Evening star., 1953-04-17
Chief Of Ordnance
Called by Senator'S
On Lag Of Munitions
By John A. Giles

By John A. Giles
Senator's, after hearing a for
nner Korean battlefield general
testify there had been waste and
excessive use of munitions on the
battlefront. today called the
Army's ordnance chief to report
on munitions production lags.
Maj. Gen. E. L. Ford, the chief
Of ordnance, was to begin testi-
flying before the special Senate
investigating subcommittee at 10
m.
Ii. Gen. Wilson B. Palmer.
former commander of the 10th
Corps in Korea. told of the am
munition waste yesterday and
disputed earlier testimony about
serious and critical shortages
during most of the war.
Disputes Van Fleet.
Gen. Palmer, now assistant
chief of staff for logistics. thus
took direct issue with statements
by Gen. James A. Van Fleet.
former commander Of the 9th
Army in Korea. which caused the
congressional uprear over am
munitions.
7 II am convinced that there
was waste" he told Chairman
Smith. Republican. of Maine, in
answer to questions.
He said he was not blaming
any individual but quickly added
Gen. Van Fleet "set an extremely
high standard of consumption"
in 1851 and these "habits of
luxurious firing" continued.
"AS an artilleryman, I found
a great amount Of firing going
on" he said, in explaining why
ammunition had to be rationed.
Shows Supply Charts.
He offered detailed supply
charts to dispute Gen. Van
Fleets testimony that serious
and critical ammunition short
ages existed in some types of
ammunition for all the % months
he led the 9Th Army.
At another point he COM
mented that Gen. Van Fleet, for
whom he expressed the highest
respect, used too sweeping Ian
guage and much too alarming
language" in reporting shortages.
He said shortages were only
sporadic" and that at no time
did the men at the front lack
ammunition. Deliveries from
this country were not always up
to authorized rates, but this
meant shortages existed only in
stock levels behind the front
lines.
Senator Byrd, Democrat, of
Virginia drew from Gen. Palmer
and other generals the fact that
most Korean ammunition had
come from reserve stocks for
nearly three years. It was esti-
mated that only IS per cent had
ben new ammunition.
Reserves Held Low.
"If there would be a sudden
war tomorrow then this country
would be in desperate situa-
tion?" Senator Byrd asked.
II agree" replied Gen. Palmer.
The general estimated that re-
placement value of the ammuni-
tion shot in Korea at about $2.2
billion on January /. He said
production now was supplying
enough to meet all Korean needs
and begin rebuilding the ma
tional stockpile.
Gen. Palmer. who returned
from Korea last December, said
that in his examination of
cables from the Far East Com
mand to the Joint Chiefs of
Staff he had found nothing ito
indicate any specific operation
had been lost, slowed down,
postponed or given up because
of lack of ammunition"
Few Critical Messages.
He added that Surprisingly
few of the messages" had been
critical of supplies. Gen. Van
Fleets messages went to the Far
East Command in Tokyo which
then reported to the Pentagon.
The general said it was tthe
policy to conserve ammunition
for a Sunday punch" if neces-
sary and not shoot it indiscrimi-
nately over hills "in the hope of
killing some stray Chinaman."
Gen. Palmer was asked by Mrs.
Smith if he thought the Army
Ordnance Corps had done a good
job.
He replied that is was his i'm
preston the corps did under a
difficult situation with every
contracting officer working with
layers of kibitzers looking over
his shoulder" He added he
would eliminate some of these
checking agencies.
Would Eliminate Three.
"You are the first man who
has said anything to me about
cutting any red tape" Senator
Byrd commented with q laugh.
+ Gen. Palmer added he would
eliminate at least three of the
men looking over the shoulders
of persons charged with letting
ammunition contracts in order
to speed up the process.
Senators have heard that it
takes nine months to let a con-
tract and that the papers travel
10000 miles through corridors
and Offices in the process.