Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-07-30
Fields Bid for Wire
Near Exact Amount
Available, WAA Says
Investigation Continues
To Find How He Obtained
Such Accurate Figures
BY Robert K. Welsh

The war Assets AQmlnlSCrd-
ton disclosed today that Ben
jamin F. Fields filed a purchase
order for 999,390 linear feet of
bronze cloth wire last April and
that this request "corresponded
almost exactly to the amount
available in surplus stocks at
Richmond.
While the WAA continued it's in
vestigation to determine how he
obtained such accurate informa-
ton, officials said their investigation
in Richmond revealed that Fields
Associates, representing Baumrin
Brothers in the transaction. bought
$4,000 linear feet of the wire.
The Philadelphia WAA office had
received requests for more than TO-
100000 feet of the critically scarce
material. 1t had only 1,414,900 to sell
as surplus. WAA reported today that
by last April rs. closing date for the
sale. "all priority groups and vet
eran applicants were satisfied" AL
of the 121 commercial dealer appli-
cants were allotted some of the
wire
Other Receiving Wire.
Besides Fields Associates. others
included the Export Trading Corp
of Washington. Maybern Products
Co, Philadelphia. and Global Trad
ing Co., Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, the House Surplus
Property Committee has been in
formed that Fields, whose name fig
ured in the Carson munitions COM
pine investigation by the Senate
War Investigating Committee, is
prepared to answer the House COM
mittee's summons to testify.
Representative Ridley. Republican
of Oklahoma, who presided at las,
Saturdays hearing at which q
Washington hardware company Of
ficer told how Fields offered to sell
bronze screen wire to the concern
said today he did not know how soor
the committee will meet. He indi-
Gated Fields may be heard this week
but probably not tomorrow.
Supply of Nails Offered.
| In another surplus property de.
velopment, Arthur j. May, presi.
dent-treasurer of the May Hard.
ware Co., said today that a mar
who identified himself only as {
former WAA employe recently of
fered to sell the May company 6
large supply of head nails at SO e
keg. Mr.. May said his company re.
iected the offer because the usua
price is only $3.50 He added that
he had no reason to believe thai
the man was Fields or associated
with Fields
As result of last Saturdays test.
mony. WAA ordered report from
its Richmond regional Office Joseph
F. Carroll, in charge of the COM
pliance enforcement division here
also had his agents make an inves.
tigation. A report was received to.
day from Cyrus j. Kephart, regiona
director, and supplemental informa
ton was made available by Mr.. Car.
/ rolls office.
Mr.. Kephart reported that tn,
WAA sales of surplus bronze screer
wire occurred at the Bellwood depo
OF the Army Services Forces, neal
Richmond. and that the stocks wer,
not listed in the regions inventory
| AS related by the WAA spokes.
man today, Benjamin Fields filed
purchase order with the Phila
delphia WAA Office last April fol
999 800 linear feet of the wire. Thu
Philadelphia office, after repeated
efforts and after continued call
by Mr.. Fields" located a supply O
such wire at Richmond.
The supply at the Bellwood Depo
was $4,000 linear feet, almost ex
actly the amount originally ordere,
by Fields. Later the Richmond of
flee obtained 100000 additional feet
1T looks very much as if Field
knew exactly how much wire wa
available" the WAA official re
marked I've are still iryae%;rat;,a