Show Report Called ailed Back BackBy BackBy By Democrats WASHINGTON May 14 INS Democratic members of the old senate war investigating committee commit commit- tee Friday canceled a dissenting minority report on the thc Howard Hughes aircraft investigation and announced substantial changes will vIll be made in the published findings Sen Pepper D. D Fla said ald the original report had been prematurely prematurely prematurely prema prema- released be before ore being approved approved ap ap- ap- ap proved by Sen D. D Md one of the thc four tour dissenting Demo Demo- crate toned down Pepper said a new report upon which all four have agreed will vill be filed Monday The prematurely released report attacked the conduct of the in investigation investigation investigation in- in gave a clean bill of health to Hughes millionaire west coast plane builder held that his war contracts were awarded without without without with with- out political pressure and recommended recommended recommended rec rec- rec- rec a probe of air force procurement personnel and tices The report was signed by Senatore Senators Senators Sena Sena- tors tore McGrath D. D R. R I. I Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic national chairman Hatch D. D N. N M. M and Pepper Charge Power Misuse The Democrats had charged that the he investigating committee headed headed headed head head- ed by Sen Brewster R. R Maine repeatedly exceeded its power and said the handling of the Hughes case whether deservedly or not caused public censure and even public suspicion of ot the motives motives motives mo mo- mo- mo tives behind the investigation What's more the minority said there is absolutely nothing in the evidence which discloses any fraud corruption or wrongdoing on the part of Howard Hughes or his associates All AH the evidence is di directly directly directly di- di to the contrary The committee conducted a lengthy investigation last year into Hughes' Hughes wartime contracts with the government for photo reconnaissance planes and a huge wooden flying boat Those hearings led to a more sensational investigation of the wartime financial dealings of Maj I Gen Sen Bennett E. E Meyers former No 2 air force procurement officer officer Meyers was later tried and convicted convicted con con- on charges of persuading a business associate to He lie to the committee about his side line ac ac- ac- ac He is now erving serving a a a. a 20 months to y fi year five ar Jail sentence Blisters Hughes Hughe t The majority report issued ss ed last April 14 leveled blistering blistering- criticism I ism cism at both Hughes arid and Meyers Meers But the thir Democrats insisted d d' d that Meyers Meyers' activities were vie not nt related I to o th the Hughes cont contracts acts It would have been the better and fairer practice not to have discussed discussed discussed dis dis- dis- dis cussed these matters at all their canceled r report port added addeo unfortunate They said it was that the committee selected the Hughes contracts as the first to tobe tobe tobe be investigated among all of the governments government's wartime e contracts for aircraft Of the many billions of dol dollars ars spent by the government for airplanes airplanes air air- planes in the war the Hughes and Kaiser Hughes-Kaiser contracts amounted amount amount- ed to approximately or only a fraction of 1 per cent they reported |