Evening star., 1946-08-20
WAAGaveAway
Army Post That
Cost Il Million
7 empIe u. Received
$1,000, 900 Plant,
Probe DiscIoses
By Robert K. Walsh


The War Assets Administra-
tion disclosed today that in at
least four other cases it had
given surplus real estate to in
stitutional or governmental ap-
pllcants at 100 per cent dis
count, as was done last July for
the nonprofit American Insti-
tute of Foreign Trade, proposed
by former Army officers as for
eign trade school for veterans.
One of the properties involved is
the former Camp Miles Standish
near Taunton, Mass, wHich cost the
Government more than S21 900 900.
These additional instances came
to light as WAA announced it has
not transferred title of the Arizona
flying school site to the proposed
trade school and will not do so until
special House committee completes
an investigation.
WAA officials admitted this leaves
the scheduled opening of the Arizona
school up in the air"
Army Camp Given Way.
1t was learned also that WAA
authorities, especially in the legal
| division, are looking closely into
some 500 other transactions in
volving transfer or requested trans
Ter OF surplus real estate to schools.
hospitals and similar nonprofit in
stitutions.
A spokesman declared this does
not, mean that any such transfer,
other than the one involving the
Arizona property. has been halted.
WAA records Show that on july
. the agency authorized the trans
Ter OF Camp Standish to Massachu-
setts for use as a hospital for
feeble minded persons. This was
authorized at 100 per cent discount,
an official said, but the actual title
has not yet been transferred.
The overall cost to the Govern
ment in obtaining and developing
the camp exceeded $4,000 900. It
was appraised last July for SLAB
900, and was given to the Common
wealth of Massachusetts, for the hos
pltal purposes, subject to the des-
ignated discount. In the same
transaction, the Federal Public
Housing Authority exercised a gov
ernmental priority in taking title to
approximately 900 barracks build
ings which it expects to dismantle
and use the material for veterans
housing in other parts of the coun-
try. A small section of the original
camp will oe retained for the Army
Organized Reserve.
Temple U. Given Plant.
Temple University at Philadel-
; phia last April received from WAA
a 81 100000 plant which during the
war was part of the Bendix Corps
establishments in that city. The
appraised value of the building was
$1,000, 900 and was given to the
university for new dental school.
In this instance, it was explained,
the title has not yet been actually
transferred, but the transfer con-
tains the 100 per cent discount
provision.
In smaller transaction of the
same kind, the board of public in
struction of Dade County, Fla,
last June received from WAA land
and building appraised at s115,S58,
subject to 100 per cent discount.
Although the complete record was
not Immediately available today,
the county authorities were under
stood to have proposed to use the
property for educational purposes,
t A fourth transaction in which sur
plus real estate was turned over
without cost to an applicant re-
portedly occurred early this year in
New Jersey. WAA officials said they
were unable to locate Immediately
the details of the transaction. but
it involved a plant building which
the Curtiss- Wright Co. operated
during the war in Essex County,
N. J.
1t was given to the Board OF
Chosen Freeholders of Essex Coun-
ty and will be used for veterans
training purposes.
WAA officials again defended the
sale" of the former Thunderbird
airfield near Phoenix, Ariz., to 1t.
Gen. Barton K. Yount, retired and
Lit. Col. Finley P Dunno, if. who
last July were given a part of the
former property at 100 per cent dis
i count to establish the training
school for veterans.
Company Passed Up Property.
They reviewed the record which.
they said, showed that the 100
acres originally were sold by the
Southwestern AirWays for $40 to
the Defense Plant Corp. early in
the war. The airways company had
been using it as a flying school.
lDPC developed the property and
leased it back to Southwestern Air
ways, which operated it as a flying
school under Army supervision dur
ing the war
After the war the airways COM
pany had 80 days in which to say
whether it wanted the property
back. 1t passed up the opportunity
and no other bidders except Gen.
| (See WAR ASSETS Page Al