Evening star., 1951-07-30
General Disciplined
For Accepting Favors
From Industry Agent

from InQuSNy AgeM
The Army has fired Brig. Gen.
David J. Crawford as command
ing officer of the Detroit Tank
and reprimandef him for
accepting favors from contract
ing companies.
Secretary of the Army Pace
announced last night that Gen.
Crawford had been removed be-
cause he violated Army regula-
tions and had not met the high
standards required of an Army
officer"
Admits Accepting FavOrS.
Gen. Crawford admitted to a
House committee last week that
he accepted a free suite at the
Congressional Hotel here and the
gift of a boat keel from repre-
Sentatives of manufacturers hold
ing $33 million worth of ordnance
contracts. He testified at a De-
troit hearing conducted by the
House Subcommittee on Execu-
tive Expenditures, headed by
Representative Hardy, Democrat,
cf Virginia.
The 54-year-old West Point
graduate said he had no comment
OIL the Army's action in relieving
him OF command at the tank
arsenal.
Replacement Named.
Gen. Crawford will be replaced
at Detroit by Brig. Gen. Carroll
M. Dietrich. now commander of
the arsenal at Watertown, Mass.
In Washington, Mr.. Hardy de-
scribed Secretary PAGES action as
timely, appropriate and in keep
ing with the facts disclosed at
hearings before our subcommittee.
The general admitted accept
ing gratuitieS in several instances
from contractors doing business
with the arsenal" Mr.. Hardy said.
While the amounts of money i'll
volved in these admissions were
not substantial, the practice is
reprehensible, and the principle is
the same :"
Mr.. Hardy said he was dis
turbed by press statements at
tributed to Gen. Crawford, to the
effect that ''he did nothing any
body else would not have done but
that some one caught him at it,"
Casts Suspicious on Others.
Such a statement" said Mr..
Hardy. leaves the impression
that the general not only sees
nothing wrong in accepting favors
from Government contractors but
that the practice is general
among officers of high rank. OF
course, I have no way of knowing
whether the general actually in
tended such an inference but his
public statement casts suspicion
upon the commanding officers of
united States military installa-
tions throughout this country and
the world"
Besides the hotel suite and the
boat keel favors, Gen. Crawford
admitted to the Hardy commit
tee that he had used Government
materials in building pleasure
boats and transporting personal
property at Government expense.
He acknowledged that he prob
ably" violated Army regulations
by shipping trees to his home at
WaySide. Md, via an Army truck
manned by soldier crew.
Salvage Material Used.
Gen. Crawford said he used
Government salvage m aterial
worth less than 5000 in building
a 24-foot sailboat, for which he
got the white oak keel from the
Lebanon Steel Co.
Secretary Pace said that while
Gen. CraWford's work in organiz-
ing the big tank center had been
outstanding and that although an
investigation has disclosed no con-
tractual irregularities. the gen.
erals failure to meet the high
standards required of an Army
officer cannot be condoned, nor
can his violations of regulations
which require very eXacting stand
ards on the part of Army person.
mel, both military and civilian"
The announcement said action
mad been taken to require Gen.
Crawford to reimburse the Govern
ment for materials used in the
construction of pleasure boats.
In testimony before the House
subcommittee, Gen. Crawford de-
clared he felt there was no i'm
propriety in his actions and that
he couldn't do business without
accepting hospitality"
Hotel Expenses Listed.
He testified that he listed lodg-
ings in his Army expense account
for the two days he spent at the
Congressional Hotel suite main
tanned by the Continental Foundry
q Machine Co.. and the Pacific
Car & Foundry Co. He was IN
Washington June 1927 to appear
before a Congressional committee
and said he accepted an lnvi-
tation from Ray Middleton, a re-
tired Army colonel who repre-
sents Pacific Car & Foundry, to
stay in his suite.
Army spokesmen said Gen.
Crawford probably will remain at
Detroit until reassigned. A rep
rlmand entered in an officers