Evening star., 1949-09-10
Generals

Generals
Continued From First Page.)
lations, is eligible to retire on 30
years service.
He will enter Walter Reed Hos
pital Monday for "a routine ply
sical checkup" preliminary to
actual retirement September 80,
Gen. Parks said. His retirement
pay will be $3.50 a month.
There has been mo firm de-
cision" on a successor to the
Chemical Corps chief. The Army
will make a recommendation to
President Truman. The appoint
ment must be confirmed by the
Senate.
Hopes 1t Is Not Precedent.
Informed of Secretary Gray's
decision, Senator Mundt. Repub-
lican, of South Dakota, member
of the investigating committee,
commented:
Il do not want to make any
criticism of the action of the Sec
retary. but I do express the hope
that the absence of any formal
admonition to Gen. Feldman will
not be construed by our military
personnel generally to encourage
the distribution of procurement
contractual information, whether
secret information or otherwise,
to personal friends and favored
individuals.
1.-THE hearings have demon
strated clearly the Importance of
making such information avail
able to contractors and interested
suppliers simultaneously and gen.
orally so that the interests of the
taxpayer can be protected and
so that nobody can get a first
chance or an unfair advantage in
seeking Government business.
while Gen. Feldman probably
deserves a second chance, I think
the Department of Defense should
make it clear that this does not
set precedent for an easy-going
policy if errors of judgment of
this kind reoccur on the part of
other, procurement officials"
Suspended Since July 16.
The two generals have been un-
der suspension since July 16 when
Secretary of the Army Gray re-
lieved them from duty pending
the outcome of investigations by
the Senate "five-percenter' COM
mittee and the Army inspector
general.
Mr.. Gray said at the time the
evidence obtained up to that point
indicates that each officer had
exhibited a lack of that judgment
and sense of propriety which must
be expected of persons in their
position
The Secretary said the Senate
group has evidence which indi-
Gates that Gen. Watt improperly
furnished personnel data to an in
dividual not in the military serv-
ice who was not entitled to receive
such data, and that Gen. Feldmsn
furnished to a contractors repre-
sentative procurement informa-
ton under circumstances which
appear irregular"
The Senate committe aired the
evidence-and gave the two gen.
erals a chance to tell their side
of the story-during the hearings
that recessed last week.
Vaughan Confirms Story.
Gen. Watt admitted at the
hearing that he furnished Maj.
Gen. Harry H. Vaughan, the Pres
ident's military aide, with derog-
atory comments about fellow Of
ficers eligible to succeed him as
chief of the Chemical Corps. He
said Gen. Vaughan asked for the
information.
On the witnes stand himself,
Gen. Vaughan confirmed that part
of Gen. Waits account. He said
he had asked Gen. Watt for a
frank expression" of opinion on
the other officers to advise Presi-
dent Truman in choosing Gen.
Watts successor.
But Gen. Vaughan said he did
not know Gen. Watt dictated the
critical comments in the Office of
James v. Hunt, the management
counselor whose activities prompt
ed the "five-percenter" inquiry.
Gen. Watt admitted he dictated
the memorandum to Mr.. Hunts
secretary. He said he wanted to
keep the whole thing out of his
Office.
Dictated Biography.
He said he also dictated fiat
tering biography of himself but
lost his nerve and did not send
that one to Gen. Vaughan.
Gen. Watt was frank to admit
he was trying to succeed himself
and considered himself the only
man qualified for the job.
He said he did not know how
another report low-rating the abil-
ity of number of fellow officers
happened to turn up in Mr.. Hunts
files, but added that II must have
taken it there" That report, he
I'll L., - II