Howard Hughes Addresses
the Senate War Investigating Committee
Senator Ralph Owen Brewster: The
committee will come to order. Ladies and gentlemen, I must insist that
we maintain quiet during these proceedings. All right, Mr. Hughes will
you stand to be sworn?
Do you
solemnly swear that in the matter now pending before this committee you
will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so
help you God?
Mr. Howard Hughes: I do.
Senator Brewster: Pardon me for
speaking loudly, but I understand you have some difficulty hearing.
Mr. Hughes: Oh, that’s -- that’s oh
that's that's quite all right. I mean, everybody knows I'm deaf. I'm not gonna try to hide it.
Senator Brewster: Mr. Hughes, it is
the intention of this committee –
Noah Dietrich: Mr. Hughes has a statement.
Senator Brewster: All right. All
right. You -- you may -- you may proceed with this statement, Mr.
Hughes….Mr. Hughes, do you have a statement?
Mr. Hughes: I'm gonna -- I’m gonna
attempt to be honest here. I mean, my reputation’s being destroyed so I
might as well lay the cards on the table. Senator Brewster, if you
hadn't of gone too far overboard, if you hadn't put the red-hot iron in
my side, I might have been willing to take a shellacking in this
publicity spree of yours. I might have been willing to sit back and take
a certain amount of abuse simply because, well -- well, I am only a
private citizen, whereas you are a senator with all sorts of powers.
But I think this goddamn circus has gone on long enough.
Senator Brewster: Quite sufficient
--
Mr. Hughes: You have called me a
liar, sir, in the press! You have called me a liar and a thief and a war
profiteer!
Senator Brewster: The witness will
restrain his comments --
Mr. Hughes: Why not tell the truth
for once, senator? Why not tell the truth that this investigation was
really born on the day that TWA first decided to fly to Europe, on the
day that TWA first invaded
Juan Trippe's territory.
Senator Brewster: Sit down, Mr.
Hughes.
Mr. Hughes: On the day that TWA
first challenged the generally accepted theory that only Juan Trippe’s
great Pan American Airways had the sacred right to fly the Atlantic!
Senator Brewster: We are not here to
make a speech. I asked for silence! I asked for quiet in this room and
we’re going to have quiet. Now, I mean it….
[scene cuts to later in the hearing]
I have in
my possession receipts in the amount of $170,000 acquired
from Mr. John Meier. Mr. Meier works for you, does he not?
Mr. Hughes: He does.
Senator Brewster: And what is his
official title?
Mr. Hughes: Well, I -- I don't exactly
know, senator. A lot of people work for me.
Senator Brewster: Can you explain
why your press agent would pay out more than a $170,000 to
representatives of the United States Air Force?
Mr. Hughes: Well, I don't know. I
suppose you'd have to ask him, senator.
Senator Brewster: Well, would you
produce him?
Mr. Hughes: Produce him?
Senator Brewster: Will you cause him
to appear?
Mr. Hughes: Well, senator, you had
John Meier on the stand for three days last week.
Senator Brewster: Well, be that as
it may, we would like him to reappear here. Would you ask him to -- to
return?
Mr. Hughes: No, I don't think I
will.
Senator Brewster: Will you try to
have him return?
Mr. Hughes: Well…no, I don't think I'll try.
Senator Brewster: You don't think
you'll try?
Mr. Hughes: No. I don't think so.
[scene cuts to later in the hearing]
Senator Brewster: $170,000 paid out to the Air Force in the form of hotel suites, TWA stock, female
companionship. Now, is it possible that these can be considered bribes?
Mr. Hughes: I suppose you could call
them that, yes.
Senator Brewster: Would you repeat
that?
Mr. Hughes: I said I suppose you
could consider them bribes, yes.
Senator Brewster: Well, would you
like to explain that, Mr. Hughes?
Mr. Hughes: Well, I'm afraid you don't
know how the aviation business works, senator. You see, wining and
dining Air Force dignitaries is common in our business. It's because we
all want the big contracts. All the major aircraft companies do it now.
I don't know whether it's a good system or not. I just know it is not
illegal. You, senator, you are the lawmaker. If you pass a law that
states no one can entertain Air Force officers -- well, hell, I'd be
happy to abide by it.
[scene cuts to later in the hearing]
Senator Brewster: ...submit your
questions to the chair.
Mr. Hughes: Senator Brewster, your story is a pack of lies and I can tear it
apart if allowed to cross-examine you.
Senator Brewster: We're not gonna
have this bickering --
Mr. Hughes: Yes --
Senator Brewster: back and forth –
Mr. Hughes: Somewhere between two
and five hundred. If you'll just let me get started --
Senator Brewster: Now, if you believe that
because of your great wealth and power you can intimidate any member of
this committee, I want to advise you that you're mistaken. Now submit
your questions to the chair.
[scene cuts to later in the hearing]
Mr. Hughes: Now, now, I'll put this very
simply. On February 12th, at the Mayflower Hotel, did you or did you not
tell me that if I were to sell TWA to Pan Am that this entire
investigation would be called off?
Senator Brewster: No, I did not. And
I have asked you repeatedly to submit your questions in writing.
Mr. Hughes: Well, how long have you
known Juan Trippe, senator?
Senator Brewster: I've known Mr.
Trippe for some time now and, that’s not the question --
Mr. Hughes: Well, is it not -- is it not true that Juan Trippe donated
$20,000 to your last campaign? I mean, he spoke to
me as if you worked for him.
Senator Brewster: I have a personal
friendship with Mr. Trippe that is --
Mr. Hughes: Is it not true that you
accept free tickets from Pan Am so you can circle the globe in support
of your CAB [Civil
Aeronautics Board] bill?
Senator Brewster: No, no it is not
true.
Mr. Hughes: Well, who wrote that
bill, senator?
Senator Brewster: No, we're asking
the questions --
Mr. Hughes: Who actually wrote the
CAB bill, the actual words in the bill? Did you write them?
Senator Brewster: This is not how
these hearings are going to be conducted, Mr. Hughes.
Mr. Hughes: Well, I -- I have it right
here. Maybe it'll refresh your memory. Bill S.987 to amend the
Civil
Aeronautics Act. Now, you introduced this bill to the Senate. A lot of
words. You write all them? Did you write any of them, senator?
Senator Brewster: Now, look, Mr.
Hughes --
Mr. Hughes: Now, this entire bill
was written by Pan Am executives and designed to give that airline a
monopoly on international travel. And you've been flogging [whipping] this bill all
around the world on their behalf, have you not?
Senator Brewster: I have duties that
take me all over the world, Mr. Hughes.
Mr. Hughes: Well, what the hell does
a senator from Maine need to visit Peru for?
Senator Brewster: I was -- I was
seeking outlets for our trade -- our trade goods.
Mr. Hughes:: Ah. Buy a lot of
lobsters down there, do they? Senator Brewster, how many times have you
visited Juan Trippe's office in New York in the last three months? Huh?
Would you like me to tell you, senator?
Senator Brewster: All right. This
has gone on long enough. Juan Trippe is a great American. His airline
has advanced the cause of commercial aviation in this country for
decades. Juan Trippe is a patriot. Juan Trippe isn't a man who's
interested in [just] making money.
Mr. Hughes: Hmm. Well, I'm sure his
stockholders would be happy to hear that.
