Evening Star Newspaper, January 29, 1942, Page 8

A—6 Walsh Proposes Curb On Naval Contracts Let Without Bids x Senator Says Limitation Would Cut Excess Profits; Plane Costs Questioned By the Associated Press. Limitation of the Navy’s au- thority to negotiate contracts without competitive bidding was proposed today by Chairman Walsh of the Senate Naval Af- fairs Committee as 2 step toward curbing excess profits. With colleagues questioning the cost of Army fighting planes, Sen- ator Walsh told reporters he hoped to amend a pending bill so that the Navy's negotlated contracts would yield no excessive profits. ‘That might be accomplished, he said, by providing for the writing of cost restrictions into plane and ship contracts, pending submission by the ‘Treasury of a definite plan to re- strict or recapture through taxation large profits obtained from arma- ment contracts. Senaters La Follette, Progressive, of Wisconsin, and Tydings, Demo- crat, of Maryland, said in the Senate | yesterday that Congress ought to | look more painstakingly into pro- | posed expenditures for war equip- | ment. The Senate. after 27 minutes of debate, unanimously approved and sent to the White House yesterday | a $12556,672474 Army appropria- | tions measure providing funds for 23,000 combat and 10,000 training planes. Meanwhile, a Senate subcommit- tee today took up a $19,977.965474 | naval appropriation bill which in- cludes funds for 27,000 fighting planes. RESCUED FROM CHINA SEA—Cecil Brown, Columbia Broad- casting System correspondent, cruiser Repulse when Japanese planes sank it off the Malay coast, is shown aboard a destroyer a half hour after he was rescued. The wad of waste in his right hand was used to wipe oil from his face. Secretary of Navy Knox testified for nearly two hours before the committee in a closed session. He later told newspapermen that when | the Navy completes its expansion program it expects to have super- ! dority all over the werld. | Knox Proud of Asiatic Fleet. | Asked to comment on the sinking | of many Japanese ships in the Paci- | fic during the last few days, the secretary said he is “very proud of | what the Asiatic fleet is doing.” ‘The secretary said no important | changes had been requested in the big supply bill as it passed the House | ‘Tuesday. The bill is being considered by the Naval Appropriations Subcom- | mittee, presided over by Senator Overton of Louisiana. Gen. Martin Given Command Of Air Forces in Northwest Officer Was Relieved Of Hawaiian Post After Pearl Harbor Maj. Gen. Frederick Martin, who | was relieved of command of the Hawaiian Air Force after the Pearl Harbor attack, was given a new as- | signment today in a list of severalt changes in the Army Air Forces. Gen. Martin was made commander |of -the 2nd Air Force with head- Before the Army planes bill passed | g,5rters at Fort George Wright, yesterday Senator Tydings said he believed the time had arrived for some reduction in the cost of in- dividual planes because the country rapidly was reaching a mass pro- | duction basis. La Follette Warns Senate. Senator Tydings declared that the average cost of planes and equip- ment under the bill would be $250,- 000 each and said it appeared that a “fixed figure” had been estab- lished which was not being reduced even though costs dropped. Complaining that the Senate was called on to approve the bill before the printed record of hearings be- fore the Appropriations Committee became available, Senator La Fol- lette said that Congress was in a | fair way toward losing its control| of the purse. “Congress has a share in the re- sponsibility for this matter and it cannot escape the ultimate account- ing that the people of this country will demand on the conduct of the war,” Senator La Follette said. Supporting the Appropriation Committee’s appeal for speedy action on the measure, Senator Mc- Kellar, Democrat, of Tennessee said | Lt. Gen, Henry H. Arnold, chief of | staff for air, had promised that every possible step would be taken to re-| duce the cost of planes. Gen. Arnold's testimony before the Senate subcommittee disclosed that the War Department was draft- | ing plans for a 24-hour day and a| seven-day week in the aircraft in- | dustry. Already, the general said, the de-| partment is nearing production of | 1,000 heavy bombers monthly, twice | the number previously planned. The bill enacted yesterday, he testified, | would maintain the present produc- tion