Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-07
INQUIRY
Continued From First Page


pressure or influence by former
military officers who obtained
Jobs with private companies.
He conceded. however. that
the criminal statutes and regu-
lations relating to such pressure
attempts or conflict of interest
situations seemed to be vague,
inconsistent or week in some
instances.
Mr.. Hebert said that in the
last So years the Navy. for ex-
ample, had sent only three
cases to the Attorney General
for possible prosecution.
The only instance the sub
committee was able to find
about Navy withdrawal of re-
tirement pay for an alleged
abuse, he said, involved for
mer lieutenant commander
who was selling beer"
Stresses Character
Mr.. Gates said the Defense
Department does not condone
law violations, influence ped
ding or pressures by former
personnel enjoyed by COM
panieS doing business with the
Pentagon.
But he cautioned against any
move to ban such employment.
He said this would work a
grave injustice not only on in
dividuals but also on the in
duStry which may well find that
the administrative skills and
the high professional and tech
nical ability of the officers can
not be duplicated at any price. "
1T is my firm conviction, "
Mr.. Gates told the subcom-
mittee, that our retired Off
GERS carry on into retirement
the fine character which car
ried them successfully through
their honorable career and in
many instances through the
hazards of combat with dis
tinction and complete trust
worthiness.
Deep-ROOted Concern
Mr.. Hebert said he would not
permit the investigation ito be
forced into frantic or fanatical
action" He emphasized that
the subcommittee is primarily
seeking information about a
situation that has caused
"deep-rooted concern in Con-
greSs, the executive branch and
the public generally"
The chairman said the in
quiry necessarily will deal with
many persons, land 1 include
former members of Congress.
He insisted at the same time,
however, that the calling of any
person as a witness must not
be construed as meaning that
the subcommittee has arrived
at an opinion concerning him.
1t was learned earlier that
Admiral Arthur w. Radford
former chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and now a con-
Sultant to Defense Secretary
McElroy, and Vice Admiral
Lyman G. Rickover, the Nays
atomic. energy pioneer, will be
among several prominent past
or present high-ranking officers
invited as witnesses later in
the hearings.
1T is apparent when coupled
with events of the past few
years, with heavy pressures for
weapons, selection in a mar
rowing field and the large
inf1ltration of defense contract
ing concerns with retired mill
tary and civilian officials, that
it is time the whole subject is
laid bare" the chairman said.
Cites Resentment
Mr.. Hebert said some retired
officials and contractors have
expressed resentment to the
subcommittee QUESTIONABLE
about the amount of Govern
ment retired pay and salaries
received from defense contrac-
tors.
The investigation will try to
determine the number of retired
officers in grades from major
and lieutenant commander
through the top brackets &C
tually employed in defense in
duStries, he said. 1t also will
try to determine where they
are employed and what their
duties are.