Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-30
By CECIL HOLLAND
- Star Staff Writer


Senate investigators yester-
day released testimony Of Navy
Secretary Korth in which he
said his decision on the Tx
warplane contract was based
entirely on merit. 1t was not
influenced, the Secretary said,
by financial. political or other
extraneous considerations.
Mr.. Korth said that in max
ing the decision which over
ruled military recommendations
ne was exercising the respon-
sibilities Of his office. He add
ed that he did not feel a serv-
ice secretary should merely
rubber-stamp" proposals which
came to him, and added: II
don't consider that part of my
Job"
The Secretary testified Fri
day before the Senate Investi-
cations Subcommittee to open
the Pentagon's defense Of the
award of the Tx contract to
General Dynamics Corp, OF
Fort Worth, Tex. The subcom-
mittee is seeking to determine
If political influences or faulty
Judgment figured in the award
Security Involved
The investigation is being
conducted In closed hearings
because of security involved In
the Tx program. The SUBJ
committee released a heavily
censored version of Mr.. Korth'S
testimony.
It revealed that the Secre-
tary, who was recalled for more
testimony tomorrow, faced crit
ical as well as friendly ques-
tioning about his role in the
Tx decision.
Highlights included:
/. Mr.. Korth denied he and
Air Force Secretary Zuckert had
reported to Defense Secretary
Mcnamara that a proposal by
the Boeing Aircraft Co. of Sc
attic, Wash, offered a plane
superior operationally to the
winning General Dynamics de-
sign.
2. Acknowledgment by the
Secretary Of conflicts between
his testimony and that of mill
tary and expert witnesses or
the relative merits of the COM
peting proposals.
8. Mr.. Korth said he had
spent more time in re-examin-
ing the award since it was
made than he had beforehand
and was more convinced thar
ever" that the Pentagon made
the right decision.
The Secretary's testimony
that the decision was made en-
tirely on merit was given dur
ing questioning by Senator ia.
Wits, Republican of New York
And do you feel in good con-
science that you decided thi
on the merits, calling them a
you saw them?" Senator Javit
asked.
Absolutely" Mr.. Korth re
piled.
And, there were no extrane
GUS influences of any kind o.
character; financial influence
political or anything elSe?'
Senator Javits continued.
Absolutely not" said Mr.
Korth, a former Forth Worth
banker.
Decision Factors Listed
The Secretary said he con-
sidered all factors in making
his decision, and at the re-
quest of Subcommittee Chair
man Mcclellan, Democrat Of
Arkansas, listed them as fol-
lows:
The Navy finding that both
the General Dynamics and Boe-
ing designs were acceptable and
there was mo significant pref
erence" between the two con-
tractors as far as the Navy
was concerned; the complex
ties in the Boeing proposal; the
fact that the Grammar Air
craft Co., long a Navy supplier
was associated with General
Dynamics in the Tx program
and the greater degree of COM
monality (or interchangeable
parts in the winning design
The Tx tactical fighter
experimental is to be used by
both the Air Force and Navy
He said the Boeing design
through the proposed use Of
thrust reversers as a brakinl
device, titanium instead o.
aluminium and steel, and othel
unconventional steps indicated
a delay in delivery of the plane
beyond that Of General by.
namicS.
This was a risk which
certainly was unwilling to &C.