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Show THE THREE-RING CIRCUS 227 However, the unofficially prepared report was never printed for distribution to members of Congress, parts of it disappeared from the committee files, and Mur- dock's attempt to make a spurious record favorable to the project was a complete failure. Tempers grew shorter, and the atmosphere of the committee room was charged with ill feeling and resent- ment. On August 31, 1950, when the committee as- sembled, Murdock proposed that the meeting be held behind closed doors. Engle wanted an open session, but other members feared that if newspapermen were admitted the stories might cast them in an unfavorable light. The doors remained closed as the result of an eleven to eight vote. Chairman Peterson made an effort to call two Ari- zona witnesses who had waited for months to appear before the committee. Most of the committee members were in no mood to hear any more witnesses from either side. Engle made the point of order that S. 75 was not properly before the full committee.328 The fight was on again. For an hour it raged, but Peterson finally overruled Engle. Then Poulson asked a question which blew the lid off, once more. Knowing very well what the answer would be, he inquired with an innocent expression if a report had been made by the subcommittee to the full committee on the project.329 The fighting resumed, and it was with great difficulty that Peterson was able to restore order. It was his understanding, said Peterson, that the bill had gone to the full committee "without a recommendation." Thus, once more Murdock's machinations were an object of the committee's attention. |
