Family Quarrel

As head of the Senate's dirt-moving Mead Committee, New York's tall, toothy Democratic Senator James M. Mead was providing a dual service for his party--whether it liked it or not. He was giving himself a hastily assembled reputation as a guardian of political morals, a device which might well be useful when he ran against ex-gangbuster Tom Dewey in New York's gubernatorial race. He was also giving Democrats the chance to say "we policed ourselves" in the event the country went Republican next autumn. Having tossed Andy May's reputation into the ashcan the Mead Committee last week roughed up another Democrat.

This time it was Tacoma's burly, New Dealish Congressman John M. Coffee, a man who had inveighed with truculent zeal against Franco, scrap for Japan, and big corporations. Nub of the committee's case: Coffee had taken a $2,500 check from Eivind Anderson, a Tacoma contractor, after helping him get a $93,517 wartime construction job at Fort Lewis.

Last week, while Republican members of the committee listened happily, the contractor told of meeting Coffee in a narrow, deserted Capitol corridor back in 1941. "Mr. Coffee said, 'I understand from Paul (Paul A. Olson, Coffee's secretary) that you will pay $2,500 for our representing you here in Washington!'"

"I said, 'Yes, I'll be willing to pay $2,500. Coffee said, 'Send it to Paul. . . .'"

Retort Cynical. But as soon as Coffee took the stand it was obvious that he had all the answers ready.

His rebuttal: The $2,500 check had been a campaign contribution. "There was never any question of his hiring me. . . ."

Michigan's inquisitorial Republican Senator Homer Ferguson pressed a triumphant question: had the Congressman reported the contribution to the House? He had not. The law, Coffee added blandly, called for reporting of contributions received 10 days before and 30 days after an election. The $2,500 had been an "interim contribution."

What had he done with the money? He had used it to reimburse himself for expenses incurred in 1938 and 1940.

As the hearing went on it became even more obvious that it could accomplish nothing, in any practical sense. The statute of limitations had run: even if a crime had been committed nobody involved could be indicted. When the Congressman had been well mussed Mead called a halt.

Coffee's acceptance of the check might be "morally wrong," said Investigator Mead, but the Government "did not lose any money."

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