Show NEWS BEH ND TH THE NEWS Getting Getling finances for Atom Bomb Work Congress Batt BatHe e By RAY BAY TUCKER Pres Prea Roosevelt and three war department officials surrounded the in breaking down the atom with such secrecy that neither then Vice Pres Truman nor Under Secy Robert P P. P Patterson Patterson Patterson Pat Pat- terson Jr now secretary of war had the slightest knowledge of the project Gen George C. C Marshall gave this confidential information to members of the house appropriations appropriations appropriations committee committee- when the men In charge of handling military funds grew worried about the vast and unexplained expenditures expenditures expenditures expendi expendi- tures and threatened an Investigation investigation Investigation gation of the undertaking unless the two dollar grant was Justified at the record hear hear- ings The running battle between financiers and the makers of the atomic bomb is isone isone isone one of the more fascinating chapters in this scientific ro mance The appropriations committee first advanced eight hundred million dollars in the spring of ot 1942 This lump sum flum allocation I Iwas was asked by the army for the purpose of expediting production production production tion and for eng engineers ices In 1943 Under Secy Patterson Patterson Patterson Pat Pat- terson appeared to request another another another an an- other helping of six hundred million dollars for the same sort of items When questioned by Rep Albert Albert Al Al- bert J. J Engel of Michigan who has always been cen opposed to giving blank checks to executive departments Mr Patterson professed professed professed pro pro- ignorance He did not know how much had been expended expended expended ex ex- ex- ex nor nor how many plants were supposed to be engaged in the manufacture of the miraculous miraculous mi ml- weapon In view of this vagueness concerning concerning concerning con con- such a tremendous outlay outlay out out- lay Jay of money the man from Muskegon Muskegon Mus- Mus Muskegon notified the subcommittee tee making up the army budget that he would not go along unless the use of all this money was justified A few days later Chief of Staff Marshall strode into the room in an unusual state of excitement for tor him and the fireworks began He glared at Engel an anti the scrappy con- con congressman returned the stare Congressman Engel told the chief of staff staf that the war department department department de de- de- de co could u I d have every penny needed for winning tho the struggle but that it was his constitutional duty to safeguard the tho taxpayers' taxpayers mon money y and look after the Interests of the people people people peo peo- who had elected him He added that previous efforts to obtain information from Mr Patterson had been unavailing He Tie is not supposed to know anything about it snapped Gen Marshall Pres Roosevelt tho the secretary of war myself and Maj Gen Leslie Groves who has bas charge are the only ones who have all the Information Information tion at this moment Mr Stimson Stirn- Stirn son Bon and ami I have talked to Speaker Speak Speak- er Rayburn McCormack and Minority Leader Martin They understand the value of ot the project Mr Engel countered that Rayburn McCormack and Martin had no responsibility in the matter Inasmuch as they were not members of the appropriations appropriations ap ap- appropriations ap- ap committee When Mr Engel pressed the chief of staff for more details the latter latter latter lat lat- lat lat- ter vouchsafed a few tidbits Prospects on the experiment look reasonably good Germany is working on the same weapon If they get there first we can lose the war at the last Jast minute The chief of staff admitted he ho had no specific information on the nazis' nazis accomplishments He said planes had brought back word of the tho existence of plants in which the enemy might be paralleling ling our efforts The extra extra extra ex ex- ex- ex tra six hundred million was eventually granted making a total advance of one billion four hundred million dollars When the military men transferred transferred transferred trans trans- their next request for tor four hundred million dollars from the war department subcommittee subcommittee subcommittee sub sub- committee to the deficiency subcommittee subcommittee subcommittee sub sub- committee thus seeking to o bypass bypass bypass by by- pass the stubborn and indefatigable Indefatigable indefatigable gable Engel who does not serve on the latter body the congressman congress congress- man exploded Mr Patterson was again rushed to Capitol hill to satisfy congressional skepticism He conferred with Mr Engel Richard Richard Richard Rich Rich- ard B. B Wigglesworth of Massachusetts Massachusetts Massa Massa- I and John Taber of New York This session was ns as fruitless fruitless fruit fruit- less Jess as earlier conversations On February 23 1945 Mr Engel sent a n. sharp letter to Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- Secretary Stimson that brought the crisis to a satisfactory finale It is difficult in my Judgment judgment Judg judg- judgment ment said the congressman to justify the expenditure of this tremendous sum for any purpose It certainly is not good od judgment for our committee to pass upon this sort of appropriation appropriation appropriation with no justification I have a great deal of Information from outside sources My in information information in- in information formation is that Dr Conant of Harvard and other scientists sold Bold the idea to the president ent and that it involves the breaking breaking breaking break ing down of the atom I was informed that a barrel or it would destroy Berlin and keep it burning for a year and other similar statements equally fantastic Mr Engel wound up with the threat of a a. congressional investigation investigation investigation gation unless the appropriation demands were justified and unless un un- less he was permitted to visit the atomic bomb plants Next day Mr Stimson Stinson sent for his critic Mr Taber who generally generally gen ben supported his colleague went along After some sparring sparring spar spar- ring the secretary of war told the whole mysterious story from start to finish and gave permission permission permission sion for five members of the ap- ap committee to in inspect inspect in- in inspect the Oak Ridge plant in Tennessee The visiting group c con consisted o n s i is s t e d of ot Appropriations Chairman Clarence J J. J Cannon of Missouri J. J Buell Snyder of Pennsylvania George H. H Mahon of Texas Mr Taber and Mr Engel |