The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-02-20
Observations
Billions Spent
in Illegal War
Payments
BY HELEN EssARY

Illegal payments to war contrac
tors of more than three and one
third billion dollars are charged by
Comptroller General Lindsay C..
Warren. the watchdog Of the
Treasury.
The payments in government
funds were made under costplus
dxed-fee contracts, Warren told
the House appropriations commit
tee.
OF this huge amount, he stated,
only S4S,324550 has been recover
ed by the government by the first
of the year. leaving SS,555,660,923
still unsolicited.
Warren denounced the cost-plus
fxed.fee war contracts as the
most extrsvagant and improvident
contract from the standpoint OF the
government that has ever been
known
The comptroller general des-
cribed to the committee some "of
the things ! saw going on-the
promiscuous passing OF almost
every conceivable kind OF expense
under cost-plus .fxed-fee contracts
by the contracting officer
Although virtually all the con
tracts are legal, they we're so
completely wide open that you
could drive a team Of horses
through all Of them" Warren de-
clared
WAR MANPOWER COMMITS
sIONER PAUL V. McNuTT re-
Gently returned from a tour OF the
French battlefronts.
Ordinarily 1t might be expected
that he would call news confer
ence Immediately TO tell about
what he'd seen abroad. But not
this time. The reason:
Manpower legislation was the
subject OF a raging controversy
when McNutt got back. He knew
that the instant he called press
conference reporters would not
give a whoop about his European
trip. They would, he properly
surrnised, press him about his ideas
on national service laws, and Nc
Mutt wanted TO dodge that hot spot.
SENATOR EBERT D. THO
MAS (D) OF Utah, newly appointed
chairman Of the Senate Military
A"airs committee. may hold the
kew TO the fate OF National Service
legislation-regardless OF what the
House does.
Thomas. a strong friend of or
ganized labor, which is vehemently
opposed TO the legislation, has
simply played a waiting game. re-
naming silent on the controversy.
Once the bill gets to the Senate,
Thomas holds the whip. One re-
port has IL that he will hold
lengthy hearings on the proposal in
the hope that the manpower prob
lem will ease and the pressure
for such legislation will collapse.
SENATOR ARTHUR CAPPER
(R) of Kansas declares that GER
tain individuals are seeking TO
take the brakes off wage controls
through agitating for an increase
in the salaries OF congressman.
Capper voices the hope that this
will not succeed, and stresses, at
the same time. that he is not say
ing that members Of Congress are
overpaid." However, he hastens
10 add that he would consider 1t
unpatriotic for Congress to grant
itself higher salaries in wartime.
Capper adds:
Il note considerable agitation,
principally from those who want TO
take the brakes off wage controls
and that means off price controls
and finally a high degree OF infla-
tion-an agitation TO get Congress
to open the gates by increasing its
own salaries"
WPB FARM MACHINERY PRO
GRAM in 1874. did not work out too
we'll. Lays OF from 90 TO 80 per
cent behind schedules on certain.
types OF farm implements were re-
ported during the first half Of 1914.
AS a result, the National Com
mittee for Farm Production Sup
plies will mail out more than i.5OO
missionaries In the next few
weeks. When the returns are In,
the committee will analyze the stu
alton. make report on how the
Job can be better handled in 1915.