pace of trainers until June, | 1943, of tactical planes through De- | cember 31, 1943, and of heavy bombers through June, 1944. Except | for heavy bombers the schedule does | not take into consideration the| planned industrial speedup, he; added. More Funds to Be Asked. | Funds for another huge increase | in the production of flying craft will be requested, he said, when the | Washington, which has responsibil- |ity for aerial defense of the vital | Northwest sector of the United | States. The Roberts Commission report charged Maj. Gen. Walter C. Short and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel with “dereliction of duty,” but did not name Gen. Martin, who was subordinate to Gen. Short, then commander of the Hawaiian De- ‘partanrent. Geni Martin succeeds Maj. Gen. | Millard F. Harmon at Fort Wright, | the latter having been assigned as | chief of the air staff, Army Air Forces, with headquarters here. Gen. has been acting temporarily in that capacity at Boll- ing Field since Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons was made commanding general of the Hawaiian Department after Pearl Harbor. Brig. Gen. Paul Spaatz, Chief of the Air Staff, who was nominated yesterday to be temporary major general, was assigned to duty as Chief of the Air Force Combat Command. This is one of the | | | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1942. who was on the British battle —A. P. Wirephoto. | | | | | | | MAJ. GEN. FREDERICK MARTIN. principal combat forces of the Na- L enemies he had made “in fighting | | feited his right to become a Sen-;ung" of farm lands to Gregory 3U. S. Writers Held Under $5,000 Bond As Jap Propagandisis Scribner's anmontntor Contributor, Two Publicity Men Indicted Here ‘Three American writers were held under $5,000 bond today as Japanese propagandists following indictments in District Court yesterday on charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Three Jap- anese also were indicted, but two | have left the country and the third is in a detention camp. ‘The Americans accused are Ralph Townsend of Lake Geneva, Wis, former newspaper editor and con- tributor to Scribner’s Comentator, and David Warren Ryder and Frederick Vincent Williams, San Francisco publicity men. Unable to post the required $5,000 bond, Mr. Townsend was jailed in Milwaukee, acoording to the Associated Press. His name previously has figured in the Nazi propagands investigation conducted by the Justice Depart- ment. The Japanese accused are Tsu- tomu Obana, former secretary of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco, now in a detention camp, and K. Takahashi and S. Takeuchi, both of whom left this country before the war. The former ‘was manager of NYK, the Japanese Steamship Line, in San Francisco, and the latter, manager of Mit- subishi Co., there. The indictment charges that the propagandist activities centered in the Japanese Committee on Trade and Information which was dis- banded in August, 1940, after three years existence. Ryder Posts Bond. Mr. Ryder appeared before the United States Commission®r in San Francisco late yesterday and posted $5000 bond, the Associated Press said. Hearing on a removal com- plaint was set for tomorrow.* Mr. Williams said he had expected the indictment, but blamed it on for peace in the Pacific; not war.” ‘Lunger (Continued From Flrst Page) had by conduct which was “a direct | and serious challenge to the or- derly function of government” for- ator, Two Trials Reviewed. A separate minority report was expected to be filed later. The majority report pictured Sen- | ator Langer as a man with “lack | | of veracity,” having throughout his | career “little use for law and order.” and one who had been the recipient of “briberies.” The report reviewed two trials of Senator Langer before Federal | District Judge A. Lee Wyman of | South Dakota on a charge of con- spiracy to obstruct the orderly op- eration of an act of Cengress and a perjury trial beforé the same | judge. Senator Langer was acquit- | ted of both charges. added that proof “that well-equip- ped American divisions can be soon got to these islands so easily and | yapidly will enable substantial sup- plies * * * now being e in the United States for our account to be sent direct on the other side three days of criticism and reply general debate, Mr. Churchill said: “I offer no apologies. I offer no excuse and make no promises. I avow my confidence