Show General Explains Blaze Priority WASHINGTON Feb 10 UP p- p Col E Ell Elliott I 1 i 0 t t Roosevelt's dog Blaze got his now celebrated high priority ride acro across the country country country coun coun- try just as a 11 sort of favor to the colonels colonel's sister Mrs Anna Boettiger That was the report from Sen Maybank D. D S. S C. C Saturday after Maj Gen H. H L. L George chief of ot tho the air transport command testified before a senate military subcommittee Gen George told the committeemen committee- committee men the whole business was a serious mistake which cannot be justified A report issued Saturday by the subcommittee of which Maybank is a member quoted George as assaying assaying saying Establishing an A priority for forthe forthe forthe the dog was unauthorized under regulations relating to air priori priori- ties Follows Phone Call He told the senators that Col Ray ay W. W Ireland assistant chief of staff for priorities and traffic at A ATe T C headquarters here established established established the priority for Blaze after a telephone conversation with Mrs Boettiger r at the White House George said Mrs Boettiger had requested that the dog be transported transported transported trans trans- ported from the capital to Mrs Elliott Roosevelt in Hollywood but buthe buthe buthe he added no IIno mention of priority was made in the conversation Maybank told reporters he got the impression from talking to George that Ireland Issued the high nigh priority just as a a. sort of ot favor Three service men with low priorities priorities priorities were forced off ott the plane at Memphis Tenn while Blaze completed his trip to the coast Georges George's report to the subcommittee subcommittee said the men were traveling traveling traveling travel travel- ing on C e priorities that a backlog backlog backlog back back- log of B priority freight was wasat wasat wasat at Memphis and that the men and approximately pounds of cargo were off loaded there in order to take on the B priority freight Dog Displaced Freight George said the priority high-priority freight would have displaced the three passengers even if it Blaze hadn't been aboard but he added the dog did unquestionably displace displace displace dis dis- dis- dis place an equivalent amount in weight of B 3 priority freight Blaze weighed between and pounds A female pup weighing weighing weigh weigh- ing 20 pounds was flown across from England in the same B 17 bomber in which Blaze crossed the Atlantic but the pup did not figure in the Ule later transcontinental journey Sen Bridges R. R N. N H. H another another an an- another an- an other member of the subcommittee tee tec is advocating public hearings on the general subject of ot air travel priorities declaring the whole setup needs airing siring This dog episode Bridges told tolda a reporter is only a sample We Ve ought to go into the whole system and look into reports of ot other abuses |