Evening star., 1949-02-20
Draper 70 Quit
As Royal Aide;
q
AMG Officers Target
Had Major Role in
Occupation Policies
BY the Associated Press

Maj. Gen. William H. Draper,
jr., Undersecretary of the Army,
who has had much to do with oc-
cupation policies in Germany and
Japan, will leave Government
service February %.
His resignation was announced
by the White House yesterday.
A Republican, he has been on
leave from his post as vice presi-
dent of Dillon. Read and Co., Wall
street investment banking firm,
since 1910. He said he wants to
re-enter private life and has de-
layed it at official request.
President Truman. accepting the
resignation, spoke of Gen. Draper's
high spirit of service" and sacri-
flee of personal desires.
Undersecretary of the Army
since October, 1947, and previously
an economic adviser to the United
States Military Government, Gen.
Draper has played dominant part
in occupation policies for both
Germany and Japan
He is reputed to be one of those
advocating the quickest possible
reconstruction in both Germany
and Japan, partially with view to
helping get some of the burden of
occupation costs off the American
taxpayer.
Criticized by Civilian Official.
Alexander Sacks, a New York
lawyer now a Junior member Of
the civil administration division
of the United States Military Gov
ernment in Germany, recently
criticized Gen. Draper.
He replied to a special Army
committees query that 1T is no
longer secret that the operations"
of the program to de-centralize
Germany industry had been
hampered by Gen. Draper and his
associates.
Mr.. Sacks was suspended after
his criticism, but Gen. Draper in
tervened with Gen. Lucius D. Clay,
United States military governor,
to return him to duty. Wendell
Berge, attorney for Mr.. Sacks, has
demanded that the Army abandon
any thought of future discipline
or give Mr.. Sacks a hearing in
Washington.
Prior to becoming Undersecre-
tary of the Army, Gen. Draper had
helped draft the plan for repara-
tlons and the level of postwar
German economy.
Truman Halls Service.
Gen. Draper explained that he
had delayed leaving the Govern
ment at the request of both Sec
reary of Defense Forrestal and
Army Secretary Royal.
Mr.. Truman wrote him:
Your willingness to sacrifice
your personal desires and interests
has been in keeping with the high
spirit of service to your country
which has motivated you through
the last nine years during which
in uniform and more recently as
a civilian you have rendered gen.
uine patriotic service to the United
States"
The 54-year- old Draper told Mr..
Truman in his letter that "as q
Republican in a Democratic ad-
ministration, I have never been
asked to influence a decision or
make an appointment, in carrying
out my defense duties. on a po-
|litical basis"
Was in World War I.
Gen. Draper went into the Army
lin World War I. and continued
in the Reserve afterward. He went
back on active duty in 1910 with
the War Department General Staff
in Washington and later was q
commander of the 136th Infantry
Regiment.
Brought back to Washington In
1914, he was put in charge of the
Army's program for settling war
contracts.
Later he was assigned to the
Military Government in Germany.
He was made economic adviser
to the European theater COM
mander in chief in 1947, attended
the Moscow conference as an
adviser.
The Communist press attacked
Gen. Draper last summer and said
he had been guilty of arms
brandishment" by calling for
armed forces necessary to seize
and hold bases far beyond United
States boundaries.