Evening star., 1947-12-21
Inspection Setup
|sReorganized
By Air Force
Knerr to Head Office
Established in Wake
Of Meyers Expose
By John A. Giles

liz G11l l. o1SC 1o1loWCo up UllC
recent expose of the wartime
aircraft procurement operations
of Maj. Gen. Bennett E. Meyers
yesterday with the establishment
of an Inspector Generals office
with three divisions and the
transfer of the present Air In
spector.
Air Force Secretary Symington
announced assignment of Maj. Gen.
Hugh j. Knerr as inspector general
and establishment of an Air Inspec-
tors Division, Division of Security
and Inquiry, and an Air Provost
Marshal's Division.
Gen. Knerr, wartime commander
Of the Air Service Command, has
been secretary general of the Air
Board since February, 1916. His sue
cessor was not named AS inspector
general he will report directly to
Gen. Spaatz, the chief of staff.
Announcement by Secretary.
Secretary Symingtons announce
ment said Maj Gen. Junius w.
Jones, air inspector since 1943,
Whose scheduled routine transfer
was held in abeyance while the Spe-
cial Senate Committees subcommit-
tee was in session." will be trans
ferred to command of the Sacra-
mento Air Materiel Area with head
quarters at Mcclellan Field. Calf.
1t was the subcommittee that de-
veloped the case against Gen. Myers,
who was indicted Friday by a Dis
trict grand jury for perjury and sub
ornation of perjury.
Maj. Gen. St. Clair Street. who
has been serving as chief of the
Army and Air Force Recruiting
Division, was named Air Inspector
in the new set-up
Joseph F. Carroll, on leave from
the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
was named chief of the Security and
Inquiry Division.
Col Joseph v. Dillon will continue
to head the Division of the Air
Provost Marshal, which is being
transferred from the Office of the
Deputy Chief of Staff.
Wilson to Be COnsultant.
Frank J. Wilson, retired head of
the Secret Service, will continue as
consultant to the Inspector General
Briefly. it will be the duty of the
Air Inspector to see that operational
orders are carried out and that
planes and installations are equipped
and safe. The Security and Inquiry
Division is the investigative unit
and in it's province will fall the duty
of uncovering such matters as the
Meyers case. The Air Provost Mar
shal will be concerned more directly
with routine and small thefts, and
internal acts against the service.
Mr.. CAROLS Office, Gen Knerr
said will be 'channeling agency
both up and down for investiga-
tions and inquiries relating to the
Air Force.
Mr. Carroll will utilize the exist
ing Government agencies to pros
ecute Investigations which may be
initiated either by the Air Force or
which may be brought to Mr.. Car
rolls office by any outside agency"
Gen. Knerr added.
Public Trust Emphasized.
1.-The Air Force has a duty Of
public trust" Gen Knerr said, and
there had been a long-felt need for
establishing a better means of safe
guarding that trust. Many assign
ments now handled by the Air
Inspector will become Mr.. Carrolrs
responsibility. He will utilize all
existing Government agencies to
assist the Air Force in living up to
this obligation of public trust"
Gen Knerr emphasized that the
Inspector Generals Office was new
to the Air Force and that policies
and functions of the three divisions
under him were being worked out
deliberately and carefully"
The announcement thus was the
departments answer to Mr.. SYM
ington's promise to establish IAN
inspection organization which will
produce maximum efficiency with
the facilities available" and pre-
vent a repitition of "the sordid
story of Bennett E. Meyers"
Graduate Of Annapolis.
Gen. Knerr, so, is a native of
Fairfield, Iowa, and a graduate of
the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Commissioned an ensign in the
Navy in 1908, he transferred to the
Coast Artillery Corps in 1911. Dur
ing World War I he was detailed
to the Signal Corps Aviation Sec
ton. He retired as a lieutenant
colonel in 1899.
Recalled to active duty in 1912,
Gen. Knerr was named deputy COM
mander of the Air Service Com
mand at headquarters here. Later
he was in command of the Air
Service Command of the United
States Strategic Air Forces in Eu-
rome He haS haay, coruinn n sxao;.1