Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-08-17
Yount Defends
Air Base Gift 10
School HeHeads
General and Colonel
Named; WAA Probe
Shifts to Atlanta

The special House committee
investigating surplus property
today planned to shift its inquiry
to Atlanta to open hearings
Monday on reported Army de-
struction of so tons of radios and
radio equipment, but committee
members planned to look further
into a surplus property transac-
ton in which two high-ranking
Army officers obtained a s407 900
airfleld at no cost to themselves.
The Army officers, both of whom
Issued statements today defending
the transaction, are 1t. Gen. Bar
TON K. Yount, retired, and 1t. Col.
FINLEY Peter Dunno, jr., president
ana secretary treasurer, respective
", OF the American Institute for
Foreign Trade.
Robert Whittet, director of the
war Assets Administration insti-
tutlonal division, said the sale price
Of Thunderbird Auxiliary Field No.
l at Glendale, Ariz., to the newly
formed school had been discounted
100 per cent.
$50 Acres in Tract.
The WAA official told the COM
mittee that the institute filed an
application just a day after it's in
corporation, to buy the Thunderbird
property, consisting of 100 acres OF
land and Is one-story buildings at
its appraised value of $407, 900 less
discount"
The sale was consummated July g.
Mr.. Whitfield said the 100 per cent
discount was allowed under terms of
the Surplus Property Act which per-
mits the administrator to grant dis
counts to nonprofit, nontaxable edu-
cational institutions ION account of
benefits which may accrue to the
United States
Gen. Yount said in his statement
from Phoenix, Ariz., that the insti-
tute was started for the sole purpose
Of service to the United States to
the best of our capacity" and Col.
Dunno said the school will concen-
trate on training young men and
women for business and Government
careers in Latin America. Col. Dunno
said the school expects to have $50
students when it opens October /.
The Veterans Administration re-
ported today the school had been
approved by the State of Arizona,
that the approval was dated July /,
to take effect September /, and that
the VA would pay tuition of veter-
ans taking the course.
| Although Mr.. Whittet told the
committee the Veterans Admini-
stration had agreed to pay Sl,450 to
/ the school for veterans attending
under the CT Bill, a veterans
agency spokesman said the S1,450
covered room and board and the
Veterans Administration would pay
only actual tuition fees
Will Hear Georgia Educators.
Chairman Slaughter commented
sharply after yesterdays hearing
that when Congress approved dis
counts on surplus property sales to
educational institutions, it intended
to help establish institutions rather
than encourage creation of new en-
terprises to take advantage of the
CT Bill of Rights"
In addition to investigating the
radio story in Atlanta, Mr.. Slaughter
said, the committee will hear testi-
mony on the educational phases Of
surplus property disposal from sew
eral Georgia educators.
The committee chairman said he
also had invited Representative
Manasco, Democrat, of Alabama, to
testify at the Atlanta hearings. He
pointed out that Mr.. Manasco headed
the committee which wrote amend
ments to the Surplus Property Act
broadening veterans preference.
Priorities to UNRRA.
Mr.. Slaughter said Mr.. Manasco
would be asked whether Congress
intended to give surplus property
priority to international institutions
such as UNRRA and the Pan Amer
lean Union. WAA officials have
testified IL international institutions
have been granted this priority and
the committee has been highly
critical.
While the WAA order on interna.
tional institutions, which the COM
mittee has been studying, relates to
real property, Mr.. Slaughter said,
the committee has now been in
formed that WAA has issued another
order giving international institu-
(See SURPLUS, Page A-2)