Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1963 University Daily Kansan
Page 7
WASHINGTON — (UPI) — The House Armed Services Committee will be asked to check the security at all Air Force bases following the Defense Department's admission that 61 planes were sabotaged at an Arizona base.
Rep. Leslie C. Arends, ranking GOP member of the committee, termed the revelation "shocking." He said yesterday that he planned to ask the committee to investigate all military security precautions.
HE SAID the sabotage incident revealed a laxity in our military security that was "incomprehensible and inexcusable."
The Defense Department said yesterday that 61 T38 jet training planes had the electrical wires leading from the power system to the gears cut. The wires run along the outside of the planes. All the planes were stationed at Williams Air Force base, Ariz.
officials said the sabotage was not considered dangerous. Under ordinary conditions, officials said, the damage would have been discovered before the planes were used in flight.
House Criticizes Security
READY FOR LETTERS—Wendy Fisher, Topeka junior, Cecily Pitts, Merriam freshman, Frances Fredrichs, Mission junior, Sharon Anderson, Topeka junior and Kitty Farrell, Topeka sophomore, stand ready to sort campus Christmas mail at the sorting station in Strong Hall. The project is sponsored by the AWS SMOP (Save Money on Postage) committee. Letters may be sent for free and packages will cost 10 cents.
He said the sabotaging of a single military plane at a U.S. air base would be hard to understand. "To have 61 planes sabotaged in incomprehensible and inexcusable," he said.
ACCORDING TO reports from Williams, the sabotage was discovered by ground crews on a routine check.
In a brief speech to the house, Arends said the incident would never have taken place if the proper security precautions were followed.
The planes were grounded, but
The FBI was called in to investigate the incident, but as yet there have been no arrests. There has been speculation that the planes may have been damaged by a disgruntled civilian employee at the base or a dissatisfied serviceman.
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