Evening star., 1949-11-04
BY John A. Giles


against the administrations uni11-
cation policies although Admiral
Sherman does not plan any whole
sale housecleaning..
The shifts In the ofing are ex-
pected to include a elean-out Of
officers, both Regular and Reserve.
whose official duties at the Navy
Department have been vague and
whose time apparently has been
occupied principally with assist
ing the admirals in preparing the
Nays ease" against untncation
policies.
Some Of these men are aides;
others have been In the status Of
special duty assignments" Vir-
tually all are below the rank Of
rear admiral.
Navy Secretary Matthews. rs
disclosed in The Star last Sunday.
had ordered the Navy inspector
general, Rear Admiral Allen r.
McCann, to investigate "Op 2S,"
which In Navy parlance means
Operations Division 23. It was .
division Of the Ofiice Of the Chief
Of Naval Operations.
The Secretary-s order came after
several members Of Congress had
expressed an interest In the activ-
tiles Of the group Of 13 officers and
II enlisted personnel. Admiral
McCann seized . number Of their
records and documents.
The units full title was Organ
national. Research and Policy
Division"
It had these broad objectives:
ITO conduct research and study
involving organizational units and
principles now In use or proposed
In the National Military Establish
ment In order to assist In formu-
lation Of policy by advising the
Chief Of Naval Operations re-
garding relationships or units,
functions and policies to existing
legislation and Navy Department
procedures"
Pamphlets Seized.
Among the documents seized
BY Admiral McCann's of1ice were
pamphlets and other data which
had either been drawn up within
the ofnee or had been obtained
by II with the idea Of distribution
both within the Navy and On
Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile, Chairman Tydings
Of the Senate Armed Services
Committee hit back at those who
claim that American seapower il
becoming dangerously weak. He
declared yesterday that the Navy
Is three times" as strong Is
the; combined navies Of other ma
tions." On the other hand, he
said, "Our Army with only a. few
divisions Is pitifully below the
comparable strength OF the other
great country"-an obvious refer.
ence to Russia.
Senator Tydings recently re-
turned from Z series Of confer
ences with European military
leaders.
In air strength, he said, Russia
and the United States are about
equal.
Nobody can beat US on the
high seas, and we intend to keep
the best Navy in the world. .
Senator Tydings added.
Calls For Good Army.
''But We must keep Z good
Army and Air Force. That's
where we are weak. That's where
the enemy win beat US II 1t is
done. I'm worried about the
Army and will be worried If the
Air Force falls into second place. ]"
Capt. John q. Crommelin,
whose release Of letters addressed
to Secretary Matthews spanked
the hearing before the House
Armed Services Committee. sub
mitted q reply yesterday to the
charge that he violated military
law" but his reply viii not be
made public by the department.
High naval sources said that
Capt. Crommelin unquestionably
faces some sort Of punishment for
his act but they could not say
what form this would take.
The captain has admitted that
he released the documents. which
criticized unidcation policies. but
maintained that they were not
classified ct the time he slipped
them - reporters.
Canadian fisheries produce