Evening star., 1949-07-17

OF Garssons, Shakeup
OF Chemical Service
Mai. Gen. Alden H. Watt
Chei.ical Corps chief suspended
by the Army yesterday. is familiar
with the heat of congressional
committee explosions.
He survived blistering sessions
with the old Senate War Invest
eating Committee three years age
this month during it's inquiry in
to the May-Garsson dealings.
He also clung unscathed to his
high official perch despite dras-
tic shake-up that dropped OF
transferred tWo-thirds of the Off
GERS and nearly ohe-half of the
civilian personnel of the chemicaI
service in August, 1916.
Maj. Gen. Herman Feldman
Quartermaster General since last
March 81, has been less in tho
public eye. His professional
career of almost AZ years, from
private to major general, goes
back 10 years farther than Gen
Watts.
In many respects the records o1
the two officers have run parable
in prominence and responsibility
as we'll as in promotions and situ-
ations.
The 56-year old Gen. Watt, al
chief of the Chemical Corps, anc
it's predecessor the Chemical War.
fare Service, since November 20
1945, has had the highly impor-
tant duty of directing and safe.
guarding the super secret bacteri-
illogical warfare program.
Carson Trial Witness.
The 59-year-old Gen. Feldmar
has had charge of buying food fol
all the armed forces and purchas.
ing all clothing. furniture anC
other equipment for the Army.
. Gen. Waits earlier experience
with the old Senate War Inves-
tigating subcommittee now looking
into the five per centers' prob
lem-greW out of his association
with Henry and Murray Carson
operators of a wartime munitions
combine, and former Representa-
tive Andrew j. May. Democrat, OF
Kentucky, then chairman of the
old House Military Affairs Com
mittee.
Senate committee disclosures at
the 1946 injury led to the District
Court conviction of May and the
Carson brothers in July, 1947. on
war fraud conspiracy charges.
Gen. Watt appeared briefly as
a Government witness at the trial
and identified a letter from May
to Gen. Eisenhower'S headquar-
ters in Europe in April, 1945. The
letter interceded for Murray
Garsson's son, Capt. Joseph H
Carson, who had been court
martialed for refusal to obey q
battlefield command.
Quizzed on Wedding Party.
Gen. Watt underwent a much
more severe and varied question
ing by the Senate committee thar
at the trial.
He was asked not only about
his role as mail carrier" for May
but also about his attendance
along with May and several high
ranking Army officers. at a Law.
ishly staged and candidly photo
graphed wedding of Murray
Garsson's daughter at New
York hotel in January. 1914.
More particularly. the commit
tee expressed displeasure at his
"meager" official report concern
ing defective 4.2-inch shells
which cost the lives of 20 men
and injured 83 during wartime
battle operation.
At a public hearing Gen. Watt
told the committee he believed the
premature explosions resulted from
faulty design or manufacture OF
shell bodies of the type produced
by one of the Carson companies
and seven other concerns.
The next day. at closed ses-
sion, he was quoted as having testi-
fed that the fault lay either in
the fuses or the fuse components
or the assembling of the completed
fuses and not in the shells them
selves"
He arrived at that conclusion, he
explained. after consulting tech
nical experts in his department.
Committee Not Satisfied.
The revised testimony and re-
plies to various other questions did
not satisfy the committee. In a
Senate speech, Senator Mitchell,
Democrat, of Washington declared
that errors and contradictions"
in Gen. Watts testimony raise
a legitimate question about the
generals technical competence for
his job, let alone his moral cali
ber"
Defending his part in bearing
the May letter to Gen. Eisenhower,
Gen. Watt told the committee his
mission was merely ''reportorial"
and that he attempted to use no
influence in behalf of Capt
Carson.
II was a messenger, pure and
simple" he said.
Il tell you," Senator Kilgor
Democrat, of West Virginia, ex-
claimed, "the Army is sinking
awfully low when they are send
ing out stars on the shoulders
of messengers"
"Wait, Senator" the general
pleaded. "Put yourself in my posi-.
ton, will you please?"
Il don't want to get into it,
the Senator retorted.
Bill Paid by Murray Carson
AS for the Carson wedding
party Gop Woitt commanded hi,