Evening star., 1946-10-11

Resumed Amid Echoes
OF La Guardia Battle
Investigation of sales of leftover
American war goods was resumed
today by the House Surplus Prop
erty Committee with echoes still re-
sounding from the brickbats hurled
over the shipment to YugoSlavia OF
some of the railroad rails expressly
ordered for China.
Principals in the wordy affray
were dynamic Fiorello H. La
Guardia, UNRRA's director general,
who challenged all critics; John D.
Small, who stoutly defended his
Civilian Production Administration,
and Chairman Slaughter of the
House committee, who insisted the
evidence proved he was right.
The verbal battle started when
Chairman Slaughter leveled sharp
barbs at Mr.. La Guardia for de-
claring aides would testify volun-
tarily, but could not be subpoenaed
Mr.. Slaughter labeled this stand as
extensively impudent.
La Guardia Calls in Press.
CPA aides of Mr.. Small had
backed Mr.. Slaughter on the China
rail diversion protest.
Director General La Guardia an
grily called press conference yes
terday and paid his respects to both
Nj. Slaughter and MIR. Small. He
called the CPA 'ward-heeling cor
poration" and said If Mr.. Small
would swap jobs for 60 days he LA
Guardia) would clean up" the
CPA.
He scoffed at Mr. Slaughter's criti-
cisms of him as the "quack-Quack
of lame duck" Mr.. Slaughter was
defeated for the Democratic renom-
ination to his House seat with the
aid of President Truman, q voter
in MIR. Slaughter's district.
In another fling at Mr.. Slaughter
the UNRRA chief said, I'VE mustn't
get too angry with hints diff
cult to learn international law in
a police court"
Mr.. La Guardia read a prepared
statement calling the rail diversion
charges wild and irresponsible. u
The State, Treasury and War De-
partments and the CPA had known
Of the change order. he said.
Hits Priority Operation.
With that out of the way he ripped
off his coat and laid aside his di-
rector-generalship so he could talk
like an American"
What the American people want
to know" he shouted lis why can't
they get priorities for building when
race tracks and gin mills have been
going up for the last nine months.
Opposition to the rail diversion to
Yugoslavia to him was nothing but
a. "granstand play"
let him (Mr. SmalD deal with
the Yugoslavs and I'll take care
of the chiseling contractors who
want to build race tracks" he said.
The rail diversion was made be-
cause of Congressional stipulations
against shipment of relief goods
unless delivery was assured, he ex-
planned, alluding to congestion OF
Chinese ports. He stressed also that
the diversion was ordered before
Yugoslavia had aroused American
wrath by forcing down two American
planes and causing the death OF
five Americans.
Everybody is talking big now,
he said scornfully.
Targets Return Fire.
After hearing of all this, Mr
Small promptly tossed the grand
standing" charge back to Mr.. La
Guardia. Mr.. Slaughter said ne
would not get into any "hair-pulling
contest" but added that an ofnciai
who resorts to personalities does
so for the obvious reason the 1acts
are not to his liking"
The facts in the case. Mr.. Slaugn-
ter said, come from the mouths OF
sworn witnesses, including Mr.. La
Guardias employees, and by their
very statements they are convicted
in this instance"
Mr.. Slaughter said UNRRA OBJ
tanned the rails by representing they
were headed for China and then,
without approval" of Government
agencies, felt free to send these
rails to a country that recently shot
down and killed five American SOL
diers."
Mr.. Small told reporters that Mr..
La Guardia's disposition Ito go IN
for grandstand plays" was well
known"
i"In his. latest TRADE he has made
many irresponsible statements" the
CPA chief added.
'As for Mr.. La Guardia's offer to
swap jobs for go days, Mr.. Small
said he would welcome any help
from La Guardia" in handling the
housing construction problem. But,
he said, UNRRA is "a long-run job,
and I'm not in the Government for
a long run
I'VE are doing our damnedest to
cut down on nonhousing construc-
ton and to get houses built" Mr.
Small added.
The CPA chief said Nose Harvey
head of CPAs International Sup
plies Bureau, had testified to the
facts" when he told the House Com
mittee international politics" ap-
parently played part in the rail
shipment to Yugoslavia.
$50 Begin Hunger Strike