Evening star., 1951-03-06
Fb| Probe Asked
OF Land Sales in
H-Bomb Area
Sought by Moybonk;;
Utuh Man Mentioned
In CuroIinu DeuIs

Senator Maybank, Democrat,
of South Carolina. revealed today
that he has asked the Federal
Bureau of Investigation to make
a full investigation of and-buying
in the H-bomb plant area of two
South Carolina counties.
His disclosure came on the heels
of a demand by Gov. James F.
Byrnes of South Carolina for an
investigation of reports of land
sales in the area just before the
Government announced its selec-
ton of site.
Aiken County IS. c. records,
according to the Associated Press,
show that at least one option on
land in the area was obtained No
vember 27, 1850, one day before
the Government made its an
nouncement.
Senator Maybank, chairman cf
the Senate Banking Committee,
revealed that he had heard a "lot
Iof rumors" about land speculation
in the two counties before selection
of the site was announced.
Land Records Copied.
AS result. he said. his COM
mittee asked the Federal Housing
Administration to have its clerks
make copy of all the land trans
fers recorded in the county court
houses of Aiken and Barnwell
Counties between November l and
February 20. These records, he
said, were sent to his committee
and have been made available to
the FBI.
Senator Maybank said he had
conferred with both the Justice
Department and the Atomic En-
ergy Commission on the land
transfers. He added that he did
not want to prejudge the trans
fers but "if there has been any
thing wrong done. I hope they
put them in jail"
Gov. Byrnes said yesterday he
had made a personal investigation
of the site in Barnwell and Aiken
Counties. but found mo names of
any South Carolinian in public
life having an option previous to
tho oona,1yroy,aarfO -
Man From Utah Mentioned.
The Governor said, however,
that records show man from
Utah, who he did not identify, did
get a land option beforehand. He
suggested that it was unusual for
a man in Utah to be dealing in
South Carolina real estate and
said it should be investigated. His
implication was that the investi-
CATION should be handled by the
Atomic Energy Commission.
Senator Maybank said his COM
mittee records showed "all the
land transfers of this fellow from
Salt Lake City. Walter " Pace"
Mr.. Pace, a Salt Lake City
meat company president. said
there was nothing irregular in
his purchase of two pieces of land
in the H-bomb plant area on No
vember 27 and November %.
The two pieces of land totaled
81 acres. The land was repeatedly
bought for $44, 900 and later sold
for $120.000, a profit of $4,000.
j. c. Long, a Charleston lawyer
and housing developer, said he
bought the land from Mr.. Pace
for housing development.
The Acc had no comment on
Gov. Byrnes' call for an investi-
cation, but Capitol Hill sources
said such commission investi-
cation was already underway.
The Senate Banking Commit
tee has been making a study but
has not issued any findings yet.
Work at the $50 million, $50, 900
acre project already is underway.
About $4,000 workers eventually
will be employed in construction
of the plant.
Bought Tract for $4,000.
Aiken County court records
show that Mr.. Pace executed an
option on 70 acres belonging to
the Rev. Jesse w. Hammond for
$4,000 on November 81. He sold
this tract to Long February II for
$4,000
Mr.. Pace also obtained an op-
ton on 10 acres owned by Gladys
B. Thayer on November %. He
took up the option January "a for
tSee BOMB PLANT, Pg. A-3D