The report of the Hoffa case in The Hconomist of March 7 is sharply attacked in a letter in the current issue from Matt Gelerner of Los angeles, Califonia, a rank-and-file member of the International Brother— hood of Teamsters. Of the paper's description of the 'collapse of his (Hoffa's) normal ebullient self-assurance!, Gelerner says: "Rest assured that he is still of his old fighting spirit...If he disdains the title of ! labour stafesmant , it is because he wants to remain a fighting labour leader leaving 8thors the 'honourt of !labour statesman,!
On the trial itself, Glerner remarks: "...the reporters you mention were using Justico Department handouts and at no time did they convey the defendent's side. For instance, the informer witness you quote was under indictment in Louisiana on 26 counts. He had beon charged in the past with perjury.eeit the same time, Hoffa's rooms were bugged by agents so that attorneys could not properly defend their client and agents with cameras and sound pickups had 732 'surveillance! photographs, Fair trial indeed$" As a final shot he addss "Tho bost source...on this subject is the rank-and-file mombership,."