Evening star., 1949-10-06
NavySuspends Capt. Cromme|in;
Formal Charges Being Prepared;
Matthews Criticizes.His Actions
Secretary First
Witness as House
Inquiry Opens
By Chris Mothisen

BY Chris MofniSen
Secretary of the Navy Matthews
today denounced "a few individu-
ais" in the Navy who, he said.
have continued to wage a sur
reptitious fight against armed
forces unification, despite congress
sional and presidential approval
of the principle of unified
defense setup.
Appearing before the House
Armed Services Committee as the
first witness in the committee S
broad inquiry into defense plan
ming, Mr.. Matthews insisted that
Navy morale is good. except for
some impairment among naval
aviators as a result of postwar
contraction in the size of their
service.
He made specific mention of
public utterances by Capt. John
G. Crommelin and publication Of
a letter from Vice Admiral Gerald
Began. now commanding the a.
cific 1st Task Fleet.
Faithlessness Charged.
Secretary Matthews, in effect,
accused Capt. Crommelin of dis
loyalty, faithlessness and insubor-
dination.
AS the Secretary testified. Pres
ident Truman told news confer
ence he has instructed Mr.. Mat
thews to get 10 the bottom of the
controversy sWirling about charges
that the Navy is not being given
a fair deal in present military un-
ification policies.
Both Capt. Crommelin and Ad-
miral Began have served in nava,
aviation. The former was ordered
restricted to his home today and
placed under suspension. pending
preferment of charges arising
from his admitted release to the
press of copies of Admiral Bogan's
letter, which complained that de-
emphasis Of the Navy in defense
planning had had disastrous ef-
feet on morale of the service.
Admiral Began was among the
group of high-ranking Navy Off
GERS expected to testify before the
House committee in what Chair
man Vinson said would be an ef-
fort to "get to the bottom of this
unrest and concern in the Navy
Effect Of Action Mentioned.
OF Admiral Began and Capt
Crommelin, Mr.. Matthews said he
found little difference in their
present views from those they gave
a congressional committee in 1947
when they opposed unification
legislation.
'The spectacle Of distinguished
naval aviators, holding high office
in the Navy. denouncing law
offered to the Congress by the
President of the United States and
twice overwhelmingly approved by
the Congress could hardly be ex-
pected to be utterly without effect
upon some members of the Navy
personnel among whom they are
numbered" he told the committee
However, the fact that they
have seen fit in the exercise o1
their discretion to speak out 81
sensationally and in such an un.
Navy-like manner against Law
which they can be rightly expected
to support does not in any sense
justify a conclusion that the
morale of that portion of the Navy
personnel which is not involved ir
their forensic maneuvers is al
shot to pieces-in my opinion they
do not reflect the views of any
thing approaching a majority o.
naval officers"
Letter to Vinson Recalled.
Mr.. Matthews recalled that hi
had sent MIR. Vinson a letter last
July commenting on some of the
matters now to be considered by
the committee in opening hearing
AS to whether the Air Force is
concentrating upon strategic
bombing to an undesirable extent
with respect to overall defense
planning, Mr.. Matthews said:
IT stated in my letter that ir
the opinion of the Navy the Ali
Force, as projected in its 1886
forces, was unbalanced in favor OF
strategic bombing"
The Navy head began his pre-