Congressmen Attack Army

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32351, 17 July 1970, Page 13

Congressmen Attack Army

{N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, July 16. Members of a Congressional group which inquired into the alleged My Lai massacre in Vietnam accused the United States Army today of a total lack of co-operation.

A scathing report last night by a four-man sub-comimttee, saying that there was a deliberate attempt within the Army to- keep the alleged 1968 mass murders quiet, was followed today by a slashing attack on Army Secretary

(Mr Stanley Resor) and the Army’s top command. Mr Edward Hebert (Democrat, Louisiana), chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee,

told a press conference that the group “was hampered by the Army in every conceivable manner." “There was absolutely no co-operation,” he said. Sub-committee members agreed there could be no criticism of the investigation conducted by Lieutenant General William Peers, but they said that the Army investigation board had been created only after their group had been named. Mr Samuel Stratton (Democrat, New York) said: “If you had lived through those early weeks when we were stymied on every side by the Secretary of the Army and the top Army brass, you would certainly have got the Impression that they were not particularly interested in having this (Congressional) body investigate. ... "I just can’t help but feel that our indication to Resor, that we didn’t intend to be pushed round by him, led to his taking the wraps off Peers and telling him to go ahead.

“Otherwise, I don’t think the Army would have let the Peers group go to town.” General Peers has said that a tragedy of major proportions occurred at My Lai. His investigation has led to a variety of charges, including dereliction of duty, against 14 officers.