Four-Percenter

Warren L. Stephenson, a manufacturers' agent in Washington, chewed cigars around Republican headquarters during last year's campaign, and in due time got himself appointed executive secretary of the Eisenhower Inaugural Committee. With that slight prominence, Stephenson began acting the part of a man of influence with the Administration.

Among those impressed by his claim to influence was Stanley L. Bishop, a smalltime tipster whose ambition was "to be associated with a big man . . . like Mr. Stephenson." To Bishop, who has made a career out of eavesdropping around Government coffee bars ("For two cups of coffee you will get enough information to last you for a couple of weeks"), came news about a Navy rocket launcher contract. He rushed off to tout Stephenson onto the deal.

Stephenson made contact with Century Engineers, Inc. of Burbank, Calif., original developers of the launcher, and offered--for $2,000 a month or 4% of the take--to get them a bigger share of the contract. Company officials stalled Stephenson, told the Navy of the deal he had offered.

Called before the House Subcommittee on Defense Activities, Stephenson admitted that his influence was virtually nil. As much in awe as in anger, Virginia's Representative Porter Hardy Jr. observed: "You are one of the biggest liars that I have ever listened to." Stephenson declined the suggestion of supremacy. "Well," he huffed, "I don't think--in fact, I know darn well I am not the biggest liar."

When the testimony was made public last week, Attorney General Brownell promptly ordered an investigation into the leakage of secret figures which Stephenson had quoted to Century Engineers. Meanwhile, Republicans comforted themselves that the first influence peddler exposed under their regime had been caught before his fingers got into the pie.

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