The Wilmington morning star., 1946-01-07
WEEKLY
ASKS o. PROBE
Bv JAMES C. AUSTIN

By JAMES C. AUSTIN
United Press Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6-UP-A
suggestion by the unofficial Army
and Navy Bulletin, weekly service
publication, that Congress invesu-
gate officers clubs maintained ny
both services, met cautious Con-
gressional response tonight.
In its current issue, the Bulletin
said that fertile field for investl-
CATION would be the officers CLUBS
where commissioned men-outslde
the regular army-allegedly were
forced to join and pay dues. In
some clubs, the publication implied
discrimination was applied against
student officers.
Chairman Ebert D. Thomas, D..
Utah, of the Senate Military Affairs
committee, said that he had re-
ceived no requests for an investl-
cation. In the normal course OF
events, he emphasized, financial
reports of such organizations would
come before his committee and,
if any Irregularities were apparent,
would be investigated.
The Bulletin said:
"The Reserve, National Guard
and AUS officers of the Army, and
the Reserve and temporary officers
of the Navy, Marine Corps and
Coast Guard have contributed I'M
told thousands of dollars, frequently
under compulsion, to those clubs
during the war, helping build up
fat treasures for the regulars in
the postwar period" -
Congress is well aware that
these funds are in trust" Thomas
said. 1.-THE Army is trustee for
those funds. We will have the re-
ports of the use of those funds
before our committee, and will be
able to inquire into anything that
looks out of line
The Bulletin asserted that an
investigation of tae Schofield Of
ficers' club in Hawaii (Arm had
disclosed treasury of $3.50, 900.
Most of this revenue, it said, came
from temporary officers, and from
these funds, it added, the club
planned to build a new 100000
clubhouse.
1t said further that temporary
officers at the Chemical Warfare
School, Edgewood Arsenal, Md,
were charged $3.50 each after a
month there to support the officers
club. This" it said, twas deduct
ed from their pay, whether they
liked it or not.'''
But the office of the Army S
Inspector General, 1t. Gen. Daniel
Sultan, had a different view A
spokesman said that no officer
of the U. S. Army stationed any
where is under compulsion to join
any club. Generally, the spokes-
man said, they were glad to enjoy
i the recreationa1 facilities of such
a club. And if the Army ever heard
about reported compulsory mem
berships, it would move in fast.
Sen. Edwin C. Johnson, D., Colo,
ranking majority member of
i Thomas committee, said his re-
action to officers clubs had been
favorable. He said that officers
generally were appreciative Of the
facilities provided them.
Gin many places, I believe they
were the only centers of recreation
open to the officers" he said. Il
have heard TO complaints. The food
and service were good, and the
surroundings pleasant.
A member of the House Mill
tary Affairs committee pointed out
that the officers clubs were under
the management of their own men,
and that the Army exercised con-
troll over the establishments only
when irregularities were apparent,
and when the books had to be
Il audited.
! "Officers, so far as I know" he
said, don't have to join up unless
they want to-
The office of the Army Inspector
General said that such problems
as the management of officers
clubs did not come to its attention
unless there were serious irregu-
larities.
1--WE have not been bothered
hardly at all,' a spokesman said.
J, The bulletin also levelled charges
against the conduct of navy Off
GERS clubs. 1t asserted that at the
naval training school, U. S. naval
air station, Quonset Point, l Qndoc-
trination), "every single one of the
student officers, spending eight
weeks at Quonset, was soaked two
dallars for temporary officers
club membership, after which his
attendance at the club was greatly
restricted"
The restrictions, according to the
magazine, were that the student
officer could have dinner at the
club only on Wednesday, Saturday
and Sunday nights if they didn't
have the duty, have to study, or
if they didn't elect to go instead
to the officers club at the Nara
gansett hotel in Providence, where
thy could have much better time.
The bulletin said at Quonset the
student officers were confined to d
basement bar, and "vocren't allow
ed to mingle with the faculty mem
bers at the officers bar on the main
deck" but now and then, the bulle-
tin said, "some of the faculty mem
bers would descend to the basement
| bar to rninole hri eflv with tha St11