the Democratic leader, announced in the Senate today that the Justice Department had completely exonerated Senator David Walsh of charges published in the New York Post that he had frequented a Brooklyn house of degradation where Nazi spies congregated. Speaking to a hushed Senate, Senator Barkley referred to the charges which had been published, and said' that the New York Post had made charges against Senator Walsh in connecton with the trial of Gustav Beekman, who was “under indictment and trial for an offence too loathsome to mention in the Senate.” Senator Barkley said that the Attorney-Gen-eral, Mr. Manus Biddle, had investigated the charges and completely exonerated Senator Walsh. In the meantime, Senator Barkley had conferred with Senator Walsh, who had told him he had never been in a house of degradation. Senate was crowded, to hear Senator Barkley’s statement, in which he said the facts of their weird, fantastic story were that 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 Walsh had never been to the house in question and had only been to Brooklyn three times in his life. Senator Barkley said Beekman, it was supposed, made the affidavit naming 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 signed it because his lawyer advised him to sign it. Senator Barkley said the photographs of the man who actually went to the house were no more like Walsh than Haile Selassie. Senator Clark suggested that 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 Walter Winchell, columnist, be called before the bar of the Senate for questioningTed. O. Thackrey, editor of the New York Post, in a statement, said: “Senator Barkley made his statement before 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 and refused 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.” ___