The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-20
SoIons Probe
JeePs,
JettiSoninq
Gle Report What
Shame II 10 TO See
All That Waste
BY FREDERICK c. OTHMAN

Washington, Feb. 20-(UP)-Let
US crane our necks over the cliff
and watch the Navy smash jeeps
and new airplanes, without even
removing the tires, on the rocks be-
low.
As the admiral says: what else
would you do with the stuff?"
The House Committee to investi-
gate expenditures in executive de-
partments was feeling glum about
the millions Of dollars worth Of
war materials Wondering on for
eign beaches. Appearance Of Vice.
Admiral w. S. Farber with whis-
pering laryingitis didn't make the
committeeman any happier.
Admiral Farber chewed licorice
cough drops, while Rear Admiral c.
H. Coter did the talking about the
acres Of trucks, jeeps, and air.
planes gathering rust in far places.
This caused Rep. Ralph Church Of
III. to observe:
ut Is very odd the main witness
ses before this committee always
have sore Threats or something
and men who don't know the facts
do the testifying."
Planes Discarded
Admiral Cotter said he did know
the facts. Then, said Rep. William
L. Wilmington of Mississippi, what
about the materials OF war travel
ing Congressman have seen parked
in the mud all over the world2
IT don't just mean few trucks
but acres and acres and miles and
miles of them, still Grated and still
on the beaches" he said.
The Admiral said should the
Navy return its trucks from the
Philippines, forcing the Filipinos to
buy more trucks here and ship
them back to the islands? Or
wouldn't it be better to leave the
trucks there? Chairman Carter
Manasco said that seemed logical
to HING
We'll, listen to this letter from
a boy on Sapian," interrupted Rep.
George H. Bender Of Ohio" He says,
All our planes have been thrown
over Suicide Cliff. They were brand
new and 1t seems a shame. We
never even salvaged one tire"
Bender added that his cores
pondent was his own nephew. Ad-
miral Cotter said he wouldn't doubt
the Congressman relative; he said
the tires obviously were left on so
the planes could be rolled to the cliff
and smashed. He said they were
obsolete, useless except as junk,
and that scrap aluminium wasn't
worth shipping across 1900 miles
Of ocean.
Navy JettisOns Jeeps
And that brings up these re-
ports Of the Navy taking good ma
terial to sea in barges and jetti-
Soning It," he said. There was one
report from Guam about the Navy
running out shiploads OF jeeps and
throwing them overheard. These
report were particularly serious be-
cause they were made by officers
aboard naval vessels, who observed
this destruction OF jeeps. One OF
these officers salvaged one Of these
machines from the sea and put II
in running condition. This was a
case we could investigate.
I'VE held hearings at Guam. We
looked at the jeeps. These machines
were worn out, ruined, no longer
good for anything. The jeep the
officer salvaged was examined by
expert mechanics. They reported II
had no brakes, the frame was al
most corroded through and the
steering gear was broken. Their
verdict was that 1t was dangerous
to life and limb
The Admiral said the Navy
couldn't bring back It's materials
for sales as surplus until so in
structed by the Surplus Property
Board. Rep. Clare Hoffman Of
Mich. said there'd better be some
orders soon, or a scandal would
develop.
And the material stays In for
eign lands" Rep. Wilmington
said. mot even under guard" Rep
Bender said. And that's where the
money goes" Rep Robert +. Rich
of Pa. said. Admiral Farber ate
another cough drop.