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Confusion arose at once over the line to be drawn between the activities of the various organizations with which Mr. Muse, like Mr. Kirby, seemed to be connected—the Southern Committee, Texas Taxpayers League, Texas Election Managers' Association, Order of American Patriots—all with headquarters in Houston's Kirby Building.†
Cutting through the fog of Mr. Muse's organizational affiliations, Senator Black put a pointed question, "Have you personally," he asked, "caused pamphlets or printed sheets to be circulated, with reference to the President of the United States and his family?"
"I have," said big Vance Muse. "Describe them." "It's nauseating for me to do it," blurted Vance Muse. "It was a picture of Mrs. Roosevelt going to a Negro meeting with a Negro escort on either side of her. You forced me to say that."
"I didn't force you to circulate them," snapped Inquisitor Black.
Vance Muse pounded his big chest, boomed: "My conscience forced me to do that. The same conscience that made me put on a uniform. I'm a believer in white supremacy." (Outside the committee-room, Mr. Muse explained that by "uniform" he meant the grey suit he was wearing. Grey being the Confederate color, it was, he said, a sort of symbol.)
Witness Muse explained that the pictures had been printed and circulated by Allen Sheppard of Houston, head of the Election Managers' Association and a Democratic county committeeman.
Pushing on toward his main objective, Inquisitor Black asked Witness Muse if he had caused the stuff to be distributed at the "Goober Democrats" convention. "I think Gene Talmadge's group did that," replied Vance Muse. Getting still warmer, Senator Black asked who had paid for the Macon convention.
He and John Henry Kirby, testified Vance Muse, had persuaded two men to put up $5,000 each to finance the convention. One of them was John Jacob Raskob. The other was Pierre S. du Pont. Both are prime supporters of the American Liberty League.
"Did either Raskob or Du Pont." cried Inquisitor Black exultantly, "complain about the type of literature and pictures distributed at the convention?"
"They didn't know anything about it," hedged Witness Muse. "It was printed in all the newspapers," insisted Senator Black. "You knew that, didn't you?" "Yes." "Did they express disapproval?" "Not that I know of."
* An exception: In 1928 Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Texas preferred Hoover and the Negro to Smith and Catholicism.
*Expecting to have to fight William Randolph Hearst's injunction suit against it up to the Supreme Court (TIME, April 20), the Black Committee last week asked the House for permission to pay its counsel more than the statutory $3,600 per year allowed to Congressional investigating committee employes, got a stern refusal, 153-to-137.
†Named for John Henry Kirby by its builder-owner, RFChairman Jesse Jones.