The Wilmington morning star., 1947-11-25
GOVERNMENT WILL
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called "the sordid story OF
Meyers activities.
At the same time he said he
was sure that the committee
was "anxious to remove any
semblance of stigma from the
faithful and loyal members of
our great corps"
Living Scale
"It appears, Symington said
in a statement, "that during the
years 194O-1945 Meyers was
profiting from a company per-
forming war contracts in which
he had substantial ownership,
and that he was living on a
scale obviously not supported
by an army officers salary"
Symington said it was a
tragic fact that officers of the
two-months-old Air Force had
been forced to read and con-
template the unfolding of
one of the most shocking scan
dals ever exposed in any
branch of our government.
Meyers, denying he was
guilty of any improperly, testi-
fled last week that he set up
the war contract firm in ques-
ton - The Aviation Electric co.
- because Mrs. Lamarre was
his "girl friend" and he wanted
to provide an income for her
and her young husband Bleriot,
described as the "stooge" presi-
dent of the firm.
''His statements are all lies,"
declared Mrs. Lamarre, a far
mer college beauty queen, in
copyrighted interview published
today by the Dayton, Ohio,
Journal. Asserting there was
never any "impropriety" in her
relations with Meyers, Mrs. La
MARIE said:
II have gone no further than
any other wife goes in an effort
to see her husband get ahead
with his boss"
Symington was quick to as
sert that Gen. H. H. (Hap) Ar
mold and Meyers other COM
manding officers were not
negligent either in failing to
observe that Meyers scale of
living was such that he m u t
have income other than his
Army salary" Or in failing to
probe Meyers irregular per-
sonal relationships"
Declaring that ''it is not an
American custom to inquire in
to the personal finances of its
officers" the Air secretary said
there was mo indication what
ever that Meyers irregulari-
ties were known by any of his
superiors, or that there was rea-
son why they should have been
known"
1T is we'll known" Symington
added, "that one of the most
difficult jobs in the operation of
the capitalistic system is the de-
lection of a financial crook, es-
pecially if he has a knack for
figures, a record Of able serv-
ice, and a thorough training in
finance and accounting"
Symington said Meyers asked
for court martial last October
II "to keep my Meyers name
from being smeared across the
nation by Senator Ferguson,
chairman of the Senate investi-
gation) but that the request
was refused because 1--WE did
not want to interfere with the
working of the Senate commit
tee"
When the court martial re-
quest was denied, said the Sec
retary Meyers Stated he had
not received any cooperation
whatever from the air force in
his troubles, and added he was
afraid his testimony would have
to bring in lot of important
people, "
"The implied threat was OBJ
vious," Symington said. But he
stated with emphasis that the
Meyers case "does not lay even
the finger of suspicion on any
other officer in the. Air Force
or the Army"
Symington said the decision
to hold off court martial pro-
ceedings until now was reached
after consultation with Fergu-
son, Attorney General Clark,
Army Secretary Royal and al
number of other high officials.
He said it is agreed now that
a 1945 anonymous letter accus-
ing Meyers Of improprieties
should have been Investigated
by the War Department, which
received it, but that the letter.
mentioned during Senate COM
mittee testimony - was only
zone of hundreds" received at
the height of the war when IA
cilities for investigating were
lacking.