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Wilson, who knows the Defense Department's procedure on contracts, told the committee (correctly) that in the normal course of his job he would have no occasion to pass on G.M. contracts. If such an occasion did arise, he would pass the decision on to someone else, "to the White House if necessary." His testimony was that of an industrialist who is justly proud of his rise from 18¢ an hour as an apprentice engineer to more than $600,000 a year as president of the world's greatest manufacturing corporation, and equally proud of the American system that enabled him to make that rise. He was stepping down to a $22,500-a-year job to do what he could for "the security and welfare of our country." He had been dealing with "conflicts of interests" all his life, and he knew that a man who feathered his own nest at the expense of the outfit he worked for was not fit for a high business job or a high Government job.
When committee members began to press him to sell his stock (39,470 shares, less than 1/20 of 11% of the General Motors' total), his reaction was: "Well, I do not know just why you men should do that . . . because more & more the corporations of our country are being owned by the people, thousands and hundreds of thousands of stockholders, the folks of the country. I do not know just what a man can do. I do not particularly want to go into the apple business, for instance." Cracked Virginia's Senator Harry Byrd, the nation's biggest apple grower: "I advise you not to."
"What Is a Man Going to Do?" After Wilson decided to sell, and went back to tell the committee of his decision, the members were still not satisfied. Democratic Floor Leader Lyndon Johnson wanted to know why Wilson was not going to sell his other stocks, including those in a bank and a small oil company. Asked Wilson: "What is a man going to do ... do I have to invest it in Canada or Mexico or some place else? That isn't right, to put an American in that kind of spot."
Then Georgia's Democratic Senator Richard Russell wanted to know what Wilson proposed to do about the 1,737 shares of G.M. stock he is to receive in the next four years under an extended bonus system. Wilson said he would sell the stock as soon as he got title to it. Russell pursued the point, argued that Wilson should somehow dispose of the future interest because the stock's value would be affected by G.M.'s profits from Government contracts.
Said Wilson: "...I really feel you are giving me quite a pushing around. If I had come here to cheat, by God, I wouldn't be here."
Russell: "I am sorry you feel that way, Mr. Wilson. I am not trying to push you around, but I have my responsibilities too."
Wilson: "I understand that. But I am just human, and my God, I am making a great sacrifice to come down here."
Finally, Wilson agreed to get rid of his interest in the bonus stock through a cash settlement with G.M. Before the committee members were through, he told them that he was beginning to think they "would be doing me a great favor" if they rejected him. The committee quickly decided against doing him the favor, voted unanimously for confirmation.