Evening star., 1946-07-10
Radio Phone Service on Roads
From Here to Boston Planned

The day when moving buses,
trucks, boats and automobiles will be
equipped for radio telephone service
drew a step nearer today with an
nouncement by the American Tele-
phone 81 Telegraph Co. that plans
are under way for setting up re-
iceivers and transmitters to cover
the area between Washington and
Boston.
Permission was asked of the Fed
eral Communications Commission
yesterday by the company to erect
a transmitter on the roof OF the
company building at 725 Thirteenth
street NV. When built and put in
operation, the roof transmitter will
serve as a stationary link with mobile
equipment installed in cars, trucks
or buses operating on or near the
highway from the Nations Capital
to Boston.
with suggestion that the Awards
Board consider it as soon as possible
and impartially. allowing neither
pressure for the company nor preju-
dice against it to exert an influence
1t had been. brought out previously
that the Chicago ordnance district
had opposed the award. charging
Batavia with continuous labor and
manpower difficulties and with other
deficiencies.
Mr.. Patterson read the committee
a memorandum in which Gen,
Hardy wrote: The company Data
VIA has exceeded its schedule in
/. December, 1914; January and Feb
ruary, l945, and according TO last
report. should make or exceed its
schedule for this month. Under
these conditions, 1t is believed that
Batavia is entitled to an Army
Navy award, and your assistance
in getting the board to act favor
ably will be appreciated.
Questioned by Senator Mitchell
as to whether he Influenced the
board in Batavia's favor, Mr.. Pat
terson said he had done simply what
his memora ndum indicated, adding
sharply:
I Il am not in the habit of doing
favor for anybody for Govern
ment business"
Writes May on Award.
The files showed Mr.. Patterson
wrote Mr.. May expressing salts
faction that Batavia had won the
award and adding: Il am certain
that this award as been thorough
/ ly earned. The Batavia Co. has
done an excellent job in the produc-
ton OF shells"
Mr.. Patterson emphasized that
the Army award board made the
award
I Mr.. NAV next showed up in the
SecretaIy's files in September. ls45.
after Mr. Patterson had, at the
suggestion of Undersecretary Royal.
signed an order freezing funds of
/ Batavias afiiliated firm. Erie Basin
Metal Products, Inc The freeze
order was to make sure the Govern
ment would receive whatever it had
coming during contract reneeotia-
tion then in progress, Mr.. Patterson
explained.
| A few days after he signed the
order, Mr.. Patterson added. Mr..
Nav rhoned
He asked me to come and see
him. and l did, the Secretary
added
! Two Others in Ofsce.
He said two men were in Mr.
Mays Office. both connected with
Erie Basin, though ne could not
recall their names Asked If one
of them was DR.. Carson. he said
he did not think so, although that
was possible. because he had not
seen the contractor often.
They complained of the freeze. ="
Mr.. Patterson recalled Il ex-
planned that it was simply because
of the renegotiation to protect the
War Department in case funds
were coming back
He suggested they see a colonel
at the department, who would know
the situation in detail.
Later, Mr.. Patterson said, officers
of the reneeotiations branch sug-
gested that the freezing order be
modified. and it was The modi-
fication, he explained, was only to
the extent of releasing funds which
we're not required to cover the
company's liability to the Govern
ment
Mr.. Patterson termed utterly un-
true an assertion contained in q
War Department memorandum in
evidence to the effect that DR..
Carson had obtained his first con-
tract through Mr. Mays pressure
on Mr.. Patterson and Maj. Gen
! L. H.. Campbell, jr., chief of ord
/ nance
/ Never Called for Contract.
/ Mr.. May never called on me for
contract for any one" said Mr..
Patterson. Il don't award con-
tracts to anybody"
Mr.. Patterson termed the charge
/ that the GarSS0ns ho6 haop die