Evening star., 1947-07-29
KaiserSaysHis Note to Roosevelt
Got Ship Job After Navy Refusal;
Fails to Recall Visit on Plane Idea
Senators Hear
Builder Protest ,
Smear Attempt
By the Associoted Press

BY the Associated Press
Henry J. Kaiser testified today
that he sent a brief note to
President Roosevelt during the
war and got contract to build
small aircraft carriers after top
Navy officials previously had re-
jected his offer.
The wartime industrialist told a
Senate war investigating subcom-
mittee of this incident after say
ing, II can't recollect" when asked
whether he went to the White
House in connection with. his con-
tracts to build cargo-carrying air
planes.
The committee is seeking facts
regarding some $4,000, 900 worth OF
airplane contracts awarded to Mr..
Kaiser and Howard Hughes, aircraft
designer and film producer.
Mcintyre every Available"
Senator Ferguson, Republican, OF
Michigan, subcommittee chairman,
questioned Mr.. Kaiser on this.
On the "baby fattops"-small air.
craft, carriers-Mr. Kaiser told this
story:
He talked with the late Marvin
Mcintyre, secretary to the late
President Roosevelt, about building
the aircraft carriers.
Mr.. Mcintyre was very available"
and when the Navy rejected Mr..
Kaiser's plans "by vote of 16 to 0"
he consulted Mr.. Mcintyre.
"At the time I had seen the Pres
ident only once" Mr.. Kaiser went
on. II went in to see Mac"
Mr.. Mcintyre told, him, Mr.?
Kaiser said, that if Mr. Kaiser would,
write a little letter of about four
paragraphs" that Mr.. Mcintyre
would clay it on the chiefs desk"
Received Call From Land.
Mr.. Kaiser said the next day he
received a call from Admiral Emory
S. Land, then directing ship con-
Struction.
Admiral Land said, What the
hell have you been doing?'" Mr..
Kaiser continued.
Mr.. Kaiser said the letter to Mr..
Roosevelt caused top Navy officials
to reverse" themselves.
II got an order for 100 air car
riers," he said. "All hell broke loose.
They did not want aircraft carriers.
They wanted destroyers. I told
them 7 could not build destroyers.
Finally they Cancelled orders for So"
Mr.. Kaiser said the Navy did not
want to call his ships aircraft car
riers" and at first wanted to give
them to the British" but finally
turned the heat of hell on us to
produce more of them"
Says Navy Reversed Itself.
''The .Navy reversed ITSELF" he
cont5Tued. 1T was wonderful. Ad-
miEal King came in and said he
Wanted to help"
Admiral Ernest King was chief OF
naval operations and commander in
chief of the Navy at the time.
At the outset of the hearing, Mr..
hdlSSl plpGCSICu U1lC4C 11oC NSSAS q
smear campaign" against him.
II have never in my entire his
tory had such a smear campaign
directed against me-" he declared.
The baby aircraft carriers have
been credited by the Navy with
playing a major part in winning
the war. Mr.. Kaiser swung into the
story of them as Senator Ferguson
pressed a line of questions aimed at
uncovering whether Mr.. Roosevelt
had hand in award of the plane
contracts to Mr.. Kaiser and Mr..
Hughes.
Knew of No Note on Planes.
Under this questioning, Mr..
Kaiser said "it would appear" that
the> President "left note" (pre-
sumably to Navy officials about the
carriers.
But he said he knew Of no such
note about the flying boat" air.
planes.
Mr.. Kaiser told the committee
that he conceived the idea for a
200-ton cargo plane in the spring
OF 1912.
He said he discussed it with
Plane builder Donald Douglass and
Mr.. Douglas was tremendously en-
thusiastic."
He went on to contend that Grover
Looming, former aviation consultant
to Donald Nelson, then head of the
War Production Board, double
crossed" him on the flying boat
proposal.
He said MIR. Looming stopped to see
him in San Francisco a few days
before a meeting of WPB commit
tee in Los Angeles in August, 1912.
He put into the record a number of
affidavits from his employees pur-
porting to show that Mr.. Looming
then was enthusiastic about the idea
Looming Ignored Appointment.
when did you have these afi-
davits prepared?" Senator Ferguson
asked.
"At the time I got the double
cross" Mr.. Kaiser said.
About the double cross" Mr..
Kaiser related that Mr.. Looming
made an appointment to meet him
in Los Angeles several days later.
1See HUGHES, Page A-5D