Detroit evening times., 1945-12-11
BEHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
MaIlon

NiASHHAGT0N, Dee, f0-My
" inside story on army de-
Struction of surplus property
needed by the destitute natives
or wanted by GIS in the India
Burma thester-juSt because
the British wanted 1t that way
provoked an eruption and
minor tidal wave more interest
ing than the original expose.
Immediately, the CT news
paper for the area Roundup
published in Delhi carried \
column one. front page an
nouncement from Administrator
Symlngton saying:
Vets can buy surplus goods
from the surplus war property
commission"
IlAaAN non AibENh NVihA'i
i in the area. from private up
% captain, wrote me letters
telling me the destruction poll
icy had really been changed. as
far as the needy natives were
concerned. A large army hoSpi-
tai slated for destruction, in
stead was offered TO bidding for
public sale to the locality.
In many localities command
ing officers allowed sale or
gifts (mOStly the latter Ot
clothing which could not be re-
turned TO the United States.
Also an order apparently came
through TO send what equip
ment could not SenSibly be re-
turned TO the United States on
to China for use there.
The expose thus appeared 10
have brought immediate correc-
tlons. and belated good.
But on Nov. s the India
Burma theater commander, Mai.
Gen. Thomas A. Terry, issued
denial of "a statement attrib-
uted TO the American column
mist, Paul Malon." ." about restric-
tionS against leaving things for
the natives. The first five para
graphs of the denial sounded
convincing but the sixth read
like this;
ut is q fact that before our
policy was fully understood
throughout the theater some
equipment was damaged or de-
stroyed under conditions which
appeared dubious"
In short what / reported haf
been true. but was no longer
true, according TO Gen. Terry.
TNHE Terry denial from CAL
Il cutta was sent TO me by two
Sergeants and private who
dared TO sign their names. ap-
preciatlng that the top brass
was more diplomatic than frank.
These fellows said:
your statements are absO-
lutely correct. We have wit
messed the destruction Of sew
erai thousand dollars worth OF
seryiceable cloth ing, which
would have made q benevolent
gift to charity. Clothing is just
one Of the useful items which
have been destroyed at this
base.
They have destroyed or
abandoned generators. several
thousand feet Of new electric
wire, cooking utensils, lavatOry
equipment, air compressors, etc.
1T might interest YOU 10
know. however, that after your
article appeared they ceased
their policy OF destruction. As
to present and future DISPOSE
tiOn OF surplus property. We
have no Information. Appsr-
emily most Of the material from
now on will he shipped to the
States " IL is In seryiceable con-
dition and not needed by the
Chinese"
An LE RT newsman out
"a west sent my column 10 the
British embassy, and aske 2 d
how come? The reply was awe
struck Such a thing could
not be, Of course we have no
Information about IT. but the
British never do things like
that
Finally. few days back. A
colonel al the war department
here called me and said he un-
derStood ! had written column
some time or other. he did not
have the date. about some de-
StruCtion of prope some
where and he wanted to know
where | got my information
Well. ! said, you have better
avenues Of Information than |
have. What are your reports
about destruction in the India
Burma theater7
There is no destruction. said
he
Why do YOU wish 70 know my
source Of Information. then
Well he wanted 10 know II
what / said was true.
4 Ii RIGHT. | said, send some
Investigators out 10 { h .
theater 10 find out II the re-
ports from your commanding
officers are truc-don' ask me.
But will YOU give the war
department your sources? He
asked.
II will not" replied 81 have
in my possession written reports
from 8 or more American sol