Evening star., 1943-07-12
Justice Department
Sifts Truman Charges
Against Wright Corp.
Will Prosecute Firm
IF Evidence Is Found
Of Criminal Actions

The Justice Department an
nounced today that II investiga-
ton develops information
warranting prosecution" it will
refer to a Federal grand jury
the Truman committees charges
that the Wright Aeronautical
Corp, subsidiary Of the Curtiss-
Wright Corp. at Lockland, Ohio,
delivered defective and sub
standard" airplane engines to
the Army and Navy.
All exhibits and data on which
the committee based its charges
will be delivered to the Justice De-
partment this week. the department
said in statement.
Meanwhile, the Truman Commit
tee turned from its sweeping review
of military aviation to two par
ticular problems: Reduction Of
military plane crashes and the guar
antee that American planes can
have postwar landing rights on
fields built abroad with United
States funds.
Will Report on Crashes.
Chairman Truman and other
members Of the Senate group inves-
tigating the war program said re-
port would be forthcoming on plane
crashes because the committee Is
concerned about the large number Of
such casualties, particularly in nom
combat operational flights in this
country"
Two other members of the COM
mittee, Senators Mead, Democrat, of
New York. and Brewster, Republican.
OF Maine, who WILL accompany
three other Senators on an aerial
tour of world battlefronts this sum-
mer, have been instructed to investi-
gate reports that hundreds of air.
ports built on foreign soil with
American money Will be turned over
to the countries where they are sit
uated six months after the war.
Wants Postwar Concessions.
'If there is anything in lease-lend
In reverse" Senator Mead said, I'VE
certainly should have some conces-
sions which would permit our COM
mercial planes to land on the fields
and use their facilities In the post
war era" ..~--..
Senator Mead said the Truman
Committee had been informed that
the military fields constructed by
the armed forces and in lease-lend
operations range in size from small,
temporary airports to at least one
of the most expensive type, which
he said cost upward of 500 600, 900.
In its statement on the Truman
Committee charges against the Cur
tiss- Wright subsidiary, the Justice
Department disclosed that in May,
at the request of Assistant Attorney
General Tom c. Clark, the commit
tee turned over to the Department. S
War Frauds Unit the transcript Of
hearings conducted at Cincinnati in
volving the subsidiary.
FBI Is Investigating.
"Since then" the statement said,
"the FBI and War Funds Unit have
been conducting an investigation
and pursuing all leads in the tran
script which indicate violation of
Federal law"
The committees report charged
that the Wright Aeronautical Corp.
delivered defective and substand-
ard" airplane engines to the Army
and Navy for use In combat craft.
Some of them even leaked gasoline,
the committee declared. and more
than IS per cent of the engines built
at Lockland failed in one or more
major parts during three-hour test
runs.
G. w. Vaughan, president of Cur
tiss- Wright Corp, promptly labeled
the committees charges false and
unwarranted."
EmphaticaIly Denies CHARGES.
The company emphatically denies
the statement made by the COM
mittee," Mr.. Vaughan said, that
the Wright Aeronautical Corp. has
at any time sold or delivered to
the Government, or any one else,
products known to the company to
have contained defective or sub
standard parts. Wright has cate
gorically denied this specific allie
cation and insists on its right now
and at all times to repudiate as
false and unwarranted any such
charges"
The committee said it believed the
parent company guilty of gross
(see PLANES, Psge A-14J
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