Insurance firms accused of political activity
Washington (UP) – (Nov. 4)
The Senate Campaign Expenditures Committee revealed tonight that it is investigating alleged political activities of some insurance companies and complaints that certain radio broadcasts, put on the air as impartial news commentaries, are “highly partisan.”
Committee Counsel Robert T. Murphy said insurance company complaints involve the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Casualty Insurance Company, and the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association, Fire Insurance Company, both operated by the same board of directors, and alleged to be “mailing out huge quantities of Dewey literature.”
Letter mentioned
Another complaint involves a letter entitled, “Revolution,” written and distributed to stockholders, agents and employees by H. K. Dent, president of the General Life Insurance Company of America, First National Insurance Company of America and the General Casualty Company of America, home Office, Seattle. Washington, Mr. Murphy said. He said the letter mentions no names, but is “cleverly written – we think it should be looked into.”
Inquiries into reported use of radio news broadcasts for political propaganda, he said, have not progressed far enough to make a statement, “but… complaints have been made that certain commentators have… given highly-colored versions of current news events, which are, in effect, political speeches.”
The insurance and radio investigations are only two of several studies being made by the committee which intends “to make the most complete study of the overall cost of a national election ever undertaken.”
Final report made
Meanwhile, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives a final pre-election report showing $3000 expended since Oct. 21 for the campaign of Senate Democratic Leader Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky.
The committee also reported contributions of $3,500 to the campaign of North Dakota Governor John Moses, $2,000 to Francis J. Myers of Pennsylvania and $1,500 to Rep. Warren G. Magnuson (D-WA), Mr. Moses is seeking to unseat Senator Gerald P. Nye (R-ND), while Myers is opposing Senator James J. Davis (R-PA). Mr. Magnuson seeks the vacancy created by the resignation of Senator Homer T. Bone of Washington, recently named to the Circuit Court of Appeals.
Final pre-election accountings of the Democratic and Republican National Committees, filed yesterday with the House clerk, showed that the Republicans had spent $2,008,000 between Jan. 1 and Nov. 1, and the Democrats, $1,331,713.