American Notes THE NAVY

The Navy's claim that Gunner's Mate Clayton Hartwig deliberately ignited the explosion that killed 47 sailors aboard the battleship U.S.S. Iowa last April | has failed to convince many critics. New doubts have been raised now that an insurance company has paid off on the double-indemnity policy Hartwig took out 17 months before the explosion. The beneficiary: Hartwig's former shipmate, Kendall Truitt, who will get $101,000 (and who has agreed to give part of the money to Hartwig's family).

The Amex Life Assurance Co. decided to award the money despite the Navy's conclusion that Hartwig may have engineered the blast to commit suicide. But the company disputes the claim by Truitt's lawyer that the payoff disproves the Navy's findings. Said a spokesman: "Amex is not saying that ((Hartwig)) did or did not commit suicide. What Amex is saying is that there is not enough evidence to deny a claim based on suicide."