The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-04

Ed@0n The cnalrman will always be from Missouri, and they'll have to show him--show him where the $40 billion went, and how much Of 1t went down the drain pipe.
 That part of official Washington which has anything to do with na. tional defense has been waiting with considerable trembling for the Truman show to open, fearing witch hunt, hoping that the com- mittee wouldn't "get anything on them" When the senator delivered his opening blast ct defense extrav- agance, citing Q number of contracts which looked funny, copies of his speech were carefully filed away. It looked as though he had the goods.
 First witnesses to be called will be the secretaries of war and navy, then the heads of OPM. From them 1t is hoped to get general statements of defense policies. Then will come the parade of assistants, executive officers and dollar-a year men, the fellows who did the work, explaining why they made deals and how. PRY BOYS
 DE LUKE
 The seven senators, not too dis. tinguished to begin with, will all be distinguished if they are able to uastlarl defense, though they will sit more as judges ct the hearings. Actual investigation will be in the hands of Hugh A. Fulton and Charles Patrick Clark, and the committee could not have obtained much better talent.
 Fulton, 32, round and blue eyed, Is the quiet digger. He made his reputation as prosecutor in the As. sociated Gas and Electric cleanup which resulted in the conviction of the roly poly utilities man, Howard o. Hopson.
 Clark Is the from gray fiehtin' type of investigator. He has been prober for 6 number of Washing ton investigations--education and labor, I. c. O., the Gillette commit- tee on campaign expenditures, and WlTe thpplnB'
 Truman's committee has only $15, 900 initial appropriation, which Is little enough when you consider that it's Investigating $40 billion, but what is lacking in expenses is made up for in authority to probe types and terms of contracts, meth ods Of awarding, subcontracts, geo. graphic distribution, effects on labor and migration of labor, prac- tices of management, bonuses, ex. tracosts and the old blanket subject of such other matters as the com. mittee deems appropriate"
 MAY LEAD
 TO PROSECUTIONS
 The idea Is that the committee shall report its findings back to the Senate, but as dirt Is uncovered 1t may be turned over to the Depart ftlent of Justice for prosecution. If the Investigation strikes pay dirt, there is TO question but that the Senate fill grant 1t additional funds to keep going.
 Senator Truman, who comes from Independence, Mo-, was c field ar- tillery officer in the 35th division during the war, ard is now colonel of field artillery reserve, as Is his secretary, Colonel Waugh, of St. Louis. Truman's interest in mill tary affairs has stuck with him, and his observance of the sloppy way in which contracts were let and handler for the construction of Ft Leonard Wood, the seventh corps area training center near Rolla, Mo, was one of the things that first got him interested in waste of money on defense projects.
 He went on from there to un- cover abuses in the letting of con- tracts for defense manufacture in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, and in commissions for buy- ing land in the acquisition of sites for army posts. The more he dug, the more he found, and the inves- tigation resulted.
 As Q Missouri county judge, Tru- man supervised the letting of $50 million worth of road contracts. He has been in Washington for six years, where he has distinguished himself by making speeches only when he had something to say, which was only once or twice Q year. He gets to lis office ct 8 in the morning and works late ct night, mostly studying. Last Con- gres, he belonged to e 1880 Every Thursday" luncheon club of sena- tors, where the check had to be just that, and one man paid 1t, but the club hasn't been revived this year. He doesn't take exercise, doesn't play cards and goes out only when Mrs. Truman and his 17 year old daughter, Mary Margaret, make