I would like to quote also from a letter here on the 21st of August. A representative of the contracting officer directed the contractor as follows [reading]: Enclosed herewith are specifications for floor coverings for the Carreres housing now being constructed for the construction housing area. It is requested you proceed immediately to install rubber-tile or sheet-rubber covering on all concrete floors in these Carreres houses. The work may be done by a local subcontractor as was done in the one four-bedroom house now completed at the site, or may be done by your own forces. In any event, arrangements should be completed immediately for installing these floor coverings as fast as the concrete floors are completed in these buildings. These specifications will also apply for linoleum or rubber-tile flooring for bathrooms or kitchens only in the Norwegian houses to be constructed at this site. That was another type of house. You will notice there are two different sizes in the photograph. One type had wooden floors. We only put the floor covering in the bathrooms and kitchens in the houses that had wooden floors. However, before it had been placed in other houses, Atlas found a more satisfactory floor covering which was used. It is therefore apparent that there was no intention that the floor covering in the first house be exceptional or different from that in others. I brought a sample to show you [handing]. I have here a photo of the interior of the house showing the floor covering and other appointments as well as the alleged culprits. The general simplicity is quite evident [handing]. You will notice the unpainted stovepipe. I do not believe that the photograph shows the exposed electric wiring. It is quite a simple house. USE OF ATLAS EMPLOYEE AS BABY-SITTER Another accusation about the Hasemans concerns the baby-sitter. Colonel Haseman assures me that Atlas employees were baby-sitters for the Haseman family about a dozen times and were used as they were all that were available at the time. The man involved, Mr. Jim Hickey, was off duty at the time, and Colonel Haseman tried to pay him for his services, but he would not accept money. Mr. Hickey assured Colonel Haseman that he was not being paid by Atlas Constructors for the time; in fact, a number of times he came to their house just to see the children. On several occasions he said he was glad to be a baby-sitter to get away from the camp, listen to the radio, and sit in a comfortable chair. If you had lived in that camp at that time, you could quite appreciate how you could feel that way. Since the allegations have been made Colonel Haseman has investigated this matter and found that Mr. Hickey himself, as an acting foreman, certified his own time record for overtime without authority or approval from any of his superiors. A false certification of working time was made by Mr. Hickey. We have a copy of that that we would like to insert in the record at this point. Mr. FURCOLO. It will be inserted in the record at this point. (The document referred to is as follows:) Badge No. 3334—J. F. Hickey Work description General camp maintenance. Signature on time cards E. J. O'Neill. "D. E. Housing," notation on card, "O. K. to post J. F. Hickey. by Kestly." Superintendent of labor. "D. E. Housing". Superintendent of labor. "D. E. Housing, emergency". .do. J. F. Hickey. J. F. Hickey. Regular means regular time card. Suppl. means supplemental time card. Colonel HASEMAN. I have a copy of the overtime that he worked during that period. Colonel DERRY. The Corps of Engineers has no intention of reimbursing Atlas for the pay in question. I have here a letter bearing directly on this baby-sitting question which I should like to show to the committee and place in the record. Mr. FURCOLO. Without objection it will be placed in the record at this point. (The statement referred to is as follows:) STATEMENT I hereby make this statement of my free will and accord. APRIL 26, 1952. My name is Clifford M. Berry, an American citizen born in Oregon, United States of America. From the period April 21 to the latter part of October, I was employed by Atlas Constructors as superintendent at the Nouaseur Air Base. During this time I supervised the construction of the temporary construction buildings (the housing units). I have recently read a statement in a newspaper printed in the United States, said statement being made by one James Hickey, an ex-Atlas employee. Mr. Hickey has stated that he was paid at overtime rates by Lt. Col. L. L. Haseman for baby sitting. Prior to the time Mr. Hickey baby-sat for Colonel Haseman, Mr. Costello Rodriques had been baby-sitting for Colonel Haseman. Mr. Rodriques' classification was assistant superintendent, being paid monthly. Regardless of hours of service, he would have received no other pay. On one particular occasion, Colonel Haseman