Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-30
Members of Council of Defense
Involved in Scandal; S10,-I
600 Capital to Make $780,
900 Annually.
CROzIER TO REPLY TO
STATEMENT OF LEWIS
Shortage of Clothing Blamed
on Civilian Board; Refused
to Buy WOOL Wanted Shod-
dy Used,

icy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wI#El
| Washington, Dec. 29.--The senate
war inquiry committee today investi-
gated further the cancelled scrap uni
form cloth picking contracts let by
the committee on supplies of the
cooncil 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 annually.
| Charles Eisenman, vice chairman of
the committee, who approved the con-
tracts, and Samuel Kaplan, another
memper of the committee, whose
! brother, it was developed, is finan.
cially interested in the company, will
| be summoned to testify, it was an
nounced. 1t was further developed
today that Kaplan's brother is treas
urer of the company owning a Con-
necticut wooden mill commandeered
| by the government.
Blames Defense Council.
| Quartermaster General Sharpe tes-
titled 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-
suoosihilitv for dalo,, d. .acuyine, r.,,r
plies of wool for army clothing on
the 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
fered last April by Boston dealers.
No large purchases were made until
September after prices had risen
greatly. he said. Sentaor Weeks told
the committee he was reliably in
formed that loss of $780, 900 to
the government resulted.
Knew of Tent shortage.
Replying to testimony yesterday of
commanders of Camp Bowie, Tex, and
| Doniphan, Okla, that overcrowding
OF tents and lack of winter clothing
caused deaths of many men in recent
disease epidemics, General Sharpe
said the authorities knew tents would
4 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 recon-
mended by Surgeon General Gorgas
Regarding lack of motor trucks for
training men at the cantonments,
General Sharpe said the department s
policy, not his own, is that trucks shall
not be supplied until the men go
abroad. Rolling kitchens and many
other vehicles, he also said, would not
De furnished until then, under pres
ent plans. Committee members
voiced dissatisfaction with the plans
which, they contended, would prevent
men from securing proper training.
Give Big Profits.
| Questioned on the cloth scrap con-
tracts. General Sharpe said he esti-
mated that the contract given the
sorting company at cents a pound
would net the company 100000 an
nually. Capt. A. E. Peerless, who i'm
vestigated the contract, estimated the
profits at 100000 yearly, Ind also
told of another contract given the
company, which was sard to have but
$4,000 capital. for sorting oil, re-
Jected and discarded army clothing
Captain Pereless estimated that this
contract, also cancelled, would yield
very much more" profits-$250,0 900 n
year from blankets alone.
Brother Of Kaplan.
That Charles Kaplan's brother Ira
A. kaplan, was member of the firm
given the contracts was testified to by
Alexander H, Kaminski, attorney for
an association of New Yorw rag mer-
chants, who sought to do the work for
the government. He said that he be-
licved Eisenman had acted IN good
faith, but had been "hoodwinked'' ry
rag merchants composing a committee
all ointed by the council to conserve
rag supplies. Eisenman, the witness
said, took full responsibility for and
defended the contracts. A clique in
New York, KaIninsld charged, was in
terested in trying to get control of the
country's rag business. He also as
serted that Charles Kaplan knew all
details connected with the contracts
given the sorting company and said
the c cents for sorting scraps was ex,
cessive. A good profit coul1 be made.
he said, on a price of from 1 to
cents a pound.
II VIII Recall CroZier.
II Next week the committee plans to
conclude investigation of ordnance Of
fairs. General Crozier will be re-
called Monday, having requested an
opportunity to reply to statements Of