The chronicle., 1963-12-18

by Senator Wayne Morse, d.
Ore, that succeeded in looping
some $500 million from the $4.2
billion authorization bill voted by
the Foreign Relations Commit
tee. The ''team" is ready to pick
up where it left off three weeks
ago.
In this renewed fight, the
senators have powerful ammu-
milton in a series of sensational
reports from Comptroller Gen.
eral Joseph Campbell revealing
shocking and scandalous waste,
extravaganza, negligence, in.
competence, bungling and posi-.
bly, worse, running into hundreds
OF 'millions of dollars in foreign
aid spending in numerous coun.
tries.
Campbell's jarring reports
were referred to in the Senate
deliberations last month. But
their astounding revelations
could not be discussed because
the reports are secret
They have been classified by
the State and Defense Depart
ments so their Scandalous dis
closures cannot be made pub.
Lie.
Some members Of Congress
have Scrutinized these dynamite
loaded reports. Senator Morse
read a few unclassified extracts
into the Congressional Record.
But the American people, whose
taxes are paying for these inn
mense Outrages, are barred
from knowing about them.
AS this column reported sew.
eral weeks ago, there isn't a
military secret in any Of these
reports. But they have been
classified to protect State and
Defense Departments bureau
Gratis responsible for these re.
prehensible losses running into
hundreds Of millions Of dollars.
THE SORDID DETAILS
Strikingly Illustrative Of the sem
Sational nature Of the comptrol-
Ter generals disclosures are the
following eye-openerS:
sour review disclosed that
more than $50 million worth of
missile system equipment eth
er was not in use or was in
use but had a limited readi-
ness, although the equipment
had been on hand lin certain
European c%ountrieS) as much as
Is months more than the period
of time normally required for
emplacement and check-out at.
ter delivery.
"This delay in equipment ut.
ilization resulted from delays In
acquiring land and missile
sites, unavailability Of personnel
and affiliated equipment to be
furnished by the recipient coun-
tries, failure of the Defense De-
partment to deliver all related
equipment concurrentlv, and de-
livery Of equipment for which
no valid requirement existed.
"Our review also disclosed
that as much as 50 million Of
funds for spare parts and modi-
fication kits were programmed
and committed in excess of the
amounts necessary to operate
and maintain these weapons syS-
TENS. In addition, many unneed-
ed parts were delivered and
other necessary parts were not
delivered to recipient countries,
which resulted in imperative
equipment"
This $50 million waste was
slightly less than half Of all
the missile equipment turned
over to these particular coun-
tries.
Regarding the costly mishand-
ling of military aid to a Far
Eastern country the comptroller
general found:
Serious supply and mainten-
ance deficiencies resulting in
the inability to adequately sup
port military units, the requisi-
tioning and delivery Of unneed-
ed material, and the Inadequate
maintenance of delivered mater
ial. We also found that the u.
S. organization had contributed
to the delivery of unneeded ma
terial, overStating requirements,
failing to take timely action to
cancel acquisitions, and falling
to keep each other informed as
to planned supply actions"
The dismal story was much
the same in another country that
has received approximately one
half billion dollars in military
aid.