Bisbee daily review., 1917-12-30
WAR INQUIRY
UNFOLDS new
PROBE; CLOTH
THE SUBJECT
Senate Investigators H e ar
That New York Firm Could
Have Made Enormous
Profits Out of Cloth Con-
tracts.
CBy Review Leased wirel

I WASHINGTON. Dec. 2s.-The sen
ate war inquiry committee today in
Investigated further the ccnceled scrap
uniform cloth picking contracts let b.
: the committee on supplies Of the cOun-
Gil of national defense 10 the Base
! Sorting company of New York. under
l which Witnesses testified the com
pany could have made excessive prof
its aggregating several hundred thou
sand dollars annually.
! Charles Eisenman. vice chairman OF
the committee. who approved the
contracts. and Samuel K2plan. anOth-
er member OF the committee. whose
brother. IL was, developed. Is financial
" interested in the company. will be
summoned 10 testify, il vas aRnOunc-
ed II was further developed today
7 that Kaplan's brother Is treasurer OF
[ the company owning a Connecticut
wOolen mill cOmmandeered BY the
government
{ QUartermaster General Sharpe tes-
titled that when the war department
Cancelled the contracts last Thursday
both Eisenman and Kaplan protested.
( The government. he explained, viii
take over the work
/ Passes the Suck
In concluding today his testimony
regarding clothing and other army
supplies. General Sharpe placed re
sponsibility for delay in securing sup
plies of wool for army clothing on
the Council OF National Defense The
councils committee. which had taken
7 over the question Of wool supplies.
/ the general said. recommended use
of shoddy material in making uni
forms and delayed accepting raw
wool offered last April by Boston
/ dealers No large purchases were
made until September after prices
. had risen greatly. he said Senator
I WeeksstOld the committee he was re
/ liably informed that a loss of $780,
I 100000 TO the government resulted
Replying to testimony yesterday of
I commanders Of Camp Bowie. Texas,
and DOniphan. Oklahoma. that crowd
I ing OF tents and lack Of winter cloth
I ing caused deaths OF many men in re-
! cent disease epidemics General
Sharpe said the authorities knew tents
would be short for the men suddenly
called into service but that supplies
now are ample to reduce the tent
quota from twelve To five men. as re
commended BY Surgeon General Cor
gas
Regarding lack of motor trucks for
training men n the cantonments. Gen
/ eral Sharpe said the departments pol
icy. not his own. is that trucks shall
not be supplied until the men so
abroad. Rolling kitchens and many
other vehicles. he also said. would
not be furnished until then under
present plans. Committee members
voiced dissatisfaction with the plans,
which. they contended. would prevent
men from securing proper training
Cloth Scrap Contracts
! Questioned on the cloth scrap con
. tracts. General Sharpe said he estim-
ated that the contract given the sort
ing company at six cents a pound
would net the company 100000 an
nually. Captain A. r. Pereless. who
investigated the contract estimated
the profits az S5OO.0O0 yearly, and also
told of another contract given the
company which was said 10 have but
$4,000 capital, for sorting old. reject
ed and discarded army clothing Cap
tain Peerless estimated that this con-
I tract. also Cancelled. would yield
very much more" profits a
year from blankets alone.
I That Charles Kaplan's brother. Ira
A. Kaplan. was 4 member OF the firm
given the contract was testified 10
BY Alexander II. Kaminsky. attorney
FOR an association OF New York rag
merchants, who sought to do the work
for the government He said that ne
believed Eisenman had acted in good
faith. but had been hoodwinked" by
rag merchants composing a commit
tee appointed by the council TO con-
serve rag supplies. Eisenman. the
witness said. took full responsibility
! for and defended the contracts a
clique in New York. Kaminsky charg-
ed. was interested in trying TO get
D control of the country's rag business.
. He also asserted that Charles kap-
Ian knew all details connected with
1.-THE contracts given the sorting com
pany and said the six cent price Tor
.sorting scraps was excessive. \ good
profit could be made, he said. on a
price from one to three cents a
pound.
Next week the committee plans 10
conclude Investigation OF ordnance
= affairs. General CrOzier will be re
called Monday. having requested an
! opportunity to reply statements OF
Colonel Lewis regarding the Lewis