Evening star., 1946-09-08

klno shoulo De given preference In
surplus property buying.
Because of the House Committee
comments and other protests over
proposed shipment of the ice-mak-
ing machines, War Assets Admins
traitor Robert M. Littlejohn ordered
an investigation of the priority Is
sue. The WAA spokesman declared
last night that Mr.. Littlejohn's &C
| tion was. in effect, an order for "a
review Of the entire matter"
WAA Policy Unchanged.
This review has not caused WAA
to change its mind, he disclosed. So
far as he knows, there has been no
written report on the matter as yet
nor has any letter on the subject
been sent to House Committee men,
bers who last week were in Kansas
City for hearings on the Thunder
bird Army Airfield transaction.
Pending issuance of such a re-
port, no detailed official arguments
in support of WAA's confirmed
stand" were available last night.
Meanwhile, the House Surplus
Property Committee announced yes
terday it would resume its public
airing of Government methods in
the disposal of billions of dollars
worth of war surpluses here Septem-
Der %.
Sales Of electronics materials to
commercial firms through the WAA
are expected to be explored at that
time, Hugh D. Wise, jr., general
counsel of the committee, said.
Report to be Prepared.
A formal report is yet to be pre-
pared on the hearings held into the
disposition of the Thunderbird Field
in Arizona at sale price that was
discounted 100 per cent Agents
of the committee indicated yesterday
that 1t would be up to WAA'
whether the transaction was to be
Cancelled or consummated.
Most WAA Offices were closed
yesterday and authoritative figures
on the amount and kind of sur
plus property purchased to date
by the international organizations
could not be obtained The total
is not large and most of it has
been bought by UNRRA.
The WAA order, issued August 7,
gave to public international or
ganiza tions" the same priority held
by non-proflt tax-exempt organiza-
tions such as American schools and
| hospitals, in purchasing certain
types Of surplus property.
No Discount Provision.
| Purchases of this kind carry no
discount provision of the type that
for example, enabled WAA to rec
ommend an outright grant of the
s407 900 Thunderbird Airfield to the
newly organized American Institute
for Foreign Trade, of which 1t
Gen. Barton K. Yount, retired, is
president. The international Or
ganlzations would pay the current
market value for property.
The order stipulated that if WAA
received purchase offers from two
or more claimants in the same
priority group it would select the
recipient "on the basis of relative
needs"
Organizations declared eligible al
that time for the priority were:
UNRRA, the United Nations, the
Food and Agriculture Organization
the International Labor Organiza-
ton, the Pan American Union
Inter American Coffee Board
1nter-American Institute of Agri-
cultural Sciences, Inter American
Statistical Institute, Internationa
Bank for Reconstruction and De-
velopment, International Monetary
Fund, and Pan American SANITARY
Bureau.
A WAA official said last night
that the question of the ice-mak.
ing machines, although sold BY
WAA to UNRRA, is not of direct
concern to WAA so far as intended
shipment to Yugoslavia Is con.
cerned. If and when WAA sell
property to UNRRA or any simila
., international organization, it ha
no control over subsequent dispo
sition of the property. he exnlainer