Evening star., 1953-03-13
Mrs. Smith 10 Head
Subcommittee Probe
OF Munition Shortage
By John A. Giles

Senate investigators began to
gather data today for a full-scale
investigation Of ammunition
shortages in Korea and else
where.
Senator Margaret Chase
Smith, who was named late yes
terday to head a special five
member subcommittee to investi-
gate the munitions situation, said
1t would probably be a week or
10 days before the investigators
complete their work. The Maine
Republican said she hoped some
OF the hearings by the group
could be open to the public.
Appointment of the Subcom-
mittee was the upShot of a con-
gressional uproar over Korean
ammunition shortages which
Gen. James A. Van Fleet told the
Senate Armed Services Com
mittee hampered his operations
throughout the % months he
command the 9Th Army there.
The committee adopted a reso-
luton stating the general
has been fully Substantiated"
in his claims. although the pub
lie testimony showed conflicts
on the subject by top generals.
A transcript of the closed-door
testimony. with some material
deleted for security reasons, is
expected to be released early
next week.
4 Others Appointed.
Chairman Saltonstall of the
full committee appointed the
following to serve with Mrs.
Smith in the inquiry, which some
Senators believe may bring
changes in the top military COM
mand:
Senators Hendrickson of New
Jersey and Cooper of Kentucky,
Republican; and Byrd of Vir-
ginia and Kefauver of Tennessee,
Democrats. Frederick B. Rhodes,
a Reserve officer, will direct the
investigating staff.
Senator SaltonStall instructed
the group to make a complete
investigation of the shortages
past and present. what may
have caused the shortages, the
persons responsible and what
might be done to see that it
does not happen again.
I'VE want to see if the short
ages resulted from too much
butter and not enough guns"
he declared.
Senator Byrd has been the
most outspoken about shortages,
calling. 1t a national scandal
and demanding punishment for
those responsible.
Gen. Van Fleet, who retires
March 81 and whose only son
is missing in action in Korea,
said he submitted almost daily
reports on the shortages. Those
reports would have gone to the
Far East commander-first Gen.
MATTHEW B. Ridgway, now in
Europe, and later Gen. Mark
Clark. It would be that COM
mand's responsibility to send
them to the Pentagon.
Senator Byrd said Gen. Van
Fleet stuck to his story in the
closed sessions without yield
ing an inch"-despite denials
by top. Pentagon officials.
Gen.kJ. LaWton Collins, Army
Chief of Staff, testified there
has never been shortage of am
munition in Korea, either to re-
pei an attack or to conduct our
own operations. Defense Sec
retary Wilson and Army Secre-
tary Stevens acknowledged there
had been some shortages but said
steps had been taken to remedy
the situation.
Senators Critical.
Senators have been particu-
larly critical of the shortages be-
cause none of the witnesses queS-
toned that Congress had appro-
priated all the funds for ammu-
milton the Defense Department
had ever asked.
However, it was pointed out
that there is a long lag between
appropriations and the time
shells start rolling of the pro-
duction lines. Thus, the first
new production authorized by
Congress after the Korean con-
f1ict started began to flow into
the theater only in the last two
or three months. Some So bill
lion in reserve stocks have been
tapped.