Evening star., 1947-11-22

said. Mrs Lamarre graduated from
Miami in 1888 and Lamarre gradu-
ated year later
Mrs. Lamarre was listed in the
Miami U year book as one of the II
most beautiful girls on the campus
that year. She also was active in
sorority circles and served as presi-
dent of the senior women.
! In New York today Mrs. Meyers
was quoted by the New York Post
as saying she loves her husband
more, if anything" because of his
testimony. She said she urged Gen
Meyers to testify as he did after
he had said to her: Il would rather
cut off my right arm than embar-
rass you or have to bring a lady
into this"
Mrs. Meyers said she told Gen.
Meyers that the relationship he
claimed he had had with Mrs La
MARE was your own business" and
happened before you met me-"
All through yesterdays session,
the tension and bitterness increased
to point where, at one stage, Gen.
Meyers and Committee Counsel Will
liam Rogers apparently might have
come to blows if they had not been
separated by a wide table.
War Service Issue Raised.
Gen. Meyers said he wanted to
know what Mr.. Rogers had done
during the war. The tall, blond at
torney jumped to his feet, shook his
fists at the witness and cried out:
II saw more active service than
you did, general You were in Wash
ington and Dayton and saw action
with bank accounts. I was in the
Navy on an aircraft carrier that
was hit twice by suicide planes, and
I am proud of it,
Gen. Meyers shouted back that
Mr.. Rogers apparently was not
aware of 'the work that was done in
this country so the boys could fight. "
He declared he had wanted to be
sent overseas and had been asked
by Gen. Arnold to take an over
seas post. But Robert A. Lovett,
then Assistant Secretary Of War
for Air, had ruled he was more val
liable in the United States, the wit
ness said.
Gen. Meyers left the stand with
a denial that he had received profits
or benefits from the Aviation Elec-
trio Corp. and an expression Of hope
that somebody will find out where
the profits did CO.
His father-in-law, Ray A. Curnutt,
former bus driver who became
vice president in charge of pro-
duction" at the Aviation Electric
Corp. in 1912 at a $4,000 annual SAL
ary, was called to the stand. He ex-
perienced one of the severest
grillings of any witness at the hear
ings.
Tangles With Committee.
Curnutt, who is year younger
than Gen. Meyers and whose movie
actress daughter, Ila Rae Curnutt,
married him in 1943, tangled with
the subcommittee when Assistant
Chief Counsel Francis D. Flanagan
suggested that he read notes to
which he was referring.
The Witnes denied the notes were
written or suggested by Gen. Meyers,
but he admitted they were typewrit-
ten by his wife and Mrs. Meyers.
According to the notes, he was
fired" by Lamarre in 1945 be-
cause of a dispute over a motor
patent and also because of other
things he said he did not like
about Lamarre and the company
management in general.
Curnutt defended what he de-
scribed as contract settlement
whereby he was to continue to re-
ceive his salary, minus tax deduc-
tions, until 1948, although he left
the firm in 1945.
Before going to work for the Avi-
alton Electric Corp, on the recon-
mendation of Gen. Meyers, Cur
mutt testified he never earned more
than $2,700 a year.
He said he had suggested produc-
tion Improvements and also cut
down costs by having II employees
discharged He said he obtained the
1942-1943 contract over initial OBJ
jections by Lamarre that the con-
tracts would be limited to the dura-
ton of the war.
Looked Beyond Wars End.
IT was afraid of it," he said, re-
fering to the proposed war-end con-
tract. II didn't think it would last
long enough. I wanted a postwar
assurance because I understood the
company had plans for postwar pro-
duction."
Curnutt substantiated earlier tes-
timony of Gen. Meyers that the
general believed the contract ar
rangement drove pretty hard bar
gain" with Lamarre. But Curnutt
insisted he still believed he was
right.
why did you have the full
amount of salary between 1945 and
1948 paid, to you in lump sum when
you left the company in 1882" Mr..
Rogers asked. did you want to
avoid the income tax?"
NO." Curnutt said. "Lamarre
and I figured it out for me to give
notes to the company so I wouldn't
have to pay so much income tax in
any one year.
About $4,000 of the repeatedly
surplus salary paid to Curnutt
found its way into joint bank
account of Gen. and Mrs. Meyers.
Curnutt explained he gave this
money to Mrs. Meyers to give to the
Meyers twin boys.
Another $4,000 Involved.
Besides that $26,000," Mr.. Rogers
prodded, another $4,000 of your
money turned up in bank accounts
of your daughter and Gen. Meyers?"
THAT wasn't payment" MIR.
Curnutt said. II sent it to my
daughter from time to time to keep
for me-"
Didn't you have a bank account
of your own?"
"Yes," Curnutt answered, "but
I wanted her to keep it for me-"
Gen. Meyers testified previously
he did not learn until 1945 that
Mrs. Meyers had deposited the