Evening star., 1959-12-09
Butler Demands
Senate Inquiry
On Cancellations
By JOHN A. GILES
Star stan Writer

Plant.
The Senator made the re-
quest in a letter to Chairman
Russell of the Armed Services
Committee.
He referred to the December
2 cancellation of a fire control
for guided missiles
which the Navy said on Octo-
Der % would remain at the
huge, installation.
1T seems inconceivable to
me that the Navy did not know
in late October what it was
going to do in early December"
he declared and added:
Involved are not only the
nearly 5000 employees at the
plant who may find themselves
without jobs on short notice,
but every one of the defense
contracts handed by the Navy
Department. I therefore ask
that you give priority con-
Sideration to the possibility of
an investigation by your COM
mittee.
Answerable To Congress
Notice must be served the
Navy that it cannot act like a
public relations agency whose
motto is Tell them anything,
but never tell them the truth
Calling the discarding of the
f1re control program mot nor
NAL at ALL" Senator Butler re-
called that employees were
considerably heartened by the
original announcement which
answered prevailing rumors
that insufficient work orders
might result in a shutting
down Of the plant"
Several months later, he said.
President Eisenhower ordered
that all contracts be reexam-
ined with the idea of putting
of those which could be de-
layed without jeopardizing
security.
AS a result. the fire control
program was temporarily
stopped, ''but the Navy in.
formed members of Congress.
including me, that no changes
were contemplated and, again.
employees breathed more
easily at this reinsurance.
Cloudy Future
This confidence was shat
tered December g." he contin-
ued.
The cancellation notice con-
tanned in its last paragraph
"ominouS words which must
chill the blood of employees"
Senator Butler said.
This paragraph stated that
the future level of employ
ment E. will depend upon our
ability to develop additional
work"
The telling of the final bell
is diScernable in that last sent
ence if one examines the pre-
vlouS reinsurance of the NAVY
Department" the Senator
wrote. "And therein lies cause
Tor concern, for it should not
be necessary to cast about for
this or that possible interpre-
tation of the Navy Depart
ment, which should say what it
means and do what it promises.
Il submit that the public
statements of the Navy Depart
ment regarding the past, pres
ent and future have been
guided by the most reprehen-
Slhle sort of Madison avenue
public relations approach and
that the departments reluc-
tance to speak out clearly and
truthfully demands an exam
ination by the committee.
Seek Franks Farley
"The Navy Department is
guilty of speaking out of both
sides of the mouth simultane-
ouSly, a trick better suited to
entertainers on the stage than
directors of our Nations de-
fenseS."
Meanwhile a committee COM
posed of business, civic and
labor representatives called
Friends of the Naval Weap-
ons Plant to seek an
early meeting with Navy Secre-
tary FRANKIE to discuss the
problem.
Julian Kobler of the operat-
ing engineers and a member of
the committee, said that per-
sonnel at the plant felt that
I'VE have the need or even the
right to know the facts and
have trouble finding out what
is happening"
He reported that while the
cancellations of the fire con-
troll work amounted to $40 bill
lion the first year it would have
reached a maximum of $40
a year in three to five
years.
The committee was told that
a Budget Bureau directive
stated that it was basically the
attempt of the administration
to close aforementioned in
dustrial establishments and to
turn over the work to private
industry.
Frank L. Gunther, vice presi-
dent of the Security National
Bank, asked if there was any
possibility that private indus
try would be interested in TAX
ing over the weapons plant
lock, stock and barrel"
Mr.. Kobler replied that he
did not think industry would
be interested because of the