Evening star., 1946-01-14
GI, Senators Clash
In Philippines on
Burning Of Clothes.
By the Associated Press.

Burning OF Clothes,
By the Associated Press.
BATANGAS, Philippines, Jan. IA
Sharp verbal clashes between ar
Army sergeant and a United States
Senator marked a two-hour hearing
today by Senate subcommittee in
vestigating charges that Army sur
plus disposal troops were burning
clothing in good condition.
Angry exchanges took place be.
tween Senator Tunnel, Democrat
of Delaware, and Sergt. Emil Macy
OF Detroit, who asserted the sena-
torial committee had given him in.
sufficient time to assemble witnesses
to prove his contention that troops
were burning and desroying shoes
blankets, field jackets, fatigue suit.
and other clothing"
Sergt. Macy, chairman of the
subbase "R" Demobilization Com
mittee and former leader of the
United Auto Workers Union Loca
212, flew down from Manila with
the subcommittee members.
General Is Present.
Senator Tunnel and Senator
Knowland, Republican, of Califor.
mia conducted the hearing in sub
base ''R" headquarters in the pres.
ence Of Maj. Gen. Ewart Plank oi
Washington, commander of base
*" in Manila, of which base r.
is subdivision. Col. r. B. Oxriedei
of Granville, Ohio, is commander
of base r."
Seven of eight witnesses hurriedly
named by Sergt. Macy failed tc
corroborate his charges. They testi-
fled they had no personal knowl.
edge of wanton destruction o1
Army property.
They appeared after the commit
tee had questioned a number O
surplus disposal personnel.
1t. Samuel J. Butcher, Atlantic
City, N. j., base salvage officer, tes.
tilted that in the week ending Jan.
uary 5 he had ordered burned onl,
526 items of clothing of 1928 item!
examined.
1t. Butcher said that in the weel
ending December 8 it had been nee.
essary to burn So per cent of 1924
clothing items examined, includine
$3.50 pairs of wool sox and 2,1O(
handkerchiefs.
Luggage Reported DESTROYED.
Post exchange officer, Maj Johr
K. Mcdonald, Kenmore, N. Y, wa.
called after Sergt. Macy said hi
personally knew that "Valpak" lug
gage marred only by tarnishec
leather was destroyed although il
could easily have been Sold"
Maj. Mcdonald was not asked Il
comment on this charge. He testi.
fed that the post exchange die
81, 5000 monthly businessand thai
from $4,000 to $4,000 worth O.
goods was destroyed each month
mostly candy in bad condition.
Sergt. Macy told the Senators
Yesterday they could get afidavit!
from hundreds of men at the bas.
If the soldiers were assured protec.
ton against court-martial.
Waste Of Money Charged.
At the outset, Senator Tunnel
told Sergt. Macy that his subcom.
mtttee was not authorized to in.
quire into demobilization.
Sergt. Macy said, however, tha
he wanted to show that keepins
large bodies Of troops in the Philip.
pines was wasting Government fund.
and property and that the commit.
tee should recommend demobiliza
ton to stop it.
The sergeant then asserted that il
was costing more than $1,000 900 q
month to maintain 10000 American
soldiers and $4,000 Filipino civilian.
to guard and service Army property
which the soldier committee esti.
mated had no more than 5000 ,00(
salvage value. -s- ~.
Destruction Held Proper.
1t. Gen. w. D. Styer, commander
in the Western Pacific, told thu
committee, however, that 5000 ,00t
tons of equipment and supplies witt
a book value of $4,000, 100000 still
awaited classification and sale a.
surplus.
Col. Oxrieder in denying Sergt
Mazey's charge said that any prop
erty destroyed was through orderl,
and approved salvage procedures"
There is some clothing being de.
stroyed in salvage-some from New
Guinea that was stored in tht
open," his statement declared
Some is completely rotted.
Every bale is opened and each
piece Is inspected. Every piece usa.
BILE is laundered. Every piece tina
can be used is saved. That which il
mildewed and rotted is burned"
The soldier committee urged tn
Senators to recommend that sur.
plus property be sold or given II
the Filipinos at once, that surpluseI
here be shipped to the United States
or to Europe to relieve distress IL
war-torn nations.
Questioning at this morning.
hearing developed the Army is re-
luctant to release transport equip
ment and the Navy is retainin,
small craft which civilian agencie.
in the islands say is needed in tn,
copra and hemp industries.
George Meader, the Senators
counsel, elected testimony from
Navy witnesses that the Navy i
burning and sinking" landing Graf