Evening star., 1943-05-23

Authority 10 Probe
Shooting at Air Field
Will File Expense Account,
House Member Declares
In Reply to May
Chairman May of the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee and Repre-
sentative Shafer, Republican
member of the committee, were at
odds last night over the latter's
authority in conducting an investi-
cation into the Selfridge Field
(Mich) shooting, but Mr.. Shafer
stuck by his guns-claiming the
committee had given him full au-
thority to investigate conditions at
the field.
When informed that Mr.. May had
charged he acted without authority
in investigating the alleged shooting
of a colored private by the COM
manding officer, Col. William T..
Colman, Mr.. Shafer declared:
Il had full authority from the
committee, as well as clearance from
the War Department. I was given
authority by vote of the commit
tee, and made certain of it before
I went to Selfridge Field. That
will be found in the committee
records"
Mr.. Shafer said he even had an
investigator, John H. Weiner, as
signed to him by the committee.
Will Submit Expense Account.
"If I have found things that are
not digestible, that is too bad" Mr.
Shafer declared. What is more, I
intend to submit an expense ac-
count to the committee for my
trip"
The Michig an Representative
earlier told reporters he had found
that "if the Army's Inspector Cen
erals Office had functioned prop
erly," the shooting Of Pvt William
McRae could have been avoided.
Mr.. May contended, however, that
the committee did not authorize an
investigation of the shooting as
that was "a matter within the juris-
diction and control of the Army and
without the jurisdiction Of the
House Military Affairs Committee,
acting under authority of Resolu-
ton No. 30.".
The resolution, Mr.. May pointed
out. relates only to investigation Of
the war effort and war contracts
and not to a matter within the
jurisdiction of a military court.
"Mr. Shafer has made no report to
the committee and was not expected
to give the press or the public the
information until the committee has
had an opportunity to consider the
facts found by him." Mr. May said.
Urges No embarrassing"
Mr.. Shafer told reporters he had
submitted report to the committee
and that its contents would have to
be made public by it. He said he
had recommended that there be mo
whitewash" of the affair and those
found guilty be punished.
Mr.. Shafer earlier had said he
found evidence that Col. Colman,
who since has been placed under OBJ
servation in an Army hospital, had
experienced personal difficulties"
including the death of his mother,
Just short time before the shooting
of Pvt. McRae, field chauffeur.
He was mentally disturbed" Mr..
Shafer said, adding that he had
learned that Col. Colman had been
drinking at the time of the shoot
ing. "Col. Colman had an excellent
record. and had come up the hard
way Mr.. Shafer added.
'It was further established" Mr..
Shafer said. that for several weeks
prior to the shooting Col Colman
had been drinking to excess.
Says Laxness Was Well Known.
'Other actions indicated that Col.
Colman had been on the verge of a
nervous breakdown, with the result
that he was lax in the conduct of
his duties at Selfridge Field" Mr..
Shafer added. Il found that this
condition was we'll known through
out the post and to citizens of near
by cities"
He stressed. however, that the
shooting of Pvt McRae was "in no
way linked with alleged irregulari-
ties" at the field. Pvt. McRae, he
found, was assigned to a chauffeurs
pool and had not been asked before
to drive for Col. Colman.
"As far as I could ascertain, he
had never before had any direct
contact with the colonel" Mr..
Shafer said
Il am confident that if the In
spector Generals Office had prop
erly functioned, Col. Colman would
have been removed and hospitalized
weeks ago, and the unprovoked and
unexplained shooting of Pvt. McRae
would have heep avoiSod