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"Small Potatoes." It was to defend himself and his company against the charges of profiteering that George Humphrey last week appeared before Symington's subcommittee. Bland and imperturbable, he was just the sort of witness to enrage emotional Stuart Symington. With a confident smile, Humphrey dismissed the charges of exorbitant profits as "bunk" and "baloney." Right to their faces, Humphrey told South Carolina's Senator Strom Thurmond that he was "confused" and California's Clair Engle that he was "mixed up." To a big company like Hanna (total assets: $450 million), he said, the smelter deal was "small potatoes"; for that matter, the nickel contracts were the "tag end of our business." He had, he said, been too busy with more important Hanna interests to pay much attention to the nickel contracts while they were being negotiated. Actually, he argued, the nickel deal was very simple, and he could not understand why it was unclear to the Senators. "You can put the whole thing down on the back of an envelope," said Humphrey—Throughout the first day of Humphrey's appearance, Symington held on to his temper. But offstage, Humphrey told a Christian Science Monitor reporter that "they don't dare attack Ike direct so they are attacking me. This is a stab in the back." Now if there is any way to infuriate a politician, it is to accuse him of playing politics—and when he heard of Humphrey's remark, Symington blew up. "You Don't Dare!" When the subcommittee met next morning, Chairman Symington was still flushed with anger.
He read off a prepared statement denouncing the nickel contracts and Humphrey's testimony about them. He quoted Humphrey's crack to the Monitor reporter.
"Our reply to that," said Symington, "is we do not intend to let Mr. Humphrey hide behind former President Eisenhower.
The American people will decide who stabbed whom in the back. In any case the chairman of this subcommittee does not intend to have any witness, regardless of his previous position, impugn the motives of the Senate by such a remark.
This hearing is adjourned subject to the call of the chair." At that, the roof went off. Two Republican subcommittee members, Connecticut's Prescott Bush and Maryland's J.
Glenn Beall, protested Symington's statement and got into a heated row with him.
Bush demanded a subcommittee vote on adjournment; Symington insisted firmly that he had a right to adjourn the subcommittee on his own. George Humphrey tried to get in a word: "Mr. Chairman . . ." Symington's reply dripped with sarcasm : " 'Senator' Humphrey would like to say something." Humphrey: Before you adjourn this, and I am very complimented at being called Senator Humphrey, but that is not the fact . . .
Symington (breaking in): Didn't you say—as long as you want to testify—did you say what the paper says you said? Humphrey (bluntly): Yes, I did.
Symington: You made a bitter and in my opinion a direct impugning of the motives of the U.S. Senate and this subcommittee, and therefore I do not intend to hear any testimony from you this morning.