Evening star., 1947-11-07
Hughes
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reconnaissance planes. Mr.. Brown
ing read records quoting Gen.
Arnold as saying this plane was an
urgent military necessity"
Il believe the best available
method of obtaining such airplanes
is by placing with the Hughes Tool
Go. a contract for the Fill aircraft
engineered by that concern" Gen.
Arnold was quoted IN a memo to
Undersecretary Patterson.
Gen. Meyers, Mr.. Browning said,
once expressed himself as being
mot entirely satisfied" with the
conditions OF the contract to the
Hughes company. But Gen. Meyers
continually urged action on 1t and
explained he was conforming to Or
ders from Gen. Arnold, the witness
added.
Undersecretary Patterson sent Mr..
Browning a written order to sign
the contract. Mr.. Browning told
the subcommittee that was the
only such written order he ever re-
ceived from Mr.. Patterson, with
whom he was associated as a spe-
cial assistant in charge OF War De-
partment purchases.
Mr.. Browning said he and many
other officials did not look with
favor on the $70,274,666 contract
price for the 100 planes in May,
1914, especially because the original
figure proposed in October, 1943,
had been $4S,5OO,O0O. Eventually
the contract was cut to three planes
at $22,000,000.
'The Air Force did not agree the
$4,000, 900 was the best price, but it
was the best price they could get
from Mr.. Hughes" Mr.. Browning
remarked.
Mr.. Browning's reference to the
reported insistence of Gen. Meyers
came in connection with his testi-
mony about an April, 1914, meeting
of several key Air Force officials in
Gen. Meyers Office at Wright Field,
Ohio.
Gen. Meyers was very insistent
that contract be entered into with
Hughes for the purchase of 100 pho
tographic planes" he testified. "He
stated that he recognized there was
a great deal Of personal opinion at
various levels by various officers that
such q contract should not be en-
tered into, but that Gen. Arnold
wanted these planes purchased and
1t was up to the Wright Field off,
GERS to negotiate contract with Mr..
Hughes that would be acceptable
to my Office as representing the Un-
dersecretary of War
Later that day Mr.. Hughes met
with the same group, Mr.. Browning
added, and it was decided to start
contract negotiations.
Mr.. Browning said that when he
opposed the contract on the basis
of policy and pricing, Gen. Meyers
told him that IF I did not sign the
contract without referring the mat
ter to the Undersecretary he would
like to attend the meeting with the
Undersecretary with me-" Gen
Meyers attended the meeting, he
said.
In July, 1914, Mr.. Patterson sent
the order to sign the contract, Mr.
Browning testified.
One Of yesterdays witnesses,
Charles w. Perrelli, general man.
ager for the Hughes Tool Company
aircraft section in 1914 and 1915
told Of reports at the time that Mr.
Hughes intended to employ Gen
Meyers after the war. He said Mr.
Hughes told him there was moth
ing to those reports"
Another witness, Brig. Gen James
r. Phillips, wartime Air Force ma.
terial division official read records
which, according to Senator Fergu.
son, showed that Gen. Meyers op.
posed an aircraft boards recon-.
mendation for cancellation of the
Hughes reconnaissance, plane con-
tract in 1914.
Witnesses at hearings last Angus
listed Gen. Meyers among AAF Off
GERS who decided to allow the
Hughes company $1,900,000 on {
$3,600,000 claim for development
costs" on a wooden plane job. Other
AAF officials and technical expert!
fought the Hughes claim that the
plane was 9 prototype for the meta
reconnaissance plane subsequently
manufactured under the Govern.
ment contract.
Yesterdays hearing, as in the cast
Of Wednesdays opening session
wound up with another committee
disclosure of money that reportetilj
had not been paid the Government
by Mr.. Hughes.
A battery of General Accounting
Once representatives took the stanc
to report a Government over.
payment OF $326,000 to the air.
craft division Of the Hughes Too
Co. This, they explained, resulted
from errors and overallowances ir
the termination settlement of one