Evening star., 1946-12-12

to Zee Engineer Corps ofhciais here
several weeks before the contract
was awarded ~
In Contrasting Group.
Mr.. Friend, wA4 brought into the
testimony when Mr.. Mckay said the
principal contract for the Key Field
project irf Meridian was given Of,
March al. ls4l, to the following
group:
Alfred B. Friend. the volz Con-
struction Co, the Rock City Con.
struction Co. and Flint Jordan Con-
struction CO. The estimated cos1
vas to be Sl,6i5.Oo0. and the fixet
tee. 363, ITS. The hnal cost wa
$l.7sl ,02e.
When senator FERGUSON asked
Gen. Robins II he knew who Mr.
Friend was. the general said he i1a<
known him before this war wori
developed, because ne had been II
the Chief Of Engineers ONCE II
connection with river and harbol
improvements.
did you know he was / politician
Also?" queried Senator Ferguson.
The general said he had heard
that.
Gen. Robins testified Senator
Bilbo had been very active In gettini
the registration OF some Of the con.
tractors straightened out, 80 that
they could quality for work In Mis-
sissippi. The general read 4 state.
ment explaining that In September
1910, when war work began to de.
velop, the ONCE Of the Assistant
Secretary Of War issued 4 n1emorai1-
dunn to the effect that. other things
being equal contracts for construc-
ton be negotiated with contractor,
whose principal place OF business
was In the State where the work
was to be done
Bilbs Letter Quoted.
As early as September Is, 1940
Gen. Robins said, Senator Bilbt
wrote to the Construction Advisory
Committee OF the QuArtermastel
generals office, recommending thu
M. T. Reed Co. as the best organi'
zation' in Mississippi to handle ths
Jackson Air Base Job. In the let.
+ ter, rs read by Gen. Robins. Senator
Bilbo said he would appreciate any
thing you can do for Mr.. Reed"
On October 5, 1910, Senator Bllb'
telegraphed the chief OF construc
ton In the quartermaster general
once, asking for detailed infornna
ton about the time and methot
in letting contracts for the Jackson
base.
Senator Ferguson interrupted tt
declare that this meant that week
in advance Of the scheduled star,
Of the project Senator Bilbo wanted
to know who would be in charge
Of the construction supervision arlt
how the contract would be let.
In connection with the Key Fielt
project Senator Ferguson pressed
for information as to what Mr.
Friends share Of the contract Va.
to be. Mr.. Mckay answered thai
he had no personal knowledge 4.
to that, but had heard 1t rumored
Mr.. Friend was to get 5000 Of the
fee.
Others From Mississippi.
Brig. Gen. s. d. Sturgis Joined
in to explain that Mr.. Friend WA
an engineer. that he had served or
the Levee Board In Mississippi, and
that he knew contractors and IA
cilities in the State. The general
said the War Department under
stood Mr.. Friend also would assist
in getting bank loans.
rs it true that Friend was in
the group to give it = Mississippi
fiavor?" asked Mr.. Meader, and SEN
ator Ferguson added, ''Wasn't
Friend the only Mississipptan2"
Cen. sStureis disagreed saying
TINT two ofsthe cosAu2n1es In the
Key Field group had done work in
Mississippi.
After Gen. stursis had testified
that one other concern originally
had been considered for inclusion In
the concern, but was illuminated be-
cauae Its financial t6port was moi
strong, Senator Ferguson wanted tc
know why that arm was excluded
II Mr.. Friend was left in.
Gen. Sturgis said 1t was felt that
Friends presence would do no
HARM" while retention Of the ex-
cluded firm might. General Sturgis
told Senator Ferguson he did not
know in 194l. when the CONTRACT
was awarded, that Mr.. Friend had
been Senator Bilbo's campaign
manager.
Earlier, Army officers testified that
Senator Bilbo's requests that CON
sideration" be shown Mississippi
contractors and that he be kept
advised on the progress and type OF
contract award procedures were SO
frequent that district engineer ON
GERS once expressed eagerness ito
keep Senator Bilbo OF our necks."
This was In connection with his
telegraphic appeals that supervision
Of the Jackson Air Base project-an
original $1,450, 40 job which eventu-
ally cost 1850 ,983-be left with the
vicksburg. Miss, district of the
Army Engineers instead Of being
transferred to the Mobile district
The transfer had been ordered in
December. 1910. Despite 'reluc-
tance" to change the district line
system, the Jackson project was
later put back in the Vicksburg
jurisdiction, Army officers testified
Mai. Gen. william r. Tomkins,
retired, former executive assistant to
the Chief Of Engineers, and Mr.
Mckay told the subcommittee that
the decision to restore the jackson
Job to the Vicksburg supervision
was not Influenced by Senator Bilbo',
kilograms.
In response to questions by Senator
Ferguson. however. they said they
could produce no ofncfal Army record
indicating that the order for the
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