committee will come
to order.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I must insist
That we maintain quiet
during these proceedings.
All right, Mr. Hughes,
will you stand to be sworn?
Do you solemnly swear
That in the matter now pending
before this committee,
You will tell the truth,
the whole truth,
And nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
I do.
Pardon me for speaking loudly,
But I understand you have
some difficulty hearing.
Howard:
No, that's...
That's quite all right.
I mean, everybody knows
I'm deaf.
I'm not gonna
try to hide it, ahem.
[crowd laughs]
Mr. Hughes, it is the intention
of this committee--
Mr. Hughes
has a statement.
All right. All right.
You may-- you may proceed
With this, uh, statement,
Mr. Hughes.
Mr. Hughes,
do you have a statement?
Ahem, I'm gonna...
I'm gonna attempt
to be, uh, honest here.
I mean, my reputation's
being destroyed,
So I might as well
lay the cards on the table.
Senator Brewster,
If you hadn't have gone
too far overboard,
If you hadn't have put
the red-hot iron in my side,
I might've been willing
to take a shellacking
In this publicity spree
of yours.
I might have been willing
To sit back and take
a certain amount of abuse,
Simply because, well...
[chuckles]
Well, I am
only a private citizen.
Whereas you are a senator
with all sorts of powers.
But I think this goddamn circus
has gone on long enough!
[gavel cracks]
That's quite sufficient,
Mr. Hughes.
You have called me a liar,
sir, in the press.
You have called me a liar
and a thief and a war profiteer.
The witness will restrain his--
Why not tell the truth,
for once, senator?
Why not tell the truth
That this investigation
was really born
On the day that TWA
first decided to fly to Europe,
On the day that TWA first
invaded Juan Trippe's territory?
Sit down, Mr. Hughes.
On the day that TWA
first challenged
The generally accepted theory
That only Juan Trippe’s
great pan American airways
Had the sacred right
to fly the Atlantic?
You are not here
to make a speech.
[gavel cracking]
I asked for silence!
I asked for quiet
in this room...
Brewster:
We have in our possession
receipts in the amount
Of $170,000,
Acquired from Mr. John Meyer.
Mr. Meyer works for you,
does he not?
He does.
And what is his official title?
I-- ahem.
I don't exactly know,
senator.
A lot of people
work for me.
Can you explain
why your press agent
Would pay out
more than $170,000
To representatives of
the United States Air Force?
Well,
I don't know.
I suppose you'd have to
ask him, senator.
Well, would you produce him?
Produce him?
Will you cause him to appear?
Well, senator,
You had John Meyer
on the stand
For three days last week.
Well, be that as it may,
We would like him
to reappear here.
Would you ask him to--?
To return?
Uh...
No, I don't think
I will.
[crowd laughing]
Will you try to have him return?
Well...
No, I don't think
I'll try.
You don't think you'll try?
Well...
No.
I don't think so.
[crowd laughs]
One hundred and
seventy thousand dollars
Paid out to the air force
In the form of hotel suites,
TWA stock...
Female companionship.
Now, is it possible that...
These could be considered
bribes?
I suppose you could
call them that, yes.
Would you repeat that?
[sighs]
I said, I suppose you could
consider them bribes.
Yes.
Well, would you like to
explain that, Mr. Hughes?
Well, I'm afraid
you don't know
How the aviation business
works, senator.
See, wining and dining
air force dignitaries
Is common
in our business.
It's because we all want
the big contracts.
All the major aircraft
companies do it.
Now, I don't know whether
it's a good system or not,
I just know
it is not illegal.
You, senator,
You are the lawmaker.
If you pass a law
That states no one can
entertain air force officers,
Well, hell, I'd be happy
to abide by it.
[crowd laughs]
Senator Brewster,
your story is a pack of lies,