COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION HEARINGS Y.S. Congress. House. BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEVENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ACTING UNDER H. Res. 21 A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO PART 2 Printed for the use of the Select Committee to Investigate the EDWARD F. HART, New Jersey RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, Massachusetts WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington LOUIS E. MILLER, Missouri EUGENE L GAREY, General Counsel H STUDY AND INVESTIGATION OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1943 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, Washington, D. C. The select committee met at 10 a. m. in the committee room of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, New House Office Building, Hon. Clarence F. Lea (chairman) presiding. Present: Representatives Clarence F. Lea (chairman), Edward J. Hart, Richard B. Wigglesworth, and Louis E. Miller. Also present: Eugene L. Garey, general counsel to the select com mittee. The CHAIRMAN. The meeting will come to order. Our witness this morning is Mr. Craven. I believe the witness has been sworn heretofore; has he not? Mr. GAREY. Yes, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I had intended resuming with Commissioner Craven where he left off when he last appeared before this committee. In view, however, of the fact that the commissioner may be called before the Senate committee at any time, and desiring to conclude his testimony on R. I. D. when we do resume that subject with him, I have selected for consideration by the committee today a shorter subject, and in view of the fact that the testimony may be somewhat tedious, and to enable the committee to follow the testimony and the evidence that will be adduced, it may be appropriate to direct to the committee's attention the subject or subjects that will be embraced in the testimony which I am about to present. At the inception of these hearings I advised the committee that certain widespread accusations had been leveled against the Commission and brought to the attention of the committee for its investigation. Among those accusations which I enumerated, under No. (8) is this: That in its quest for power it (meaning, of course, the Commission) has incurred the antagonism and distrust of other Government departments and agencies. And in paragraph (9) I state: That it (again meaning the Commission) has sought to dominate and control the entire communications field, private and governmental, without lawful authority and contrary to the express intent of the Congress. On June 25, 1943, I wrote identical letters, in substance, to the Secretary of War and to the Secretary of the Navy, and in those letters I 1771 |