Arizona republican., 1917-12-30
UNIFORM
 CLOTH IS
 PROBED
lRepubliean A. p. Leased wlreJ

iRepubllc7n q. p, Leased WIreJ WASHINGTON. Dec. 29.-The sen ate war inquiry committee today con tinued investigating further the can cclled" scrap uniform cloths picking contracts let by the committee on supplies Of the Council of National Defense to the Base Sorting company of New York, under which witnesses testified the company could have made excessive profits aggregating several hundred thousand dollars an nually.
 Charles Eiscnmau, vice chairman or the committee, who approved the con- tracts, and Samuel KaplaG another member of the committee whose brother it was developed, is financial ly interested in the company, will be summoned Co testify, it was announc- ed. It was further developed today that Kaplan's brother is treasurer of tho company owning Connecticut Woolen mill communicated by the government.
 Quartemastcr General Sharpe tes- tified that when the war department cancelled the contracts last Thursday. both Eisenman and Kaplan protested The government. he explained, will take over the work.
 In concluding today his testimony regarding clothing and other army supplies, General Sharpe placed re- sponsiblity for delay in securing sup plies of wool for army clothing on tho Council of National Defense. The councils committee, which had taken over the question of wool supplies. the general said, recommended use of shoddy material in making uniforms and delayed accepting raw wool of Tered last April by Boston dealers. No large purchases were made until September after prices had risen greatly, he said. Senator Weeks told the committee he was reliably in formed that loss of $15O,00O, 900 to the government resulted.
 Replying to testimony yesterday of commanders of Camps Bowie, Texas, and Doniphan. Okla, that the crowd Q ing of tents and lack of winter cloth ing caused deaths of many men in recent disease epidemics. General Sharpe said the authorities knew tents would be short for the men sud- denly called into service. but that supplies now are ample to reduce the tent quota from F to five men. as recommended by Surgeon General Gorgas.
 Regarding lack of motor trucks for training men at the environments, General Sharpe said the departments policy, not his OWL is that trucks shall not be supplied until the men go abroad Rolling kitchens and many other vehicles, he also said would not be furnished until then un der present plans. Committee mem bers voiced dissatisfaction with the plans which. they contended, would prevent men from securing proper training.
 Questioned on the cloth scrap con- tracts, General Sharpe said he esti- mated that the contract given the Sorting company at six cents a pound would net the company S400, ,000 an- nually. Captain A. l.. Percless, who investigated the contract, estimated the profits at S500000 yearly. and also told of another contract given the company which was said to have but Sl0.000 capital. for sorting old, rejected and discarded army clothing. Captain Pereless estimated that this contract also cancelled, would yield "very mucf more profits-S25OO0 900 d year iron blankets alone
 That Charles Kaplan's brother. Irs A. hdpldH, was d member or the flru given the contracts was testified to b, Alexander H. Kaminsky, attorney fo an association of New York rag mer chants. who sought to do the work fo the government. He said that he be lieved Eisenman had acted in goo, faith, but had been Hoodwinked" b, rag merchants composing a committe appointed by the council to conserv rag supplies. Eisenman, the witnes said, took full responsibility for an defended the contracts. A clique i New York, Kaminsky charged, was in terested in trying to get control O the country's rag business. He als asserted that Charles Kaplan knew al details connected with the contract given the sorting company and said tn six-cent price for sorting scraps wa excessive. A good profit could b made, he said on price of from tO 3 cents a pound.
 Next week the committee plans { conclude investigation of ordnance at fairs. General Crozicr will be re called Monday having requested an op portunity to reply to statements Colonel Lewis regarding the Lew machine gun controversy. SecretaT Baker also if he desires will be give an opportunity to make a statement the machine gun question.
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