was never stronger than at this moment that we shall bring this conflict to an end in a manner agreeable to the interests of our country and in a | manner agreeable to the future of Montgomery Red Cross Re-elects AH Officers Judge Charles M. Irelan was re- elected chajrman of the Mont- gomery County Chapter of the Red Cross at the annual meeting of the group yesterday at chapter head- quarters, 4700 Norwood place, Chevy Chase. Other officers named, all of whom | also were Tre-elected, were Mrs. | of his ouster from the governorship tion’s air defense. { The report emphasized testimony | Col. Edgar P. Sorensen, Assistant ' as to pavment of money by Senator | Chief of the Air Staff in charge of | Langer wo Gale Wyman, the judge's materiel and supply, has been re- |son, and the late Chet Leedom, | lieved of that duty and reassigned | close assbciate of the judge, for' | his government before the House " | Pritt who asserted that “luke- FREDERICK V. WILLIAMS. e —A. P. Wirephotos. services during the trial. The com- mittee termed this relationship | “reprehengible.” Issuance of & proclamation of martial law in 1934, on the eve by the Supreme Court, and his participation in a “declaration of independence of North . Dakotl"‘ also were discussed by the commit- tee, which expressed belief Senator Langer invoked martial law and prevented the service of civil proc- | esses “for his own immediate pro- | tection.” Didn't Deliver Stock. ‘The committee described as the culmination of “continuous quel-l tionable conduct” over a period of | years, a $56800 sale by Senator Brunk of Des Moines, who profited from bond transactions in North Dakota during Senator Langer's term as Governor and sale of Mexi- can Land Finance Co. stock te Thomas Sullivan of Chicago, an attorney for the Great Northern Railroad Co. in 1937 and 1938 when the railroad sought a reduction in | | tax assessments from a board | headed by Langer. | Senator Langer testified that the | stock was never actually delivered to Mr. Sullivan although payment ‘M $25,000 was made for it. Churchill (Continued Prom First Page) ish home army,” but also constitute an “important additional deterrent to invasion.” Mr. Churchill called invasion of as Director of Bombardment Avia- tion on the Air Staff. He is being succeeded by Col. Thomas J. Hanley, jr., who until January 4 was execu- tive officer of the 1st Air Force base command at Mitchel Field, N. V. Gen. Martin is a native of Wash- ington Grove, Md. | | and Grounds Committee at the | hearing. The committee room was | jammed to overflowing with Federal and District officials. Arrangements | were made to hold the afternoon session in the more spacious House caucus room. | Housing (Continued From First Page.) Before Mr. Reynolds concluded December 31, 1937. This number is | his testimony, Representative Ran- being reduced by decentralization. | dolph asked him if he had any ob- Present plans of decentralization | jection to the use of part of the provide for 11,000 or 12,000 of the Seldiers’ Home reservation for a ' 85,000. “It is possible to move additional people from Washington and it should certainly be done with dis- patch. But there is a limit to the number of people that can be moved. time to make way for Government| ‘“Therefore we are confronted with defense employes. | | the problem of providing housing for The public buildings commissioner | 60,000 workers, perhaps one-half of further told the committee the $50,- them with families. Of that 60,000 000,000 authorized to be appropriated | the defense housing co-ordinator in- | in each of the two defense housing dicated that for the 12 months start- | bills it has under consideration would ing July, 1942, and ending July, only provide housing facilities for 1943, private enterprise would pro- 12,000 to 15,000 Government work- | vVide 18500 dwelling units. The de- | ers. | | fense housing unit may construct | “Under those conditions,” he de-| 1,500 apartments and 1500 dormi- | clared, “$50,000,000 is about the ab- | tories. That will take care of 27,000 solute minimum. I venture the out of the 60,000, leaving a deficit of thought that within three months a 23,000 in this calendar year.” request will be made for an equal In planning housing facilities amount, and I doubt then whether | for 40,000 workers, Commissioner that would be enough.” Reynolds estimated half of them Representative McGregor, Demo- there must always be a nucleus of | an army of Government workers in | Washington, and in peacetime it | totals at least 100,000. For that rea- | son, he emphasized, it is not possible | to transfer more than 25,000 at this i | but without children, and the re- would be single, one-fourth married crat, of Ohio asked if he would recommend a greater amount at this time. “No,” came the reply. “There is a physical problem in spending $50,- 000,000.” plans are completed. Meanwhile, William Green, presi- | dent of the American Federation of | Labor, issued a statement declaring | that the recent report of the House | Naval Committee on deferife profits Girls' Dormitory Urged. constituted a “slur on the record of | 3 K. the American trade union move-| Mr. Reynolds said he “strongly ment.” | recommended that as soon as the The report January 19, signed by | $50.000.000 for emergency housing 14 members, blamed strikes as “the | becomes available that temporary greatest single cause of delay in the | structures be erected quickly. One mainder with larger families. He said he proposed to place 20,000 un- married persons in dormitories, the 10,000 childless couples in efficiency apartments, and the 10,000 larger | families in individual or twin houses. The houses, he declared, would not compete with those built by private enterprise and selling between $7,000 and $8,000. Moreover, he said, he would not recommend homes of a permanent character which might not be needed after the war. | temporary Federal office Building. “Not at all,” Mr. Reynolds replied He explained, that a recent act of | | Congress providing $25,000,000 for | | additional temporary office buildings | in Washington authorized use of the | Soldiers’ Home property if officials of the institution agreed. The offi- | cials, however, he declared, turned | him down “cold.” “And I was very much amazed” | he added. | Suggests Use of Country Clubs. Representative Wilson, Republi- can, of Indiana suggested that the Government take over Buildings not | essential to wartime activity, such as | country clubs, and that wives of | Federal employes be urged to take jobs to save housing overcrowding | by cutting down on the importation of war workers. Baird Snyder, acting administra- tor of the Federal Works Agency, told the committee there is no ques- near the District of Columbia.” This is so expressed because it will undoubtedly be necessary to go out- side the District to acquire sites for | the approximately 10,000 low-rent | dwelling units which would be pro- vided in the proposed $50,000,000 authorizason. Provisions of Mr. Lanham’s bill | include “permanent and temporary | housing, living quarters for sm;lef persons, schools, waterworks, sewers, | sewage, garbage and refuse disposal | facilities, public sanitation facilities, | works for the treatment and purifi- | cation of water, hospitals and other | places for the care of the sick, recre- ational facilities, streets, roads and other types of necessary public | works and equipment.” The District Commissioners are authorized to receive advance allot- ments from the administrator for the provision of needed pyblic works and equipment. With the funds | the Commissioners would employ engineering and other professional and technical services and admin- istrative personnel without regard to civil service requirements. The bill directs that housing | provided under it be sold, presum-; ably after the emergency, as expe- | ditiously as possible, “with consi eration of the full market value.”| It states specifically that none of the housing, unless authorized by Congress, “may be conveyed to any | | | debate in which further criticism | | of his government piled up, includ- | anxious menace.” | Ireland as a whole which she would | i | Granville Gude, vice chairman; Mrs. | Austin La Marr, secretary, and Mrs. C. G. Godbold, treasurer. the world. “I Rave finished. Let every man | act now in accordance with what he thinks is his duty in harmony | with his heart and conscience.” Premier Loudly Applauded. The landslide vote followed, sur- | passed only by the unanimous 381- | to-0 vote he was given when he| assumed office in May, 1940. | | Last May when the government | asked support for its decision to send troops on the ill-fated Greek | | campaign the vote was 447 to 3. The Prime Minister said the land-| When the vote was announced ing of the American troops in North- | there was a tremendous outburst of { ern Ireland—a part