Evening star., 1955-05-27
By JAMES Y. NEWTON

Chairman Mcclellan Of the
Senate Investigations subcom-
mittee said today an Air Force
captain. named recipient OF a
$4,000 bribe, will be called 70
testify when the probe of al
legged military clothing scandals
resumes Wednesday.
The officer, who was accused
on hearsay testimony, is Capt.
Raymond Wool. former contracts
officer of armed services pro-
curement. He is now confined
to an Air Force hospital in
Dayton. Ohio. suffering a
minor" ailment. Senator Nc
Clellan said he will be one OF
the early witnesses next week
# he RECEIVERS in time.
In George Washington Hos
pital here, suffering from a
heart attack, was the man who
accused Capt. Wool, Leon M.
Levy, New York clothing manu-
Gacturer.
Secret Testimony
Mr.. Levy, in previously secret
testimony and in a diary writ
ten in Arabic, said Capt. Wool
was paid $4,000 by Harry Lev.
Chicago garment maker, to help
him get So million contracts to
make nearly 7 million sailor hats.
Mr.. Levy said he was told that
by Marvin Rubin of New York,
who got the contracts for Mr..
Lev. Mr.. Levy also testified
he turned over to Mr.. Rubin
$6,700 to. pay off Government
employees in connection with con-
tracts obtained by his firm,
Bonita Originals of New York.
Mr.. Rubin has sworn he never
made any payoffs. Senator Nc
Clellan said he would be called
again as witness.
The Air Force, meanwhile, an
nounced it is investigating the
testimony against Capt. Wool
who is now assigned to duty at
shelby, Ohio.
Manufacturer Quoted
Transcript of closed-door testi-
mony Mr.. Levy gave the sub
committee last January was read
at the hearing. 1t quoted the
manufacturer as having been
told by Mr.. Rubin that Capt.
Wool got $50,000." Excerpts
from the Levy diary gave de-
tails of the alleged transaction.
Mr.. Levy also told the Subcom-
mittee that. at one time Mr..
Rubin cursed him and accused
him of wanting "to go and give
us up to the FBI."
Mr.. Lev's firm received the
sailor hat contracts in 1858.
There was testimony that at the
time the bids were awarded Mr..
Lev's factories in Puerto Rico
had no machinery in them.
Navy Comdr. John Burkhardt,
chief of the Navy clothing supply
office in Brooklyn, said Mr.. Lev
failed to, produce the hats on
schedule although some Of them
were urgently needed" He said
the firm still hadn't delivered
over 1000 hats and there was
evidence at the hearing that the
Navy is seeking to recover $751;
600 from the Levy firm.
Owned No Machinery
Louis I. Alperstein, a retired
Army clothing inspector. said he
recommended that Mr.. Lev be
given the hat contract, although
he admitted the firm owned no
machinery at the time.
Mr.. Alperstein, who has been
accused of accepting payoffs,
heatedly denied the charges. He
admitted, however, that on five
different occasions during his
Government service he had been
assigned to inspect products pro-
duced by Mr.. Lev.
Manufacturing operations OF
Mr.. Lev in Puerto Rico are man
aged by Col. We're Painter, re-
tired Army officer who was in
charge of the inspection service
of the Quartermaster Corps be-
fore retirement in 1945. Mr.
Lev pays him $4,000 a year.
Col. Painter told of an i'm
pressive list of other retired
officers who have been on Mr.
Lev's payroll. He named them
as Mai. Gen. William w. Middle