The New York herald., 1920-12-26
SENATE TO PROBE
BAKER COAL DEAL
Army Officers Are Involved in
War Department Purchase
at Maximum Prices.
DATA ARE COLLECTED
Secretary May Be Asked to
Explain Why Advice of Agents
Was Disregarded.
DATA ARE COLLECTED
Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,l

SpecidL Despafch to THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,l
Washington, ID. g., Dec. 25.
A searching inquiry into all details
Of the purchase of millions of tons of
coal by the War Department during
the coal panic period at ruinously
high prices is to be undertaken by
the Senate Special Committee on Re-
construction.
Hearings are to be resumed Wednes-
day. The committee now has in it's
possession not only copy of the con-
tract between the War Department
and Col d. B. Wentz, president of the
National Coal Association, under which
the latter bought 100000 tons of coal
at as high as -s11 a ton, with COM
mission of so cents ton, but also
has q list of the names Of coal men'
connected with other sales, the prices
paid by the War Department, and
many other facts not hitherto dis
closed.
1t was indicated here to-day by a
member of the special committee that
these names and other data would be
used as the basis for broadening the
scope of the inquiry. The committee
touched only the highest spots in the
transaction at it's hearings this week
and left many things for future testi-
mony. For instance, the committee
wishes to know why the Secretary Of
War thought 1t necessary to obtain such
a tremendous quantity of coal after he
or his agents had been warned that the
price would be higher then than If the
coal were purchased to meet current
needs.
The committee also desires to know
the names of all the army officers con-
nected with the various coal purchases
that entered into the aggregate, the
exact profits that each man furnishing
the coal made out of the transactions
and what other commissions, If any.
were paid by the Government
The committee has not lost sight of
the fact that when George II. Cushing.
managing director of the American
Wholesale Coal Association. testified
that Government officials had gone into
the coal business and made hundreds OF
thousands of dollars out of 1t he sug-
gested not only the name of dollar-a-
year man but intimated that an army
officer or officers might be connected
with profiteering deals.
Mr.. Cushing has not completed his
testimony nor has the committee dis
closed the name OF the dollar-a-year
official. Assurances were given by the
committee that this name would be
disclosed when the official was sum-
moned to tell his story.
1t is generally believed here that Sec
retary Baker will be asked to testify
unless the committee is able to obtain
the facts through evidence furnished
by other witnesses. 1t Is impossible TO
obtain information as to the exact pro-
gramme to be pursued by the committee,
however. for the reason that its hear
ings we're brought TO temporary close
at the end OF long days session. with
members deslrous of hastily arranging
their affairs so that they might enjoy
brief vacation during the holidays.
This prevented the holding of a con-
ference by the committee to arrange its
future deliberations. This question is
to be taken UP when the hearings are
resumed next week