Evening star., 1934-03-13
HOUSE AIR PROBE
CALLS WEST0VER
Committee Questions As.
sistant Chief on "Enter-
ing Wedge" Note.

ing Wedge" Note.
By the Associated Press.
The Rogers committee investigat-
ing War Department expenditures
today questioned Brig. Gen. Oscar
Westover, assistant chief OF the Army
Air Corps, about q letter in which he
said Burdette Wright, representative
of an aviation company. apparently
had gotten an "ente ing wedge" which
promised to "complicate" the purchase
of airplanes with a s7,5oo,ooo P. w.
A. ALLEGATION.
Recounts Corps Efforts.
Westover recounted the Air Corps
efforts to obtain public works funds,
and said that before the $7,500,000
/, ALLEGATION was made the Air Corps in
tended to buy the airplanes on "nego-
tiated" contrasts.
WAS that in accord with the usual
practice?" asked Rogers.
1T was In accord with the practice
In existence since about 1927 or
1928"
The committee contends that most
contracts should have been let after
competitive bid rather than through
negotiation.
Representative James Republican of
Michigan, reminded that the Judge ad-
vocate general of the Army had held
the negotiation" method illegal, but
that contracts had been let despite
| those rulings.
You schemed to find some way
around that" James asserted.
J NO" Westover answered
He explained that although there
had been such decisions by the judge
| advocate general. he had not seen
any that had been approved"
James developed that notwithstand-
ing the illegality rulings by the Judge
advocate general, the War Depart
ment had bought many planes in
| large quantities under a section of the
law permitting the purchase OF "ex-
perimental' airplanes without COM
petitive bids.
Qui1zed About Statement.
Westover was questioned about a
statement distributed to Air Corps
officers for signatures. certifying they
had not been responsible for q news
paper story "critici1ng" the general
staff and higher officers for airplane
| procurement procedure
The general said the statement was
passed around on the order Of Mai.
| Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois, chief of
the Air Corps.
Representative James. Republican,
OF Michigan, said Foulois in previous
| testimony before the committee had
denied knowledge of any such state
ment, but Westover insisted he was
| personally positive that the order
(to have the document signed by off,
| cers was given by the chief of the Air
Corps"
Returning to Westover's letter writ
ten to Brig Gen. H. c. Pratt at Wright
Field. Dayton, Ohio. mentioning Bur-
dette Wright. Rogers asked why that
was included in the letter
My idea was to explain probably
| further delay in the procurement Of
aircraft" Westover said.
you meant that he wright had
driven the entering wedge that would
cause delay?" Rogers pursued.
Yes. sir
You felt that Burdette Wright had
driven the entering wedge that would
complicate all future airplane pro-
curement programs?"
That's right"
Information Leaked Out.
Westover said his idea was that other
! airplane companies would do as Cur
tiss-Wright had and that there pos
Sibly would be change from ne
gotiated" to competitive" contracts,
necessitating further delay
As q result of a decision to dis
tribute the s7,500,000 widely. West
over testified, information leaked out
and it wasn't long before representa-
tives Of airplane companies began to
make inquiries" to see if their firms
were to get negotiated contracts.
Early in December" the general
continued. "a representative of the
Curtiss Wright Airplane Co. Bur
dette Wrigh) came to the Office of
the chief of the Air Corps inquiring
about his company getting business.
Although he was given no informa-
ton regarding the program at that
time. he wanted to know where he
could get the information, and he
was told possibly from the higher
ups.
He wanted to know whether there
would be any objection to his going
there and was assured that that was
his prerogative
| "A day or two later a letter by Mr..
Wright to the Assistant Secretary of
War was brought to my attention and
I was directed to furnish any state
ments of fact with reference to the
contentious made by Mr. Wright
Il furnished the reply called for
by the Assistant Secretary's ofiice.
"A day or two later instructions
were transmitted to our office that
there would be on further negotia-
tions for the purchase of aircraft
without further specific approval by
the office of the Assistant Secretary
Of War"
Subsequently, Westover asserted, the
negotiations stopped and competitive
bids were called for.