of the United | cheering, and Mr. Churchill arose, | Kingdom which shares a land fron- | smiling and left the House, fol- | tier with Eire—“cannot do Mr. De | lowed by other Ministers. The peo- | Valera any harm and it might do | ple in the public galleries, contrary | tim good; it offers a measure of pro- | to all House rules, also applauded. tection to Southern Ireland and| The motion of confidence was “that this House has confidence in his majesty’s government and will | aid it to the utmost in vigorous prosecution of the war.” When the speaker put the mo- tion, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger ! Brownlow Keyes, National Conserv- Replies to Critics. ative member, appealed for unani- Turning to criticism of setbacks| mous voice approval of the govern- the Southwest Pacific, Mr. ment, but the three members of | Churchill said that if Britain had | the Independent Labor party—the reduced her help to Russia she Smallest party in the House—called | would have been better prepared Out “No.” | in Burma and Malaya. | “But,” he added, “we did not make The thread-finned fish found in | of the world.” * In & 42-minute summation for An automatic lock mechanism in a bird's foot keeps it on the perch while asleep. voted Mr. Churchill also indicated appointment of a British counter- part to the United States’ chief of war production, Donald M. Nelson. | Fresh Criticism in Debate. Mr. Churchill's address followed Conservation of Paper Every citizen is called upon to see that not a pound of paper is wasted. Demand from every clerk that any unnecessary wrapping of packages or un- necessary use of paper bags be dispensed’ with. Waste paper for paperboard is vital to the packaging of a great quantity of war equip- ment. Do not burn newspapers, but, when you have saved enough for & bundle, give them to the school children who are co- operating in the defense pro- gram with the parent-teacher organization in The Star’s campaign for reclaiming old newspapers. ing that of Socialist Dennis Howell supporters of Fascism in the gov- ernment * * * are a very gerious and not otherwise enjoy.” ' Prime Minister Eamon de Valera has protested that the Americans| landed in Northern Ireland without | prior consultation of his govern- ment. Dry ays Under C I.S. TUROVER Lumber such a reduction and I believed that | the Amazon river leaps out of the the vast majority of opinion in the | water and lays its eggs on over- To You, New Residents of ' Washington and Its Vicinity Your Home Town Credit Is Good at House & Herrmann! Back home you had your favorite furniture store . . . one that most often met your personal requirements & . . one whose word and standards of merchandise quality you found entirely dependable . . . one you felt most friendly toward and found tion that the need for additional ’ public or private agency organized | housing facilities is “imperative” and | for slum clearance or to provide | ! that his agency would co-operate in | subsidized housing for persons of providing the accommodations when | low income.” necessary funds become available. | S a Chairman Lanham introduced the R . two housing bills yesterday vecause| O'Brien Is Confirmed | he wished both to receive considera-| The Senate confirmed yesterday | tion at the hearings. One was sug- } President Roosevelt’s nomination of gested by Defense Housing Co-ordi- | Robert H. O'Brien, a native of Butte, nator Charles F. Palmer, and the| Mont., as a member of the Securities | other was drafted by the chairman and Exchange Commission, succeed- | most friendly toward you. That store served you in ways, not the least of which was making it easier for you to purchase furniture and furnishings out of income. We would like you to feel that you can come to' us for the same friendly consideration. We will be glad to extend our credit facilities to you, on the strength of what your home-town folks thought of you. Our Three Convenient Ways to Pay and two of his committeemen, Rep- | ing Edward C. Eicher. Also con- defense = i |of the most urgent needs, he de-| il e resentatives Bell, Democrat, of |firmed was the reappointment of “tremendous financial gains” made |clared, is a dormitory near Union| Make It Easy to Buy at House & Herrmann’s 3,800 Acres Needed. by unions during the defense effort | Station for the accommodation of at “present an astounding picture of | least 200 girls. Such a place, he ex- concentration of