Evening star., 1946-07-25
Army Plans Own Mead Probe:
Waitt Named as Bearer Of May's
CIemency Plea for Garssons Son
General to Appear
AtCIosed Session
This Afternoon
(Tert OF May-EiSenhoUer Letters
on Page A-6.J

Disclosure of an Army plan to
investigate its officers in the
Carson munitions case followed
quickly today on a Senate COM
mittee statement that Mai. Gen
Alden H. Watt carried to Gen.
Eisenhower clemency plea
from Representative May, DEM
ocrat, of Kentucky in behalf OF
a munitions makers son.
The son was facing court martial
at the time.
A special executive session of the
War Investigating Committee was
called for 4 pm. to question Gen
Watt, head of the Chemical War
fare Service.
Also called before the committee
for questioning was Maj. Gen. Will
liam N. Porter, retired, who formerly
headed Chemical Warfare.
Mr.. May is scheduled to testify at
an open session at am. tomorrow
Army Watches Inquiry.
Senator Ferguson, Republican, Of
Michigan named Gen. Watt as the
bearer of the clemency plea in the
interests of Capt. Joseph Carson,
son of Murray Carson. Senator
Ferguson said there is evidence also
that Gen. Porter had transferred
Capt. Carson to chemical warfare
by request.
Maj. Gen. Floyd D. Parks, director
of the Bureau OF Public Relations,
told reporters that the War Depart
ment is following the investigation
very closely.
He said the likely procedure is
that once the Senate committee has
finished its investigation and all
the evidence is IN, the Army will
conduct its own inquiry.
Gen. Eisenhower told reporters
today he could not recall having
seen a letter from Representative
May asking him to intervene in
the court-martial. The War Investi-
eating Committee earlier today had
released texts of two letters from
Mr.. May to Gen. Eisenhower, and
the generals brief answer to Mr..
Mays first letter.
Gen. Eisenhower said he was told
this morning that the letter did
not reach his desk and that it may
have gone to the judge advocate
generals Office.
Eisenhower Talks With Reporters.
Gen Eisenhower talked with re-
porters after call on President
Truman. He was asked whether
there is any disciplinary action con-
templated by the War Department
against Army officers drawn into
the Senate inquiry.
lie said that as a matter of policy
ti.v hector general inquiries into
cases in which officers Or privates
are involved.
In the current case, he said, he
has no specific information as yet
on such an investigation, but ''if we
hear anything" about either a pr1-
vate or a general an investigation
is undertaken by the inspector gen.
eral."
Gen. Eisenhower, in answer to
questions, also said he had not
heard while he was in Europe about
the defective ~ mortar shells of the
type made by several manufacturers,
including one of the Carson plants,
which the committee has been told
killed a number of American SOL
diers.
Royal to Submit Report.
He said, however, that he had
looked over report prepared for the
committee at its request, and later
It was learned that Undersecretary
of War Royal will submit the re-
port to the committee this afternoon.
Signing his name as chairman of
the House Military Affairs Com
mittee, Mr.. May wrote April u and
May II, 1945, to Gen. Eisenhower.
He received a one-sentence reply
dated April % from the supreme
(See WAR PROFITS, Page A-6)