Evening star., 1949-10-06
Navy
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) pared statement by assuring Mr.
Vinson that ANY naval officer o.
enlisted man or any Navy civilian
whom your committee wants tx
hear. or who desires to be heare
by your committee is completed,
free to testify"
He urged. however. that th'
statement of Admiral Arthur w
Radford. Pacific Fleet commander
be heard by the committee II
closed session. He explained i
was his belief that "the publiciz
ing of that statement would have
a definite effect on the security o.
the country" and give comfort t
a possible enemy"
Mr.. Vinson said the COMMITTEES
and Admiral Radford would share
the responsibility when he tool
the stand as to whether all o.
parts of his testimony should bt
withheld from the public as classi'
fed information.
Hopes for Closed Session.
Mr.. Matthews again expressed
the hope that Admiral Radfore
would be allowed to testify behine
closed doors, saying that even Il
all the material were not classified
secret or confidential, disclosures
of serious differences in policy
and procedure" among the armed
services would, in his opinion, be
undesirable. r
Mr.. Vinson said again that the
problem would be taken up when
Admiral Radford testified and en-
phasized that "the public has a
right to know what is going on, u
in so far as defense secrets are
not compromised.
AS the committee recessed fol
lunch, however, Mr.. Vinson an
nounced that Admiral Radforo
would be heard in closed session
this afternoon and that his testi-
mony might be made public later
if the committee decided Mr.
Matthews had been "overcauti-
GUS" in recommending that the
testimony be heard in closed
hearing.
Crommelin's Name Omitted.
Admiral Radford was to be the
only witness this afternoon. but
Mr.. Vinson read list of 81 other
witnesses to follow him at sue
ceeding sessions. Representative
Van Zandt, Republican, of Penn
sylvania, asked why Capt. Crom-
melin's name was not on the list
Mr.. Vinson replied that it was
not submitted by Admiral Radford
but added that the committee
would study Capt. Crommelin's
statement last month before
Naval Court of Inquiry investi.
eating the B-36 memorandum
incident and might decide tt
question him.
Judging from news stories,
Mr.. Vinson said, "he defended g
man who is trying to sell false
idea about the Air Force to the
country"
In expressing his conviction thai
Navy morale is not dangerously
unhealthy, Mr.. Matthews said he
had complete confidence that Sec
retary of Defense johnson viii
discharge his duty with the utmost
fairness, with equal concern fol
all three services, ana with 6
single eye to the safety OF Amer
lea.
He went on to say that it wa.
inevitable some members OF the
Navy should be made unhappy by
necessary postwar reductions II
the size of the service.
Release to Press Assailed.
He was bitter in his comments
on some few individuals who. fol
reasons sufficient to themselves. ir
spite of their oath taken as
member of the military establish.
ment Of the United States. which
imposed upon them the solemn
obligation to support the Consti-
tuition and the laws of the United
States, have deliberately engaged
in the indefensible procedure o1
surreptitiously disclosing to per.
sons unentitled to possess it docu-
mentary and other restricted In
formation belonging to the Navy
Department in a manner anc
under circumstances which coulc
leave no doubt of their own con-
sciousness of the improperly oil
their action the disloyal character
of their conduct.
Such actions and related de.
$eIopments, though INDUCED in By
q comparatively few individuals
undoubtedly have unfavorably af.
fected Navy morale. That it,
further impairment may be
avoided, those guilty and respon.
sible for imposing this latest
blemish on Navy tradition will ali
be identified and brought to an