Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 May 1941 — Page 2
3 d —— SH
x = All ‘Reports of Fenagling for Army Contracts Must Be Investigated; Businessmen and Chambers of "Commerce Seeking Benefits Add to Confusion.
By JOHN W. LOVE ~ Times Special Writer ‘WASHINGTON, May 21.—Suspicions of sleazy practices in getting construction contracts are not merely annoy-ing-to officers of the War Department. They damage the department, according to Wnder Secretary of War Robert
CE
1
P. Patterson.
‘Reports of trafficking in contracts, true or untrue, can’t
help being unwholesome to ther War Department, Mr.
Patterson says, and for that
reason any evidence of such affairs must always be investigated at once. Stories of fenagling are always circulating in Washington, and particularly when vast amounts in contracts are beihg distributed. us..picions are naturally.. heightened by. such recent incidents as that involving R. C. Marshall Jr., who was briga- . dier general in = charge of Army construction during the World War but left .the service in 1920. He destroyed his records. before the Senate Committee Investigating the Defense Program could ask him for his agreement with the contractor who built the cantonment at Fort Meade, Md. :
: Confidence Wanes
. Nor has the confidence of the department been improved any by reports that Senator pper intervened to wangle an asphalt contract at Eglin Field, Fla., In behalf of the Pan-American Oil Co. ‘The War Department - regrets it does not discover misrepresentations before others do. Mr. Patterson admits he knows of no way of correcting them other than by investigating every report, enforcing the penalties and keep reminding bidders on Government work that it is dangerous to accept the services of people who undertake to “use influence” to get contracts, and that it is illegal to obtain contracts in that manner. The contracts can be cancelled, or the commissions paid deducted, or prosecutions started in flagrant cases.
"More Seek Army Work
Suspicions of this sort cluster around the construction work of the Army far more than the ordnance contracts, according to Mr. Patter-
. Mr. Patterson
| son, because construction has been
a buyers’ market, whereas the manufacture of armament is a sellers’
market.
“The soliciting of contractors who are eager for Army work, it is said, has amounted almost to exploitation of capital, the reverse of the exploitation of which labor has sometimes
~ ¢omplained. Lobbyists and others
have pestered contractors and apparently .even collected fees from the mfor trivial services. «Such: people have profited from
‘the congestion -in Washington, the
unfamiliarity of too many businessmen with the ways of the departments. * ’ Business Men Blamed
These business men come to Washington, mix in the vast throngs. around the departments, see the wrong people, .and sometimes get pushed around, or think they are. They are asked to fill out long forms, and while they are doing it they think there must be some more direct way. Some of them have been used. to dealing with municipalities where things have not always been ‘on the up and up and they may either fall into the hands of persons who represent themselves as
having an “in”, or they go to their
Congressmen. The restlt, for the Congressman,
L is. equally sad. He has the con-
tractor on his hands. Often he can|.
satisfy the visitor with an introduction, but it is said in one office that Congressmen have “degenerated into 2rrand boys” for business men. from their districts. Some congressmen are run wild not only by these business men who ars strangers to Government ways, but by Chambers of Commerce who are seeking ordnance plants - for ‘their localities.
HAIL RELIEF CUT AS ‘600 START"
Urge F. D. R. to Extend Non-Defense Economy. (Another Story, Page 13)
WASHINGTON, May 21 (U. P.). —Democratic - members of the House Ways ‘and Means Committee today hailed President Roosevelt’s proposed cut of $109,000,000 for relief as a “good start,” but called on him to extend economy to other non-defense expenditures. The Committee is considering a proposed $3,600,000,000 tax program and urged that the White House take the initiative in paring down expenses not essential to defense. The House Deficiency Appropriations Subcommittee starts hearings on the 1942 relief appropriation today. Mr. Roosevelt, in a message to Congress yesterday, proposed revisions in his earlier estimates and reduced the $995,000,000 requested in January to $886,000,000.
Doughton Calls It Start
Chairman Robert L. Doughton, (D., N. C.) of the Ways and Means Committee, said “That's a start. I hope it keeps up.” However, the suggested ' economy “of itself wouldn’t have any great weight on a $3,600,000,000 tax bill,” he said, but might “have a’ good psychological effect.” Rep. John M. Taber, (R.,, N. Y.), criticized Mr. Roosevelt for not recommending a larger cut in relief expenditures, and said he personally would fight for reduction of that appropriation to $86,000,000. “Mr. Roosevelt,” Rep. Taber said, “didn’t take into consideration that there is employment available for a lot of these people.”
Republicans Ask Deeper .Cuts
Calling WPA a “loafing agency,” Mr. Taber said the President’s suggestion was “just a part of his antidefense program to fool away a lot of money.” : Republican members of the tax committee said the President ought to have whacked relief deeper. Rep. Thomas Jenkins (R. O.), said Mr. Roosevelt's plan was “no encouragement.” Senator Robert A. Taft (R. 0) said the reduction was “a step in the right direction,” but that if relief were given back to the states for administration, $500,000,000
‘would probably be sufficient.”
ARMY IS CONFUSED BY IDENTICAL TWINS
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (U. P.). —Numbered: army identification tags will serve in good stead two Twin Fall, Ida., trainees. Enlisting officers blinked and looked again when Russell and Rex Orcutt, 21-year-old identical twins, presented themselves for physical examinations.
