Evening star., 1946-12-11
Army Officers Slated
To Be First Called
In BiIbo Hearing
By J. A. o'Leory

A group Of Army officers will
be the first witnesses called by
the Senate War Investigating
Committee when it begins hear
ings at 10 am. tomorrow on
alleged financial transactions
between Senator Bilbo, Demo-
crat, OF Mississippi and war con-
tractors.
Senator Mead, Democrat, OF New
York, chairman Of q three-nnan SUBJ
committee assigned to conduct the
hearings, today made public the
opening list OF witnesseS as follows:
Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Robbins,
retired, former Assistant Chief Of
Engineers.
Douglas I. Mckay, special assist
ant to the Chief of Army Engineers.
Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis, jr.,
assistant chief of air stan, who was
former chief Of district engineers at
Vicksburg, Miss.
Brig. Gen. Ludson d Worsham,
who was former chief OF division
engineers, Mobile, Ala.
Col. r. E. York, now at the en-
gineer supply depot, Columbus, Ohio,
former resident engineer, Air Me-
chanics Training School. Biloxi.
Miss.
Maj. Gen. William r.. Tompkins,
retired, former executive assistant
to the Chief of ARMY Engineers.
Col. John r. Hardin, assistant to
the division engineer, Lower Missis-
sippi Valley Division, Vicksburg,
formerly chief of the construction
section of the Engineer Corps.
Other Witnesses Slated.
The identity of other witnesses
will be announced as the hearings
proceed. Senator Mead said.
Serving with Senator Mead on the
subcommittee will be Senators Tun-
nell, Democrat, Of Delaware, and
Ferguson, Republican, of Michigan.
Senator Bilbo, who just went
through separate investigation at
jackson, Miss, into charges that
he stirred up discrimination against
Negroes in his campaign for re-elec-
ton last summer, has termed the
war contract accusations Ties" He
said a few days ago he would be on
hand to defend himself.
Republican leaders are consider
Ing move to prevent Senator Bilbo
from being sworn in for his new
six-year term on January 8. Their
course of action will be decided at
4 party conference Of the 81 Re-
oublicans who now control the Sem
ate on December 80. The decision
probably will depend on the findings |
If the two committees now investi- |
eating the Mississippian.
While the War Investigating SUBJ
is going ahead with its
hearings, the five-man Campaign |
Expenditures Committee is expected
10 hold a closed session next week
20 pass on the racial discrimination
evidence it took in Jackson.
The principal charge before the
War Investigating Committee Is that |
Senator Bilbo is alleged to have
aecePed more theD A2o4o0 in the |
Tall of 1912 frollf contractors who
worked on Army air fields in Mis-
sissippi. A COMMITTEES spokesman
told newsmen recently that Senator
Bilbo supposedly did not get the
money for his own use but is alleged
to have used 1t in the 1942 campaign
of former Senator Wall ,Doxey. Mr..
Doxey wns defeated and later she-
came Semitic Sergeant.at- Arm4 I
Another charge before the War
Investigating Committee is that war
are alleged to have built
Dream House No. 2" on Senator
Bilbo's estate at Poplarville, Miss.
The house Is on an island in the
center of an eight-acre artificial
lake.
A third charge involves Senator
Bilbo's connections with the Juniper
Grove Baptist Church, which ad-
joins his Dream House estate. The
committee has been investigating
that during 1943 and 1914
Senator Bilbo wrote to friends, In
cluding war contractors, appealing |
for funds to build q parsonage for
the church.
The house is said to have been
built on Senator Bilbo's land. The
before the committee
are that the minister has not been
permitted to live in it, and that the
house was put up as collateral on a
Ioan from q Federal land bank.