requested a baby sitter and due to the absence of Mr. Rodriques, I requested Mr. Hickey, an hourly employee, to baby-sit at this particular time. Mr. Hickey had previously on several occasions begged me, if it were possible, to have the opportunity to sit with the colonel's children, inasmuch as he had children of his own and was very lonesome. Mr. Hickey was the only person I knew who I felt was qualified to entertain the colonel's children. This being at his own request, there was not at any time any indication from anyone to my knowledge that he would be paid for this baby-sitting, and to my knowledge there was no authorized overtime paid to said James Hickey. I did not personally turn in any time for this or sign any time card for this overtime. CLIFFORD M. BERRY. Witness. M. B. WALKER, Witness. 96640-52-pt. 4- -23 Colonel DERBY. If there is any further question about these items, I am sure that Colonel Haseman will be glad to testify to it personally. Mr. DAVIS. We will be glad to hear your statement on this matter, Colonel Haseman. Colonel HASEMAN. I think the statement just completed by Colonel Derby covers the allegations completely, Mr. Chairman. Mr. DAVIS. There are some parts of the statement of Colonel Derby which are based on statements which you made to him. In view of that fact, and because of the large amount of publicity that this matter has been given, I would prefer if you would give your personal and direct comments on the allegations which have been identified as J-1 through 4. SPACING OF HOUSES Colonel HASEMAN. Mr. Chairman, with regard to allegation J-1, in which it is alleged that Mrs. Haseman advised her husband that the stakes for the adjacent house and the headquarters housing were being located too close to their house; that Colonel Haseman had the project redesigned to space houses 50 feet rather than 25 feet apart with resulting additional cost in the neighborhood of a million dollars, is false to the extent that I did not have the project redesigned to space the housing 50 feet apart. It is quite correct that Mrs. Haseman informed me that the surveyors were placing stakes adjacent to our house at a distance of approximately 25 feet apart. Mrs. Haseman was aware of the spacing that had been directed previously. She informed me of this apparent error. I obtained a copy of the plan which was being used. I scaled the plan and discovered the error in it. It was the matter of a draftman's mistake, and I directed PUSOM to redraw the plans previously directed. Mr. DAVIS. Are you in a position to furnish the committee with any corroboration from the architect-engineers with respect to the mistake in the preparation of the plan? Colonel HASEMAN. I believe that I can obtain for the committee an excerpt from the architect-engineer's daily diary. I have seen the comment in there, in the daily diary, to the effect that it was an architectural error in preparing the plans. As I recall, that comment was dated the 6th of July. I believe that I can furnish the committee with an extract of that. In fact, I am certain I can furnish the committee an extract from it. Mr. DAVIS. In order to complete the record on that point, I think it would be well if you would obtain those excerpts, Colonel Haseman, and submit them to Mr. Donnelly so that they may be inserted in the record at this point. Colonel HASEMAN. Yes, sir. Mr. DAVIS. It is my assumption, however, that the architectengineers are to be asked to comment directly on it at another point in the record, but I think it would be well for excerpts to be inserted here. Colonel HASEMAN. Very well, sir. (The information may be found in the appendix, on p. 655.) Mr. DAVIS. Do you know the source of the information which was read into the record at the Johnson subcommittee on this particular point? Colonel HASEMAN. It was a newspaper clipping from a columnist in a newspaper in Boise, Idaho, to the best of my knowledge. It was published, as I recall, sometime in February; February or early March 1952. Mr. DAVIS. Did that newspaper clipping indicate the source of information, to your recollection? Colonel HASEMAN. It mentioned only a former Atlas employee who. had returned to the United States. It is my understanding that since that time the man has been identified. I do not know of my personal knowledge who gave this information to the newspapers, but I have been told that it was a Mr. William Wayne, who was formerly the electrical-purchasing agent for Atlas Constructors. Mr. DAVIS. Off the record. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. DAVIS. Were you personally acquainted with Mr. Wayne in north Africa, Colonel? Colonel HASEMAN. I believe I have met Mr. Wayne, but I am not certain. Mr. EASTERWOOD. I might say for the benefit of the chairman, I believe that was given to the Lyndon Johnson committee by Mr. Cassidy, who elaborated upon it. Is that correct? Colonel HASEMAN. That is correct. Mr. DAVIS. Were any of you gentlemen present when this was read into the record at the Johnson committee? Mr. EASTERWOOD. Yes, sir; I was present. Mr. DAVIS. You were present. Did Mr. Cassidy corroborate the statement in any way before the committee? Mr. EASTERWOOD. He did. He corroborated and elaborated upon it. Colonel HASEMAN. In that connection, Mr. Chairman, I think a review of the Johnson committee hearing of that date will show Mr. Cassidy said he had no personal knowledge of this matter, that he had heard about it, or words to that effect. In that connection I might add, also, the fact that Mrs. Haseman discovered that the architect-engineer people had made a mistake was common knowledge around the job. It was more or less a joke, that she had uncovered a plan which had my signature approving it on it, which was a mistake in plan. Mr. DAVIS. Is this correct, then, Colonel: You were familiar with the directive which Colonel Derby had issued, and when the project design was submitted to you you did not carefully note the scale? Or what was the story there? Colonel HASEMAN. Colonel Derby had directed that a certain spacing be provided. I passed that information to the architectengineers at a conference on or about the 15th of June 1951, and confirmed it by a letter of 18 June. When the plan was drawn it was submitted for approval and approved by me. I did not scale the plan at that time to determine that the scale of it was accurate. assumed that it was. I Subsequently it was determined that the scaling was incorrect and the plan was revised to correct that error. Colonel DERBY. I would like to have the committee understand that the way it arose was that the housing was of different sizes. All the large houses had three and four bedrooms, and about half of the houses had less than the standard space, or something to that effect. There was an error in the size of the house, in any event. Colonel HASEMAN. They miscalled the front of the house units. themselves, as I recall it. FLOOR COVERING Mr. DAVIS. Now will you comment, Colonel, with respect to the allegation which is identified as J-2. Colonel HASEMAN. With regard to the allegation J-2 it is correct that rubber-backed flooring was placed in the house which I and my family occupied at the construction village. A sample of this flooring has been shown to the committee. Colonel Derby's testimony has already stated that it was the intention that this type of flooring be used in all houses that had concrete slab floors. The only reason it was not used in the other houses, which were erected after the first one, was that a satisfactory less expensive material was found on the local market. Mr. DAVIS. Is that figure of $2,000 substantially correct? Colonel HASEMAN. As I recall it, the total cost of the flooring in the house which I occupied amounted to about $2,100; $2,130, as I recall it, to be exact. The flooring for the other houses was somewhat less expensive. That $2,000 additional cost I would say is incorrect. Mr. DAVIS. Are either of your in a position to testify with respect to the actual cost of the other materials for flooring a house of this size? Colonel DERBY. It is approximately half of the cost of that. Colonel HASEMAN. May I add one further observation at this point. The floor for the first house, as Colonel Derby has said, was put in place by Atlas, it being our thought that Atlas could build these houses faster than any local subcontractor, and we had the same trouble with the floor slab as was mentioned in connection with some of the latrine floor slabs at Sidi Slimane, i. e., it was rough and uneven. As a result of other factors, completely unrelated, it was determined that the balance of the house would be erected by the fabricator of the prefab unit, as a part of his contract on the prefab. He had access to local masons who could put down smooth, level concrete floors. Therefore, the condition that prevailed in the other floor slabs as to roughness and unevenness was not comparable to this floor slab. Mr. DAVIS. Was this material which was obtained on the local market? Colonel HASEMAN. That is correct. Colonel DERBY. It is quite a common material over there in public buildings in Morocco. It looks just like linoleum when you get it on the floor. Mr. DAVIS. Was there a lack of material or a lack of labor, or if neither of those explains it, what were the circumstances which caused the decision to be made to use this comparatively expensive flooring on a rough floor, rather than to smooth up the floor before you attempted to put a less expensive coating on it? Colonel HASEMAN. The house was already in place, on the floor slab. It would be impractical to pull the house down to level up the floor, or to try to level it up by flowing some additional layer of con |