BUTLER CLUB MEETS
The Butler Alumni Club of Indianapolis will hear Evan B. Walker, Indianapolis Railways, Inc. publicity director, discuss “Business Males Friends” at 6 p. m. today at Canary Cottage. New officers will be elected, Tom Scanlon, president, announced. Prof. George A. Schu-
nounce plans for the Alumni activi-
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MOBILE ARMY MOVES ON CITY
Two Columns of Nearly 10,000 Men Due Tomorrow and Friday.
Two columns of motorizer troops and artillery were marching on Indianapoljs—today from the North. The two columns, with a combined strength of nearly 10,000 men in more than 1500 vehicles, are two combat teams of the Fifth (triangular) Division, which are shuttlemarching 600 miles from base camp at Ft. Custer, Mich., to Camp Forrect, Tennessee, for the Second Army maneuvers in June. The first combat team (the 10th) composed of 5253 officers: and men in 700 vehicles, were en route via U. 8. 31 for Peru today and are scheduled to move into Ft. Harrison here tomorrow afternoon for an overnight bivouac.
Plane To Clear Way
The second column will follow and converge on the local Army
post Friday night. At the same time
a third coritingent’' (East column) is moving down Ind. 27 in the eastern part of the state headed for Tennessee. : The combat teams, which are hard-hitting mobile units composed of motorized infantry, artillery batteries, engineers and medical troops in’ trucks, “jeeps,” or scout cars:and motorcycles will be convoyed down the state roads and through cities and towns the Indiana State Police. State Police in cruisers and motorcycles will lead the columns through the congested districts, blocking off side roads, while the motor convoy passes.
Col. Gunner in Charge
The march will be by shuttle movement, part of the troops riding and part walking in turn. Trucks will pick up infantry, rush | them ahead, unload them, and return for more troops. : In this way the first combat team of the West movement covered 48 miles yesterday, and is scheduled to cover 84 today hefore reaching Peru, and from Peru to Indianapolis by tomorrow night. The lead combat team headed for Indianapolis is under command of Col. Matthew J. Gunner. The route of the columns through Indianapolis is expected to be either down Meridian St. or Northwestern Ave., then across 38th St. to Ft. Harrison. .
Streets to Be Closed
Bus and automobile trafic on some North Side streets will be blocked off tomorrow by police order, : The Fifth Division, under command of Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Cummins, which -formerly had its headquarters at Ft. Harrison, is a part of the Seventh tactical Army Corps,
(a part of the Second Army.
The Fifth Division is one of the nine original regular Army divisions now converted into triangular divisions (14,615 men). The 11th In-
{{fantry, which based at Ft. Harrison
here for many years, is a par: of the Fifth Division, but many troops of the regiment are now garrisoned at Atlantic ‘Naval Bases leased from Britain.
2 NEW WAREHOUSES ORDERED IN STATE
WASHINGTON, May 21 (U. P.).
|—The War Department yesterday
awarded the Pearson Construction
|Co.,» Benton Harbor, Mich., a $708,-
400 contract for construction of two warehouses at the Jeffersonville,
}|Ind., ‘quartermaster depot.
The Defense Plant Corp. authorized a $1,079,005 loan the Bendix Aviation Corp., South Bend, Ind. to ‘construct a plant at Bendix, N. J, to manufacture magnesium castings.
BABY RUN OVER BY TRAIN IS SCRATCHED
ROCHESTER, Ind, May 21 (U. P.)—Beverly Ann Wyman, 16-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Wyman, was run over by a
{train but her ‘only injury was a cut
‘over one eye. { She was struck hy a Nickel Plate switch engine yesterday after wandering from .her home. She was found by a section foreman lying between the rails after several cars passed over her.
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LADY ASTORHITS “TIMOROUS MEN’
Morri€on_ for ‘Dodderering,” Asks Jobs
‘WASHINGTON, May 21 (U. P). —A hore defense program for women, “vho have been swamping officials’ here with demands for a chance to “do their bit,” will be the:
first order of business of the new office of Civilian Defense, an in-
LONDON, May 21 (U. P)— American-born Lady Nancy Astor today coupled an attack in Commons on Herbers Morrison, Minister of Home Security, with criticism of “some doddering old politicians of all parties” in high Government ts. { PoeWhy doesn’t the Government make use of the best people, whether they are men or women?” she asked. aa “I have come to the conclusion men are timorous animals. They write minutes and think the job is ‘done. They always are passing the huck to someone else. Women are not like that. When we see something wrong we go to it and put it right. 7% : “There are plénty of able women all over the country while we have some doddering old politicians of all parties in jobs.” : She criticized Morrison for his lateness in presenting a bill to unify the 1400 fire brigades in England and Wales under a London chief of staff. is 3 :
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formed cificial said today.
the official said, with a vefitable flood of de ‘This official, who waa active in formulating plans for. the new agency, said “some defipite action” would be taken within a few weeks to satisfy them. =
New York City was expected here tomorrov to be sworn in as director of the new agency which will undertake an unprecedented peacetime mobilization of all sectors of the non-military population for the protectica and maintenance of civil-
———
Women: established their priority,
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Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia of
lew Office of Civilian Defense fc Program Enabling Women to Do Their Bit
ian activities during the emergency. He will discuss his new assignment in a radio broadcast tonight. Mr. LaGuardia, officials said, is prepared to “go to town” on new job as soon-as the Board for Civilian Protection and the Volunteer participation committee, two key units of the OCD, are appointed. : The board, to be composed of representatives of the War, Navy and Justice Departments, the Federal Security Agency, the Council of State Governments, the American Murjicipal Association and the U. 8S. Conference of Mayors, will assist Mr. La Guardia on plans for protecting life and property in the everit of an emergency. The Volunteer Participation Committee will be composed of 20 members representing various regions
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