wealth, hitherto | plained, would be a temporary haven usually associated only with indus- | for girl warworkers coming to Wash- try and finance.” | ington. Mr. Green said that the “com- Chairman Lanham inquired if the mittee’s conclusion that the Amer- | vast East Potomac Park area in the ican trade unions have sought to | vicinity of Hains Point could be used benefit from the defense program to | as a site for temporary homes. Mr. the detriment of the public interest | Reynolds said it could, but edded: is utterly without foundation or | substantiation. Anti-Labor Bias Charged. “The committee’s failure to ex- amine and report on organized labor’s contribution to defense and the cost of such contribution sus- tained by trade unions is conclusive proof of the committee's anti-labor bias.” The A. F. L. leader said that the “astonishing picture of concentra- tién of wealth” was based on find- ings of the committee that 117 labor organizations, whose membership totals 6,085,832 members, increased their assets by $10,679,294 during a year and one-half, extending from October 1, 1939 to March 31, 1941, Mr. Green said it was a matter of “simple arithmetic” that the figures represented an increase in assets of $1.75 a member for a period of 18 montks, or 9.7 cents a member a month. For the 3,276,566 members of the 81 A. F. L. unions alone, he continue, there was an increase in “There may be certain military reasons for not going there. Fur- thermore Hains Point is subject to floods.” Mr. Reynolds estimated it would cost $150,000,000 to provide homes and public works for 40,600 addi- tional war workers, at least $10.- 000,000 of which would have to be spent for public works not directly connected with the housing accom- modations. For instance, he men- tioned specifically: Seventeen new schools, five of which would be senior high schools, three hospitals and clinics, and ex- tensions to the water, sewer and fire alarm systems, additional gas and electric utilities, more police and fire stations and garbage disposal plants. Emergency Needs Cited. “Now we come to the question of how much is needed for the present emergency,” testified Mr. Reynolds. “It has been estimated that 85,000 additional workers must be provided assets of $2.28 a member for the 18- month period, or an increase of 12.6 eents & member & mr;h. for in or mear the District present calendar year. addition to the 102308 The commissioner advocated erec- tion of larger dormitories within walking distance. of the new War Department in nearby Arlington | County, Va., to relieve traffic con- | gestion on the bridges across the Potomac River. Mr. Reynolds estimated a total of | 3,800 acres of land would be needed to carry out the emergency program, | 2,700 of which would be for housing | and the balance for schools, hos- | pitals, police and fire stations and other structures. He admitted not all | of this land is available in the Dis- {:flf' An: lt:n sites would have to | ouny nearby Maryland and | Virginia. ey . A breakdown of Mr. Reynolds’ estimates of the cost of public works including utilities, leading up to but :,ot connected with new homes, fol- WS Streets, roads and highways, ”"I 230,000. ‘Water supply and distribution sys- | tems, $2577,000. | Sewage disnosal plants, $2,000,000. | - Street lighting, $62,000. 0000" and electric utilities, $1,100,- Pive public schools, $1,800,000. Police and fire stations, $124,000. Approach highways, $1,500,000. | \ | with regard to types of “defense | Missouri and Holmes, Republican, of Massachusetts. The latter is more specific in wording, especially public works” to be erected here. Embrace Nearby Area. | Under the bills new housing and | public works may be .supplied not | only in the District but in nearby | areas of Maryland and Virginia, as they employ the wording “in and | ANY WATCH Cleaned and Al Work Overhauled Guaranteed Watch Crystals, 45¢ WADE'S e JEWELERS 615 12th St. N.W. a leak in_the rosf. w's Dependable Roel Pal ts. 922 N. Y. Ave. NA. 8610 | Torelieve z27COLDS Committee, headed by Randolph, sat with the > Chairman Buildings | & rich supply George A. Cook as a member of the } National Railway Mediation Bon.rd:] STORE UP IRON Get Vitamin B for your Nerves| When the body craves these vital elements, | ill put eolor in your cheeks. | loed, benefit slands and | s WITHOUT ALCOHOL OR | enrich 'y other ors: HABIT-FORMING DRUGS. 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