Evening star., 1898-11-22
GAG PUT ON NURSES
Reason Mrs. Powell Declined to Enter
Army Service.
MUST IGNORE CAMP ABUSES
Witness Refuses to Say Who
Placed the Restriction.
COL. KIMBALL ON STAND

| NEW YORK November 22.-The war in
| vestigation committee decided today that
| it would not visit Montauk Point, the site
of Camp Wikoff, in a body, but would send
| a committee to prepare report.
Mrs. Susan G. Powell Of this city was
| the first witness. She said she did not
| know why she had been called, as she had
| never been at any of the camps and knew
only by hearsay of the treatment received
by the soldiers
I'VE called you." explained Gen. Wilson,
because we heard that when you offered
to go to camp as a nurse you were not ac
cepted because you would not agree to
maintain secrecy should you find any dere-
liction of duty. We wish to know who ex-
acted sucn a promise from you"
Il wish you would not ask me that ques-
ton"
But said General Beaver, 1.-The answer
might aid US materially in our investiga
ton. To whom did you make the offer to
act nurse?"
ITO an officer of the auxiliary of the Red
Cross Society"
Was 1t male or female officer of the
Red Cross?"
Declines to Answer.
81 do not care to say
"Well, had the officer any authority at
camp? Was it an officer in the United
States service?"
ut officer in the army. I do not
know what authority the person had In
camp. My offer and it's rejection were
made i'll a private house,
Since you have stated that" said Gen.
Wilson, would you mind telling us wheth-
er you or the Red Cross made the matter
public
Il do not know who could have told of
it. l do not remember having told any one
but clergyman. He may have told Mr..
r. B. Roosevelt"
Col. A. S. Kimball. assistant quarter
master general of the United States army,
stationed in this city, was the next witt
by the government for the purchase of
supplies and the transportation Of troops to
and from Cuba. He said that all the con-
tracts for supplies were let to the lowest
bidder after proper notification and adyer-
tiSement.
Were there any exceptions to the rule
to award contracts to the lowest bidder?"
asked General Beaver.
I'm all cases where bids were made
awards were made to the lowest bidder
when the articles bid 4Ipon were up to the
standard. In cases of bids made upon
articles where there were no standards
the lowest responsible bidder was always
accepted"
How Contracts Were Awarded.
Answering Ex-Governor Woodbury. Col.
Kimbal said: Contracts wer4 awarded by
the department upon the findings of the
opened bids. Sometimes, in cases where
the articles were not standard, the depart
ment would accept any recommendation
which was made in such cases of the quail
ity of the goods rather than the price.
I'm the case of tents, for instance, 1t Is
impossible to get enough canvas up to the
prescribed standard. In that case l had to
be guided by the samples sent and the
capacity of the bidder to furnish the goods
in the required time.
Did you ever know Of any contract to
be let in your department." asked General
Beaver. because any person was to re-
ceive money or commission on account
of any influence to be used?'
II never knew of any money influence
being used in the matter of awarding con-
tracts. My records show that from May
Il to June II my office expended s4.670, 900
for clothing and camp and garrison equip
ment."
How Ships Were Hired.
Still replying to General Beaver, Colonel
Kimball told of the purchase and hire of
transports in this city. He explained that
he had obtained a list from the owners of
all the ships that could be purchased or
chartered and had submitted the list TO
Washington. When a middleman or
broker came to my Office 1 ignored him
entirely. l dealt only with principals
Col Kimball submitted a copy of his
office records showing the list of shipping
offered for sale or charter. and the COM
mission ordered that the records be incor-
porated in his testimony.
Was the price paid for the charter of
those ships fair and reaSonable?" asked
DR.. Connor.
Yes. / think so generally" replied Col
Kimball, but when ships were wanted
badly they were hard to get. In the case
of the Clyde and Mallory lines for instance.
when the government offered the usual
price the companies said they could not
spare the ships unless double that price
was paid. The ships were needed and the
rnaid L bn ,ri1n .-lz1 Il