Evening star., 1947-03-28
Defense Witness Says
.Durant Arranged for
His Army Separation
BY w. H. shippen, Jr.

How Col. Jack w. Durant sped
his own Army separation papers
through the Pentagon despite the
wishes Of his commanding officer in
Germany that he remain in the
Army was described today when the
court-martial of the colonel was
resumed after weeks layon.
The colonel, former Interior De-
partment attorney, is accused of
conspiracy in the looting of the
Hesse crown jewel trove from the
family's historic castle in Germany.
The testimony disclosed that Col.
Durant was familiar with the work.
ings Of the Pentagon Separation
mill" through which he rushed his
own papers.
Witness Worked for Durant.
A defense witness, Miss Artie
Burke of Alexandria, employed in
the AAF headquarters office here,
explained she had worked for Col.
Durant before he went overseas, and
helped him put through his request
for separation when he returned to
Washington from Germany last
spring.
Col. Durant was returning to an
Office in which he previously had
worked when he reported to request
separation.
Miss Burke told the court -martial
board she saw from his record that
he was eligible for separation and,
in the absence of a superior officer,
directed clerk to prepare a re-
quest for discharge. She said she
gave the papers to Col. Durant to
check, and he told her:
"They know about this in the
front offlce-Ill sign them"
Approval of Papers Was Sought.
The clerk had typed In the name
Of Col. Charles Maylon, administra-
tive officer, the official who was to
aftsx his signature to the paper. 1t
previously had been testified that
Col. Durant signed Col. Maylon's
name in the space provided and
added his own initials.
Miss Burke testified, she said.
Col. ,Durant, you can't sign your
own papers" The colonel suggest
ed in reply, she said, that she take
the papers down to the front office
for approval.
Miss Burke told the court she took
the papers to the front office and
on learning that Col. Maylon was
absent because of illness, gave them
to Col. James Barlow with the ex-
planation that they had been
signed by mistake"
Separation Was Opposed.
She asked if the papers should
be re-typed, she said, and Col. Bar
low replied he would initial them
and they would be all right as they
were. Separation papers were pre-
pared on the basis of this request
it was said.
did you know at this time that
the commanding general of the
Army Air Forces in Europe had
sent a wire objecting to Col
Durant's separation?" Mai. Joseph
S. Robinson, chief of prosecution
counsel, asked. The reply was neg
ative. Army Investigators delving
into the looting of Kronberg Castle
already had requested that Col
Durant remain in the Army until
his connection with the case, if any,
could be determined.
The first defense witness was Col,
Maylon, who, testified, that Col.
Durant's character and reputation
was such that he was intrusted with
top secrets while he served in the
headquarters office of the Army Air
Forces at the Pentagon before being
assigned to Germany. Among his
duties the colonel handled highly
classified orders assigning ranking
AAF officers to various commands
in the fieldA - praa9
1t was expected that the trial,
which was resumed this morning
after weeks recess to allow the
defense to prepare its case, would
continue for 10 days or two weeks
at the Pentagon before being re-
turned to Frankfurt Germany