Bisbee daily review., 1921-02-05
SAYS ]. ]. GOT GOOD PRICEFOR
 ARMY SUPPLIES Dawes Claims That Sales Of Surplus Were O. k. Given i,
 Backing By Parker INQUIRY TO END SOON Witness Cites Figures To Show Disposal Of Goods
 Not Made At Loss
INQUIRY TO END SOON

WASHINGTON. Feb. 4.-Staunch defense of the work accomplished by the American liquidation commission in disposing of millions of dollars of war supplies to France and other European governments after the arm istice was made today by Edwin R. Parkers. New York lawyer. former chairman of the board. in testifyinS before the house committee investi- sating the conduct of the war,
 Parker declared the policy adopted in disposing of the great bulk Of sup plies in Europe was unquestionably wise, and cited figures to prove that if the same materials were on hand today they would not bring the prices, either in Europe or the United States. that the government obtained when the bulk sales were made in 1919-
 His examination was conducted principally by Representative Flood, of Virginia, Democratic member of the committee, with occasional question ing by Chairman Johnson, Of South Dakota, and Representative Bland of Indiana, Republican members
 Discussion arose among the com mitteemen over the question of call ing other witnesses, Representative Flood insisting that General Pershfng be summoned to answer criticisms IL was finally agreed that Flood should request the general to testify Monday if he desired.
 The committee also agreed to end the investigation next Wednesday,
 Parker told the committee that his commission disposed of stores netting the government SS22. ,220. as com pared with cost value which he es- timaced at S1.775, ,OOO,O0O. France bought stores to the amount of $562.- 100000 he said and agreed in the contract to relieve the United States of all claims of damage including those of 15O.OO0 property owners against the American army. He ex- plained that the sale also had the ad- vantage of relieving the United States of about S15O. O.O0O,OOO customs duties which would have had to be paid had the materials been sold to other Euro pean governments.
 All things considered" Parker de clared. we got full value for the goods sold to France
 Asked if the commission delayed the sales in order that profiteers could take advantage of them, Parker said such actions were entirely foreign to the policy of the commission.
 We believe we exercised the very greatest possible diligence. he added, "in disposing of supplies and getting them in the hands of those who need ed them most The government may congratulate itself in that it disposed of it's goods and did not wait 10 req lize better prices later.
 There was one obvious thing to do, to speed up disposition or claims and sales in order to let the two million boys come home. The people would not have permitted the men who enlisted to fight the battles to be kept there to guard the stores until they were sold at retail. As a result of our policy, l can say that not man was held in France because he was needed to guard or sell American property
 ~If we had waited. our grand chil- dren would have had to settle these claims. Much of the supplies in France could not have been sold in the United States"