Evening star., 1942-03-19
'1ydings Charges
Sabotage in Probe
Of Federal Agencies
Warns Bureuu Heods
Against Influencing
Division Chiefs
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

BY J. A. O'LEARY.
Chairman Tydings Of the special
Senate committee seeking to
streamline non-essential Govern
ment functions during the war
charged today that higher-ups In
some agencies are attempting to
sabotage" the investigation by ad-
vising subordinates how to answer
the committee questionnaire.
Serving notice that such efforts
will not be tolerated. the Maryland
Senator announced the committee
soon will send representatives into
ofnces where it appears advisable
to find out whether the answers OF
division chiefs have been Influenced
by superiorS.
Senator Tydings said he wanted to
make it clear that most Govern
ment Bureaus are cooperating In
the survey, but added that where
there Is any indication that the re-
plies Of unit heads are being influ-
enced. the personnel inspection by
committee agents may be followed
by calling the higher omcials before
the committee.
Worker Transfers
One Of the main purposes of the
inquiry, ordered by vote OF the SEN
ate. was to find out how many ex-
perienced Government employees
could be transferred from monde
tense to war agencies for the dura-
ton OF the war to save money on
the employment of new personnel.
and at the same time avoid further
housing congestion in Washington.
AS its first step the committee
prepared voluninous question
naire. and sent it directly to about
$500 supervisors Of the divisions of
each department with q request that
they return the data describing their
units directly to the committee. De-
partment chiefs also were to be
asked for information. but inde-
pendently Of the reports from the
section chiefs. In his statement
today, the Maryland Senator said:
1T has come to the committees
attention that certain supervisory
personnel to whom these question
naireS have been addressed have
been advised by their superiors how
the committees questions are to
be answered. This practice will not
be tolerated by the committee for q
single instant. We do not want any
coercion from the higher-ups on
those to whom the committees cues.
tionnaires have been directed. We
want = plain, cooperative, factual
answer. This was clear In the letter
sent out in the first place, but ap-
parently in a few quarters efforts
are being made to sabotage the
committees program and to coerce
the subordinate employees as to the
answers TO be made.
Will Check Answers,
The committee, therefore, is send.
ing a letter to all parties concerned,
reafhrming that these questionnaires
must be filled out by the persons to
whom they are addressed, and must
be returned directly to the commit
tee. We have anticipated that the
effort to sabotage our program and
to coerce those making replies would
be made, and will shortly send rep
resentatives Of the committee into
these agencies. with instructions to
ascertain to what extent the. re-.
sponses made have been controlled or
Influenced.
Many patriotic employees have
written us about abuses in the utili-
zation Of personnel, space, ONCE
equipment, supplies and material.
Their names will, Of course, be pro-
tected. These letters show fire.
quently that conditions are At vari-
ance with reports that are coming
into the committee.
fortunately most of the Govern.
ment supervisory personnel is CO.
operating with the committee in its
effort to place the Government on
an al-out total war basis, to prose-
cute successfully the great struggle
that lies before us. The committee
will not tolerate this interference
with its work, and besides the in
spectors sent to various departments,
is considering summoning the chiefs
themselves before the committee.
where coercion and influence and
interference seems to be Indicated"
Letter Sent to Agencies
Following up his statement, the
Senator directed agents OF the COM
mittee to send the following letter
to all departments and agencies:
There has come to the attention
OF the committee the fact that GER
tain departments or agencies have
advised their supervisory personnel
receiving questionnaires from this
committee as to the types of answers
that should be given to the various
questions included in the ques-
tionnaire.
1T is expected that advice NAV be
necessary as to certain information
desired in connection with person.
mel. space, ofice equipment, etc.,
actually In use on specified dates
such information in many instances
only being available in central ad-
ministrative units of the particular
department or agency. It is the spe-
cif1c desire of the committee, how
ever. that other inquiries by the
QUESTIONABLE were directed, without
influence by the administrative
heads or any other officials of a
higher organizatienal rank. This re-
quest applies particularly to the re-
sponse to be given to schedules B
and F. Those receiving the oues-
tionnaires should return same direct
to the committee in the envelope
provided therefor. The committee
will take such steps as may be found
necessary in order to establish the
degree, II any. that responses to
questionnaires have been Influenced,
Your cooperation in this con-
nection will be highly appreciated. :"
Schedule B of the QUESTIONABLE
asks the division chief to describe
the functions, projects or services
performed by his unit.