Evening star., 1941-02-10
Truman, Charging
UnethicaI Contracts,
Asks Defense Probe
Many Awords Made
On Bosis Of Friendship,
He Asserts in Senute
By the Associated Press.

Senator Truman. Democrat, of
Missouri today demanded a Senate
investiga ton of defense spending
with the assertion that contracts
should not be let on the basis Of
friendship or political affiliation.'
The Missourian told the Senate il
was his opinion that violations of
ethics and common sense procedure
had occurred in Army and Navy
purchasing.
Demanding a thorough study of
the Governments program of "edu-
cational orders" Senator Truman
said that Ford. Chrysler and General
Motors have been given s1l,000000
apiece for educational purposes"
This is merely gift, he added
Senator Truman said one of the
first contracts let under the defense
program was for S1l564 900 to
Sanderson e. Porter of New York for
construction of an ordnance plant
at Wilmington. III. Referring to F.
Blossom as a member of the Gov
ernments Construction Advisory
Board. Senator Truman said Sander
son q Porter was Mr.. Blossom S
firm"
Awards Laid TO Connections"
The Missouri Senator said that
many defense contract awards have
been traced to a connection between
a member of the contractors firm
and Mr.. Dresser" He said F.
Dresser was another member of the
Construction Advisory Board.
Friendship should not be a han
dicap to any one seeking work in the
War Department" Senator Truman
continued. When a friendship,
however, dominates the selection of
an inferior contractor then that
selection is wrong
Col Wahlbridg of Wahlbridg and
Aldinger was a personal friend of
Mr.. Dresser. so I am told.
"Wahlbridg & Aldinger of Detroit,
and Foley Brothers of ST. Paul.
Mimi. were awarded the S8.000 900
Remington small arms ammunition
plant at Lake City Mo. The two
firms were neither geographically To-
Gated in regard to the job, nor were
they in any way better equipped
than local contractors of Kansas and
Missouri"
Il don't believe" Senator Truman
continued. that any contracts
should be let on the basis of friend
ship or political affiliation. We are
facing a national emergency Pa
triotism would require that these
contracts be let to the man best
fitted to carry out the contract. I
believe the Senate ought to go to the
bottom of the whole procedure,
Make the Big Man Bigger"
Under the defense program. Sec
tractors have been left out in the
cold" and "the policy seems to be
to make the big man bigger and put
the little man completely out of
business"
Senator Clark. Democrat, of Mis-
SOuTl interrupted ociidJOi IL ulIldIl
at one point to assert that, under
War Department practice in acquir-
ing land, any one with land to sell
was required to pay commission
to a private individual designated
by the department to have control
over all options and to pay an addi-
tional fee to designated title COM
pany.
Senator Truman said that the
Remington Arms Co. gets $500 900
for acting as advisers to the Govern
ment."
mo one knows what this advice
is or what it is WORTH he said. In
addition to the 100000 they will re-
ceive a profit of no one knows how
much for each 80 caliber and so
caliber shell that they produce in
a factory which has been financed
by the United States Government