The Wilmington Morning Star

Investigation Shows No Basis
For Complaints On Gas Wastage

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15. — (AP) —A damaged B-24 Liberator bomber splattered with adulterated gasoline and set afire to train air force personnel in fire-fighting methods was cited today by the house military committee as the possible source of reports that the air forces were wantonly destroying inferior gasoline at Gowen field, near Boise, Idaho.

H. Ralph Burton, committee counsel, said an investigation made after complaints had been received of gasoline wastage disclosed no basis for the complaints.

In a formal report, the committee attributed the complaints to an unidentified former grade-school teacher who, when questioned proved too evasive, argumentative, non-committal, and gifted with a most convenient lack of memory."

An inspection at Gowen Field,
the committee said showed that all salvageable oil was returned to refineries while waste oil and cleaning fuel was burned in the salvage dump when it had no further value.

The B-24 mentioned by the committee was stripped of usable parts and the skeleton fuselage used for training firemen in crash procedure, the committee reported, the fluid use being a mixture of old and unusable gasoline, cleaning fluid and kerosene.

The committee said the training afforded firefighters was responsible largely for a sharp reduction in fire losses during the last twelve months.

The committee said the commanding officer at the post, Col. John R. Kane, holder of several decorations "earned in this war" and knowing the value of gasoline to the men overseas would hardly be one to permit it to be uselessly destroyed."