Evening star., 1952-02-12
Lack Of Unified Plan
For Buying Uniforms
Criticized at HEARING
Defense Waste Probers
Plug Idea Of Single
STANDARD Catalogue
By Robert K. Walsh

Munitions Board officials who
have tried unsuccessfully to de-
eide on a unified system of buying
clothing for the military forces
drew the fire of a House sub
committee today.
mo wonder the peace talks in
Korea are going on so long,
Representative Hebert, Democrat
of Louisiana, chairman OF ar
Armed Services watchdog" Com.
mittee, exclaimed. why ever
the Mum. lions Board hasn't beer
able to make up it's mind in q
year and a half on a joint Sys-
tenn of buying uniforms ane
shoes"
The subcommittee is looking
into what members have criti-
cized as a costly lack of progress
in establishing a single standard
catalogue of items purchased by
the military services. The wit
ness at the second day of the open
hearings was Rear Admiral Nor
ton L. Ring, vice chairman OF
supply management for the NUM-
tions Board.
Authority Strengthened.
Admiral Ring underwent a bar
rage of pointed questions dealing
with such varied matters as nails
and q directive signed late yes
terday to strengthen the authority
of the director Of the cataloguing
project.
He disclosed that Deputy Sec
retary of Defense William c
Foster, who testified yesterday. re-
turned to the Pentagon and signed
a directive which strengthened the
position of Rear Admiral j. w
Fowler, retired, director OF the
Munitions Board cataloguine
agency Admiral Ring explained
the new order does not broader
the scope of Admiral Fowler's du-
ties but it makes him a director
who now directs" Previously the
director had to work largely
through committee. he added.
The inquiry began yesterday
with emphasis on the lack of a
single, standard catalogue for the
millions of items used by the sew
eral services, and with question
ing of Mr.. Foster.
A bristling statement today by
Representative Lyle, Democrat, OF
Texas indicated a much broader
examination of what he called "a
military spending spree without
regard to basic economies or eco
nomic capabilities"
Big Saving Called Possible.
Representative Lyle's statement
declared that several billion dol.
lars could be cut from President
Truman'S $85 billion budget by
"reconsidering" military spending
requests, especially those for huge
construction projects.
He warned that the spending
spree" would hurt the United
States more than potential en-
emies. Among examples he cited
was a IS billion dollar Army sig
nal corps construction project an
nounced on the same day that the
Government curtailed the amount
of steel, copper and aluminium and
other materials for home building
The Atomic Energy Commission
also came in for criticism by Mr.
Lyle.
Because it is done under the
cloak of secrecy" he said, II am
certain in my own mind that mil
lions have been foolishly and reck-
lessly spent which have added
neither to the development o1
atomic energy nor to the de-
tense of the country"
The Hebert subcommittee doe;
not plan to look into real estate
transactions" of the armed forces
Mr.. Hebert explained, however
that his group has wide authority
to investigate practically every
other aspect of buying and spend.
ing practices.
1--WE are not on a fishing expedi'
tion," he said, This investigation
lis not for the purpose Of destruc.
ton. We hope to suggest tht
substitution Of a modern program
for the obvious archaic program
under which the armed forces art
|laboring. We hope to bring some
order out of the existing chaos
There can be no justification fol
added or higher taxes as long al
there is evidence Of waste in Gov
lernment, whether it be within tn