COMMITTEE HOLDS ONASSIS TO SLATE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600090018-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 17, 1999
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: June 18, 1958
• Content Type: NSPR

BALTIMORE SUN JUN 1 8 1958
Approved For Release 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP75-0014
unn ttee;Holds ce and the Maritime Admin-
ietratinn
CPYRGHT
After Mr. Onassis announced
formally that he could not build
the new ships because of the
recent oil import restrictions,
the Justice Department entered
Washington, Jun17 e Nil
,ass is To' Slag
y HELEN DELICH.
[Maritime Editor of The Sun]
Huse Merchant Marine and
Fisheries Committee this after-
Lean-flag tanker cancellations.
When the Greek s 1ippirig
magnate rose in, the audience
while the House committee wat
questionipg Clarence G. Morse,
maritime' administrator? :about
the co1$t is Mr. Onassis was
told to . t gown and let the
commie run Its own show.
His turn to testify will come
Thursday, according to Repre-
;sentative $onner (D., N.C.),
committee chairman.
Morse Questioned 4 Hours
The Argentine citizen, who is
reputed to be worth hundreds of
millions of dollars in ship ton-
nage-although, much of it is
tied up without earnings In the
present low,oharter market-
drew attention away from Mr.
Morse, who had undergone four
hours of griping by the mem-
be'rs of the House subcommittee.
Mr. Bonner apparently was a
bit miffed that someone should
interru t his committee opera-
Ition. He told Mr. Onassis to sit
(down, hit the stand with his
gavel and broke an ash tray. The
audience roared.
the? w ' r' of his
The House committee became;
interested in the settlement of:
the case last year at the instiga-j
tion of Representative Zelenko;
(D., N.Y.), who today. crossed
words with Mr. Morse a nuiuber
of times.
Zelenko Denied Rumor
Mr. Zelenko's interest in the
Onassis situation has been said
to be more than just that of an
ordinary congressman, but he
denied last year a charge that
his law firm represented another
major shipowner.
- Mr. Morse, who is reputed to
have an even temper and to keep
an open door to anyone-who
wishes to discuss maritime ac-
tivitle? with him, became an-
gered when Mr. Zelenko asked
him repeatedly why he entered
Into discussions with Mr. Onas-
sis on the ships -mentioned since
they were supposed to be built
under an irrevocable trust fund
set up for the Onassis children.;
Mr. Morse replied that Mr.Onassis was a stockholder of all
corporation holding part of the
Interest in these ships as well',
as being father of the children
involved. -
But that explanation was not,
sufficient for Mr. Zelenko, who
repeatedly attempted to read
something else into the situa-1
tion.
The witness explained that'.
when he knew the ships prob-i
ably would be canceled under;
today's market conditions, he! did try to work out a deal to get'
two other tankers Mr. Onassis
was building in this country for
foreign registry transferred to
American flag.
Tosca'." I -_ BOth operas are trakedies
'concerning the deaths of beau-;
tiful women, the former by to-'
berculosis and the latter by
suicide. How they are linked to
this cahceling of 198,500 tons
of new ship construction re-
mained a mystery tonight.
The 198,500 tons-one 106,-
500 tanker and two 46,000-ton-
,ners-was to have been built
under American flag as part of
an agreement made in connec-
tion with a settlement for the
illegal purchase of surplus
ships at the end of World
War II.
The settlement was made;
with the Department of Jus-'
From Traviata To Tosca
After today's session ended,
reporters' asked Mr. Onassis
what he had been going to say,
the short, thick-haired man
smiled and spoke from the musi-
carworid: -
"Today,you-have been hearing
'La Travita', but when I am
on the stand you will hear 'La
CPYRGHT
Approved For Release 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP75-00149R000600090018-1