Evening star., 1942-08-05
Lee Asks Green Liqht
For Kaiser, Higgins
After Senate Hearing
Army Heads Plan for
Cargo PIone ALLEGATION
Called Not Big Enough
Earlier Story on Page Al.
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

The Government should give
Henry ]. Kaiser, West Coast ship
and dam builder, the green
light" to build fleet of Mars
type cargo planes, and should al
low the Higgins yard in New
Orleans to begin work on cargo
submarines, Senator Lee, Demo-
crat, of Oklahoma declared this
afternoon.
These were among the conclusions
he reached after presiding as chair
man of Military Affairs Subcom-
mittee which heard Army Air chiefs
testify that 81 per cent of the null
tiple-engine bombers planned for
the next six months would be cargo
| planes, and that before the end of
1943 the percentage would be 80 per
cent.
G. M. Bellanca, veteran aircraft
designer, offered before the sub
committee this afternoon to resign
from the Bellanca Aircraft Corp.
to aid the Government, without
salary, in building cargo planes to
carry equipment and supplies to the
fighting fronts.
He said also he would donate to
the Government for the dura tior
OF theswar the use of patents on the
type OF cargo plane he believes coulc
be built, using wood to a large ex-
tent and limited amount of steel
Held Short of Need.
Senator Lee said testimony of the
Army Air chiefs Is very encourag
ing, but is still short of the need.
The subcommittee later spent two
hours in closed session with Army
and Navy officers. Without disclos-
ing any numbers, Senator Lee sale
he could state the Navy also i.
building some cargo planes.
Il drew this conclusion from thu
public and the private testimony,
said Senator Lee, that the Arm,
had made ratio program (of cargo
to combat planes) perhaps sacri
flclng on both due to facilities ane
materials, and that then the increas,
In ship sinkings threw a heavier
burden on the cargo planes, which
is and will be met by use of bomb
ers."
Senator Lee said the hearing
have convinced him the cargo sub
marine should be put into produc.
ton along with the Mars type carg,
plane because I'VE will need both.
He said he believes the big freigh
submarine proposed by Simon Lake
submarine inventor and designer
would offer an answer to the prob
lem of getting the heavy slow cargo
to the fighting front.
The Higgins yard in New Orleans
mentioned by Senator Lee as one O
the plants that could be assigned t,
build cargo subs, is the yard il
which the Maritime Commission re
Gently Cancelled contract for sur
face cargo vessels.
Senator Lee said the testimon,
before his subcommittee seemed t,
indicate steel is the bottleneck. bu
he added: I'VE have mountains O
? o'c Aii ti1io CUuiltl y. 81 JIle DOllle
neck must be in the mills
; Brig. Gen. H. L. George. hea,
OF the Army Air Transport Co..
mand, and Rear Admiral John II
Towers, chief Of the Naval Burea1
OF Aeronautics, also were heard b
the committee in the closed session
| Meanwhile, Representative Tolar
: Democrat, of California telegraphet
Mr.. Kaiser that he intended t.
, ask President Roosevelt to give tn
, Western builder an official position
s in the administration.
: Mr.. Tolan said he would sugges
that such a position be in an ex
pediting capacity to push the Wa
program.
+ He praised Mr.. Kaisers propose
, to construct fleet of flying carg
; airplanes and said if the Nation ha
such feet now there would b
no question of opening a secon
front.