Evening star., 1949-12-16
Key West Dispatches
Indicate Something
Wrong in Burke Case
Question Now Arises Why
Didn't Mr.. Trumon See
orisinoI Promotion List

Didn't Mr.. Truman See
orisinoI Promotion List
By Dauid Laurence
something seems to have gone
wrong between Key West and
Washington on the case Of Capt.
Arleish Burke. idol Of the Navy
and hero Of the war in the Paci-
fic. "
When Key West dispatches at
tribute to President Truman the
statement that he has seen only
one list of captains recommended
by. the, Nays selection board to
be promoted to rear admiral. the
question arises why didn't Mr..
Truman see the original list sub
mitted by that board. as specifi-
caily provided by statute.
Has somebody been violating
the law?
The facts are that !. the Navy
selection board picked Capt.
Burke to be a rear admiral and
submitted its report to the Secre-
tary ofa the Navy as a matter OF
routine 50 that the document
would be forwarded to the Presi-
dent. -
At this point. 1t is said that
the Secretary Of the Navy inter-
vened and called the members OF
the Navy selection board together
and told them 1t would make a
bad impression on the public II
Capt. Burke were selected. He
also II reported to have said that
he: would like to have the name
Of his own naval aide put on the
list because the latter would not
have another chance for promo
ton and would be very much dis
appointed If he did not get the
advancement.
Board Reconvened.
Accordingly the board was re-
convened, and the members felt
that, in effect, they had received
IN instruction from the President.
30 they dropped Capt. Burke's
name and put in its place the
name Of. the man the Secretary
Of the Navy wanted. The fact
that the navy board had been re-
convened several days ago was
made known quite accidentally
to large group who were at
tending. i meeting over which a
member of the selection board
happened to be presiding. In
turning the meeting over to an
associate, he said that he had to
leave because the selection
board had Just been "reconvened." :"
It is most unusual for the Navy
selection board to be "reconvened"
after it has submitted its report.
1t created quite q stir in Navy
circles.
Congress was very careful to
prevent promotions in the Navy
from being handled In this
highly. irregular. Il not political.
manner. Section 80 Of the
statute says with respect to the
Navy selection board:
"The report Of the board shall
be submitted to the President for
approval pr disapproval: Provided.
that In case OF. any officer or of
f1cers recommended by the board
for temporary promotion, or. In
the case Of rear admilals or cap
tains. for continuation on the ac-
tive list. be not acceptable TO the
President. the board shall be In
formed Of the. name of such officer
or officers and shall recommend q
number Of alternate officers for
temporary promotion or for con-
tinuation on the active list, as
the case may be, equal to the num-
ber Of those found not acceptable
to the President. and, II neces-
sary, the board shall be reconvened
for this purpose"
Impression from Dispatches.
The Key West dispatches would
give the impression that the Presi-
dent is wholly innocent Of what
happened and that he did not
order any names taken off the list.
This might be so. as he may have
been permitted to see only one
list. But II this is so, then some
body pulled boner somewhere.
Neither the Secretary of the
Navy nor the Secretary Of Defense
had authority to order the board
reconvened and to have any names
taken of the list unless, of course.
either one was speaking by in
struction Of the President as q
delegation Of authority.
II the Secretary of the Navy
did not have the Presidents
authority, the members of the Sc
lection board could hardly have
questioned him as to why he
wanted any name taken from the
list. They could not have ap-
peared TO doubt that he was speak
ing for the President. though the
denial IN the Key West dispatches
that Mr.. Truman intervened is
puzzling. To- say the least.
Has1a.great hero of the Nation
been made the victim of a con-
spiracy to infiict punishment on
him for having testified before a
congressional committee? Only
the President can undo such q
wrong He can do It by adding
Capt. Burke's name to the list.
If he does 50. the. fathers and
mothers and relatives Of the more
than 5000 American boys at Boug-
ainville whose lives were saved by
the heroic work Of Capt. Burke,s
destroyer squadron can feel that
justice has, been done and that
to risk ones life for ones country
in free America and render
efficient service is still the right
way TO earn promotion in the
armed services Of the United
States. :r