Evening star., 1946-09-01
Charge Against Fields
For Failing 10 Show
Books Sent 10 Rayburn

DUCKS Jen1IO kdyDuIn
A contempt citation against Ben
jamin F. Fields, the war surplus
broker who failed to show how he
had split his profits, now is on the
way to Speaker of the House Ray
burn, officials of the House Surplus
Property Committee said yesterday,
The citation charging Fields with
"willful and contemptuous" refusal
to produce books on his transactions
in compliance with a committee
subpoena, has been dispatched to
Chairman Slaughter at Kansas City.
Staff members said Chairman
Slaughter, after checking the docu-
ment, would forward it at once to
Speaker Rayburn. now in Texas
requesting that it be transmitted
to the United States Attorney at
Washington for appropriate action" !"
Hearings Begin Wednesday.
The formal charge against Fields,
who proved witness with a faulty
memory at recent hearings here,
was drafted as the investigating
group completed plans for hearings
Wednesday and Thursday at Kansas
City into the Thunderbird airfield
case.
Numerous Washington officials
will go to Kansas City to fill out the
story of the transaction by which
the War Assets Administration pro-
posed to sell, at a 100 per cent dis
count, the S407,000 airfield proper
ties at Glendale, Ariz, to a newly
organized educational institution
headed by two high-ranking Army
officers, the American Institute for
Foreign Trade.
The group of witnesses is to in
clude number of Army officers who
are to tell the Army'S side of the
story, committee agents said. One
OF these is to be Brig. Gen. William
Welsh. Others will include 1t. Gen.
Barton K. Yount, retired, head of
the Army Air Force Training Com
mand during the war, who is presi-
dent OF the new non-profit school.
and 1t. Col, Finley Peter Dunno.
IT.. son of the creator of "Mr. Doo-
-ey, secretary-treasurer.
The committee also has called to
he Kansas City hearings M. A. Nc
Auley an attorney with the Recon-
Structlon Finance Corporation: H.
=. Alves, director of surplus prop
crty utilization of the United States
once OF Education; Robert Whittet.
director of the institutions section
OF the WAA; John J. O'Brien. chief
OF WAAs real property section, and
other officials of the agency.
DIR. Schurz To Direct Institute.
Inc institute, meanwhile, issued
a formal announcement of its plans
TO start operations October |, with
out making any reference of its
own to the committee Investigation
or to the fact that WAA has held
up the transfer Of the field pending
the outcome of the committees in
quiry.
Ihe announcement said DR.. Will
liam Lytle Schurz, described as
state Department official and writ
er, mad been named as director of
It's division of Latin American stud
les. 1t stated further that about $50
Young men and women will be en-
rolled IN the course beginning Oc-
tober /.
According to the schools an
nouncement, DR.. Schurz will assist
IN the presentation of a nine month
Latin American language and area
study course. He was an adviser
on Latin American affairs to the
Col. House Commission and since
then has worked in or visited almost
every Latin American republic, the
statement added. He has been as
ISOLATED with the State Department
in several capacities since 1941, the
institute said.
Miss Johnston Appointed.
The institute also announced
that Miss Marjorie C. Johnston.
37l4 Military road, former United
States ONCE of Education consul
tant. will be professor of Spanish.
Miss Johnston taught special
courses in Spanish at the Agricul-
ture Department extension school
from 194345. More recently she
vas a consultant in Spanish for the
Office of Education's division of in
ter-American educational relations
and also taught at George Wash
ington University last year, the in
Stltutlon announcement said.
The Justice Department ruled last
week in response to queries from
WAA that 100 per cent discounts
were permissible. It's statement
added that the fact an institution
was newly formed undoubtedly
would lead the WAA to give special
attention to the good faith of its
founders and the merits of its gen.
eral program"
After receiving this advice, it is
recalled, WAA permitted So other
surplus property transfers, but con-
tlnued to hold up the Thunderbird
transaction pending further study.
During the Kansas City sessions,
the House committee will deIve
again into the activities of Promoter
Flleds by questioning Glenn A.
Dies, former Fields associate, lust
back from an inspection of sur
plus properties at Honolulu for his
new employer, Mrs. Ruby V. Etty
a washington broker.