811.113 Senate Investigation/245
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (Pittman) to the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray)
My Dear Mr. Murray: You have called to my attention, through my secretary, Mr. Lamb, that there has been a conference at which you have been present relative to Article IV of the Nye report of April 1, 1935, to the Senate, entitled “Munitions Investigation.”
I do not believe that the Nye Committee has any authority to investigate or report upon the subject referred to in Article IV.
You no doubt have a copy of the resolution23 creating the Nye Committee. I should think it would be the duty of the State Department, in the event that that Committee should call upon the State Department for any information or evidence touching the matters in Article IV, to respectfully decline to furnish such information or evidence upon the grounds that the resolution creating a special committee of the Senate does not grant such committee authority to make such investigations or report thereon, but that, on the contrary, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, a standing committee, has been granted such jurisdiction and authority, on proper reference from the Senate, to make such investigations and to report thereon.
So far, no report referred to in Article IV has been submitted to the Senate. If one is submitted, it is my purpose to move that the report be referred back to the committee on the ground that it has no jurisdiction to make such a report.
There are two resolutions referred to the Foreign Relations Committee, introduced jointly by Senators Nye and Clark. These resolutions have been forwarded to the State Department for its advice and recommendations. There is nothing improper in the introduction or reference of these resolutions.
Sincerely,
- Dated April 12, 1934, Congressional Record, vol. 78, pt. 6, p. 6485.↩