Evening star., 1946-07-23
Status Of Jacobson
To Be Decided Soon
By War Department
Co-Author of Carson
Whitewosh' Report Not
Doing Customary Work
BY Joseph YOUNG

War Department officials will
meet this week to determine the
future status of Albert w. Jacob
son, civilian consultant of the
Chemical Warfare Service, who
has been accused by the Mead
Committee of "WhiteWaShing''
the Carson munitions combine,
it was learned today.
Mr.. Jacobson, who got his $685.
a-year job after entering the Gov
ernment service in 1899 at an an
nual salary of s1,700, is mot engaged
at his customary job at the mo-
ment," War Department official
said today
He isn't doing much of anything
until we decide what to do about the
situation" the spokesman said re-
gal ding Mr. Jacobson, who resigned
from the District bar in 1889 while
the bar associations Grievance
Committee was investigating three
charges against him.
-
Mr.. Jacobson was criticized by
committee members in connection
with the preliminary report which
the War Department made last fall
in response to 16 questions asked by
the Mead Committee-a report
which Chairman Mead declared was
like whiteWaSh." The report,
which Mr. jacobson admitted he
had large part in preparing, said
among other things that the origi-
nal and subsequent awards to Erie
Basin Metal Products, Inc, were
based upon sound procurement pol
icies and businesslike principles"
Senator Knowland, Republican, OF
California, added it more nearly re-
sembled what in the Army was
called "a false official report since
it made it appear everything about
Erie and Batavia were clear-cut and
above-board. 1t was further brought
out that Mr Jacobson received from
Chairman May of the House Military
Affairs Committee letter recon-
mending to Chief Justice Bolitha J,
Laws of District Court that Mr.
Jacobson be reinstated as member
of the bar.
Mr.. Jacobson insisted he did not
know Mr. May and ran into him
and met him only a few times in
hotels and restaurants and had
sought his help solely because he
thought the Representative would
carry weight. Mr.. jacobson said he
had an acquaintance with the Cars
son brothers, but he saw them only
when they called at the chemical
warfare Offices on business matters.
Denies Help on Overpay."
Mr.. Jacobson likewise denied he
was helpful in getting the Chemical
Warfare Service to "overpay" one of
the Garsson's munitions companies
$1,010,315.
The War Department has official
ly refused to comment on the Jacob
son case. A top official said "the
case is hot potato" 1t was learned
there are some officials in the de-
partment who have voiced their
confidence in Mr. Jacobson and are
backing him, although Mr.. Jacobson
admitted to the Mead Committee
he did not tell the War Department
when he went to work for it back
in 1889 that he resigned from the
District bar and the circumstances
surrounding it.
Charges Investigated by the Bar
Association included the theft of a
fur coat in December, 1925, from
Zlotnick, the furrier, Twelfth and
G streets NV, which years later
was alleged to have been traced to
Mr.. Jacobson. Another grievance
involved a sum Mr.. Jacobson was
charged with having received from
a defendant to settle suit in Mu-
nicipal Court Mr.. jacobson was
charged with having kept the money
instead Of turning it over to his
client, fhe plaintiff, until the
GrievanS Committee began inyesti-
eating IL, when, according to the
bar comlhittee's report, he promptly
turned It over.
Mr.. Jacobson told the Mead Com
mittee he resigned from the Bar
Association to protect his family
from the publicity attendant on
disbarment proceeding
"It was the first fight ever ran
away from and the last III run
away FROM" he said.
N