Evening star., 1951-12-23
Intervention by LoyetI
Is Linked 10 WiIIett',
Quitting Navy Job
Pentogon Check Seen
For Employees Ousted
From U. S. Agencies
By John A. Giles

Former RFC Director William
E. Willett suddenly resigned hi.
$1,000 Navy job yesterday anc
it was reported that Defense Sec.
retary Lovett personally inter.
yened to force his removal.
Some officials expressed the
belief that the incident may in.
spire a sort of combing through
the roster of b-offlcials to see
if anybody else let out by other
agencies might be working in the
Pentagon.
Because the Army, Navy and
Air Force are separate admin
istrative departments it is entirely
possible for person to hold a
high-paying post without his
name ever showing up on the de-
fense Secretariat level.
Mr.. Willett lost his RFC post
after a Senate investigation OF
"favoritism and influence" at the
loan agency. During the inquiry
it was charged that to give big
loans to at least some politically
correct companies and individ-
uals. he switched examiners and
overrode some of the reviewers
After the inquiry, the Senate, in
February, failed to confirm his
appointment by President Tru-
man as director.
Hired by Whitehair.
UnderSecretary of the Navy
Francis P. Whitehair hired Mr.
Willett last October "a as his
deputy for manpower" and as
late as Friday night was defend
ing the appointment because OF
the deputy's long years of Gov
ernment service and experience.
The disclosure on Thursday
that Mr.. Willett was working in
the Pentagon brought rapid re.
action on Capitol Hill and Sen.
ator Monroney, Democrat, of
Oklahoma, demanded a congress
ional investigation. Mr.. Willett
had been quietly working for MI.
Whitehair without the knowledge
OF top Defense Department Of
f1cials, said those familiar with
matters in Mr.. Lovett's Office.
Yesterday Mr.. Willett, although
on the Civil Service workers legal
holiday, appeared at the Under
secretaFy's Office. There, accord
ing to the Navy's official an
nouncement he voluntarily sub.
mitted his resignation" and MIR
Whitehair accepted it effective al
once"
Criticism Cited.
The resignation was in the
form of one-sentence memor-
andum in which Mr.. Willett said /:
I'm view of all the criticism
leveled at the Navy Department
and the Undersecretary of the
Navy, (whom I had met only twice
before saw him in his office
as undersecretary), I hereby re-
sign my position as Director, Per-
sonnel Policy, Office of the Deputy
for Manpower, to take effect i'm.
mediately.
There had been some reports
that the Undersecretary and Mr.
Willett were close personal friends
These reports also linked the pail
with Donald Dawson, administra-
tive assistant to President Tru.
man.
1t was Mr.. Dawson who, ir
June, 1948, got Mr.. Truman tt
name Mr.. Willett as one of RFC's
five directors. Mr.. Dawson also
was one of the star-but reluctant
witnesses before the Senate in.
vestigating subcommittee headed
by Senator Fulbright, Democrat o1
Arkansas. He denied charges thai
he tried to influence RFC loar
policies.
An RFC official reported yes.
terday that Mr.. Dawsons wife
had quit the RFC. He said hel
1ob-she was in charge of the
files-had been abolished in q
reorganization and she chose tc
retire rather than take another
assignment. RFC Director w
Stuart Symington had said earlier
that she was leaving of "her own
yolitinn ~