Press Release from the Senate Special Committee Investigating the National Defense Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The United States Senate Special Committee Investigating the National Defense Program today announced the election of Senator James M. Mead (D., N. Y.) as Chairman. The Committee met at 10:30 this morning for the purpose of designating a new chairman in place of Senator Harry S. Truman, who submitted his resignation yesterday. The decision was unanimous. After the meeting, Senator Mead stated: "My selection as chairman by my colleagues of the Special Committee on National Defense comes as a great honor and an even greater responsibility. "The Committee was directed by the Senate to conduct a complete investigation of all phases of the program for arming our nation. In accord- ance with this direction, it has been the purpose of this Committee to make a full and impartial study of every aspect of the war program, in order to deter- mine whether or not the fullest and most effective utilization is being made of our resources to the end of bringing this war to a successful conclusion at the earliest possible moment and with the lowest cost in lives. "The Committee has not attempted at any time to review the strategy of the war. We have not considered and do not consider it to be a function of this Committee to investigate or to criticize the conduct of military or naval operations. These have been outside of our scope. "The Committee has been non-political in its operations at all times. Its ten members, including six Democrats and four Republicans, have never raised a partisan issue and have never taken a partisan position. There have been no factional disputes, despite the fact that this Committee has already functioned through a major national election. There has never been a CS TRUMAN