Brass Island

The swank Cotton Bay Club on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas is a world-famed playground for fun-loving celebrities and tired millionaires. In recent years, it has become the favorite retreat of top-ranking military men, too--so much so that at times the Cotton Bay Club has looked more like a tropical officers' club than the gilt-edged resort it is. Last week the House Armed Services Committee revealed that a lot of the high brass have been relaxing on the Cotton Bay Club's palm-fringed golf course as freeloading guests of Baltimore's Martin Co.. manufacturers of military aircraft and missiles (Vanguard, Titan, Mace). In the past three years no fewer than 25 top-ranking Navy and Air Force officers vacationed on Eleuthera at Martin's expense.

Heading the guest list in rank and position was Air Force General Nathan Twining, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has accepted Martin's hospitality three times (on one occasion accompanied by his wife, son, daughter and infant grandson). Other guests: Air Force Lieut. General E. R. ("Pete") Quesada (ret.), administrator of the Federal Aviation Agency and onetime aviation adviser to President Eisenhower; General Sam Anderson, chief of the Air Force Air Materiel Command; General Emmett ("Rosie") O'Donnell, commander in chief, Pacific Air Forces; Vice Admiral John T. Hayward, boss of Navy research and development; Rear Admiral Charles B. Martell, Hayward's assistant. Most of the high-flying officers have, or had, duties connected with procurement or air research. Martin, which does 99% of its business with the Pentagon, holds $800 million in defense contracts.

Appearing last September before a closed session of the House committee, George Bunker, Martin's board chairman, vehemently urged an open session, just as vigorously denied that there was anything unethical about paying the expenses of the officers. "I cannot conceive." said he, "that anyone could possibly believe men of their character and responsibilities could be improperly influenced by playing golf with me on Eleuthera." Another witness testified that the Internal Revenue Service had disallowed Martin's request to list the $18,000 in expense accounts as a business expense and a tax deduction.

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