Evening star., 1952-09-30
Not a 'Eiosco,' After All

The report on the costly Moroccan air base
program released by the House Appropriations
Committee is in reaSsuring contrast to the gloomy
and highly critical report issued month ago by
the Senate Preparedness subcommittee. The pic
ture, as the House group sees 1t, is far brighter
than the public had been led to believe by Sena-
tor Lyndon Johnson's report. Both investigating
committees agree that there were waste, confu-
sion and ineficiencieS in the big construction
project but they differ as to who was at fault and
how much the Job ultimately will cost. OF the
two reports, the House findings seem to be more
objective, more balanced and less sensational.
Whereas the Senate report laid most OF the
blame for what it called "this (air basel f1asco"
on the Army Corps Of Engineers and. particu-
lary, on its chief, Lieutenant General Lewis A.
Pick the House report aimed most of It's criticism
at the Air Force. Many Of the troubles encoun-
tered in the first two years Of the undertaking,
the House group said were traceable to Air Force
indecsion changes of mind and failure to under
stand the engineering problems involved In trying
to meet so-called "crash" headlines.
The House report was prepared by an appro-
priations subcommittee headed by Representative
John J. Riley of South Carolina. In summary 1t
said: "No other job in the committees recolec-
ton has received the amount Of adverse criticism
and publicity which has been given to the Moroc-
can project Some portions Of the criticism have
been justified There were instances OF lack OF
control supervision and inspection, resulting IN
some substandard work. These, however, have
been emphasized out Of all proportion to their
extent The tremendous amount OF good WORK
done has been largely ignored, and the true con-
ditions under which the job had to proceed nave
been relegated to the background. The result
has been that many of those in battle-ground
charge of this effort have been accused OF ncom-
petent performance or improper conduct. Criti-
IN ofS Q Unfair SUODOrCeO
BY the record. During the same period that the
lob had been labeled 'hasco (the course OF one
year of construction), tremendous amount OF
satisfactory runway taxiway, apron and other
paving work had been placed. All OF this
in sheer bulk was .unquestionably the result OF
a great deal of forceful drive know-how and
leadership
The subcommittee gives the taxpayers ur-
qualified assurance that their money has not been
thrown away in North Africa on faulty bases that
must be rebuilt at great cost. It states on the
contrary. that good bases have been built, con-
sidering the emergency nature Of the work, local
difaculties, diplomatic tangles and other un-
avoidable Developments Some defects have ap-
peared, but they were not unexpected IN project
of such huge scope and can be remedied at sur
prisinply" small cost relatively speaking. Where
as the Senate report had predicted that repairs
might run into many millions" the House report
found that the total cost would not exceed 81
million.
The House group gave some good advice to
those who would sit in judgment on the North
African air bases, namely, that the conditions
prevailing In 1850 and 1851 be kept in mind The
Moroccan bases were quickly undertaken shortly
after the outbreak of the Korean war, In an at
uosphere amounting almost to hyster1a. There
was not time for real planning or organization
1ow the Job. The all-important objective was to