The Washington herald., 1920-11-21

Declare TWo
BeforeInquiry
Fee Alleged to Have Been
Paid by yShipbuildersS Seek
ing Vast Advance.

ing Vast Advance.
NEW YORK. Nov. zo.-R. Wilmer
Boiling. President wilson's brother
in-law and treasurer of the Ship
ping Board. was accused of having
taken part of a $4,000 bribe by two
witnesses who testified today before
the Walsh Congressional committee
at the continuation of its probe into
the boards activities
This bribe. according to the testi-
mony. was apparently split four
wsys among Boiling, Lester Sissler,
secretary of the Shipping Board;
John cronor. described as a pro-
moter, lobbyist, and Official. of some
sort. of the Downey Shipbuilding
Corporation of Staten Island, and
Tucker X. Sands, former cashier and
vice president of the Commercial
Bank of Washington. 1t was alleged
taht the bribe was paid by the Dow
ney Company to accelerate the pay
ment to it by the Shipping Board of
an advance of s2.50o.ooo.
The whole matter was first pre-
sented to the COMMITTEES today by
its clerk and statistician. A N. Fis-
cher. who called it to the attention
of the committee in connection with
the charge made in his preliminary
report that when accusations of
bribery and corruption were called
to the boards attention II failed to
Investigate. Mr.. Fischer testified
that he had personally presented
the matter to Comdr. A. C. Glenn
ents. the assistant to Admiral w. S.
Penson. present chairman of the
board, and to the admiral in person.
IRvestiEatio. Sought.
EIfred W. McCann. a newspaper
writer. testified that he had called
1t to the attention Of Admiral Ben
son. Secretary of the Navy Josephus
Daniels. Secretary Meredith, Of the
Department of Agriculture. aad for
mer' Secretary OF the Treasury will
lam G. McAdoo for the reason. as he
explained. that the Presidents fam
iiy was involved in this bribe story.
and an investigators should there
fore be made to settle the matter
definitely one way or the other.
Both witnesses testified that as
far as .hey knew no such fnvestiga-
ton has been made.
The matter was first called to the
attention of McCann. according to
hts testimony. by a Mr.. Gano. then
District auditor for the Shipping
Board at New York, who informed
him that a s2.o00.o00 loan had been
given by the Shipping Board to the
Downey concern over his head,
and without his approval. McGanu
said. that he learned in Washing
ton that four notes totaling $4,000
had passed through Tucker h.
Sands, former vice president of the
Commercial National Bank of Wash
ington, d. c.
A visit to Sands on May 2 1890,
McCann said, resulted In the prepara-
embodying these charges, which on
presentation to Sands he corrected
in his own handwriting, but later,
ON the advice OF his attorneys, re-
fused to sign. Sands also destroyed
the original, Mccain said. but not
until photostat copies had been
made at the Shipping Board offices
by Thomas ]. Meehan, deputy chief
of the Bureau of Investigation.
h., Charged to Downey.
One of the phc-osSas copies was
produced by the witness. McCann,
today, and he testified that Sands
had told him the notes were made
by the Downey Company. passed
through the Tacoma Park Bank OF
washington, D. C., the Hanover Ma
tionai Bank of New York. and the
Corn Exchange Bank of New York.
being finally charged to Downeys $
account. The proceeds, IL was al
legged, were divided among Boiling.
Mr.. Sissler, a man named Cranor and
Sands. 90.
Fischer, in his testimony, said that
whe uthe story was first brought
to him he went Immediately to
Comdr. Clements, and repeated IL
both to him and to Admiral Benson,
who was called into the conference.
Admiral Benson, he, said, told him
he had no business to bring such
a story to him without proof.
When asked by Chairman Walsh,
of the committee. what proof he had
been able to get in substantiation of
this charge, Fischer said he had Sc
cured corroborating affidavits from
the Hanover National and Corn Ex>
change National Banks which
showed the clearance of the notes.
Mr.. McCann said on May 2 he
went to Washington, where he met
a Mr.. Fuller who told him of the
existence of the notes and of Sands
with the alleged trsnsac-
tion. ell then proceeded to Sands
ONCE with an attorney named
and there, without in
themselves, they laid the
facts they had before Mr.. Sands and
asked him to tell what he knew
about 1t.
Says sands Was shocked.
my God! Is that coming out
now?" Mt. McCann quotes Mr.. Sands
as saying.
ON the basis of the information
given by Sands. Mr.. McCann testi-
fed. he and schwarzkopf prepared
the afiidavit. which they then pre-
sented to Sands for signature.
Sands refused to sign after he had
made several corrections and inter
when he discovered that
Mr.. McCsnn was q newspaper man
and not an, investigator of the
walsh committee. the witpess testi-
nec. While they were waiting for
Sands to consult his attorney. Mr..