The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-27
CLEAN BILL GIVEN
 SCHWAb BY WALSH
 PROBE COMMITTEE
Statement Declares Charges Against Former Head of the Emergency Fleet Corpora
 ton Are True
By Associated Prnss

Washington, January 26. With the ap- proval of Chairman Walsh, members or the House committee Investigating tie shipping board declared in a statement today that they .were satisfied" after hearing all the evidence and examining the dcenmenss that the charge that Charles M. rchwab received money from while serving as wartime director of the emergency feet corporation was n:t proven and further that it was not true.
 The statement was issued by Represent. atiye steele, democrat. Pennsylvania. after discussion with the other members who heard the testimony in New York and Washington relating to the $260,G.O voucher It's issuance in advance of the full report of the committee on the re- suits of it's investigation was unusual, decided to break away from long estap- lished rules on the ground of fairness to one unjustly accused.
 When the final report on the whole inquiry is submitted to Congress, it was said the committee would reiterate 1t in more formal form it's belief the charge was without Justification
 Mir. Steele statement was issued after ,its had been read by Chairman Walsh, who annoua.ed that lie had no objection whatever to it's publication
 TEXT OF STATEMENT
 It follows:
 When asked if he cared to make any statement relative to the hearing held n. the select committee shipping board expenditures on the charge that Charles M. Schwah had received payment for ex- penses which were charged against the shipping board emergency fleet corpora ton to ship construction cost, Mir Steele replied that tine members of the comm t. tee who heard all the testimony and saw the documents were satisfied that the charge was not proven and further that it was not rue.
 MT. Steele further stated this state ment was made with the Knowledge an1 consent of the members of the commit ee.'
 ~i 1t was explained by Mir. Steele that there might have been some impropriety in utterances of this kind from the chair man of an Investigating committee in Ld- vance of an official finding, but that there was urgent demand for an ex- precision at this time in view of MT. Schwabs public service.
 indicat.on of che committees feeling oh the subject was given by Representa- tive Foster, republican, Ohio. while MT. Schwab was on the stand in New forX yesterday. Both, as q member of the committee and as citizen. MT Foster said he wanted to express his apprecia- tion of MT Schwabs work and the in- estimable service he had rendered ths country during the war.
 "Commttee members were convinced ty the testimony" said Representative Connally. democrat, Texas, who with Chairman Walsh and Representatives Steele and Foster heard it, that MT Schwab did not receive a dollar from the United States shipping board as com De nsaton or as expenses while serving as director general of the Emergency Fleet corporation and that no part of the $26o, 600 voucher of the Bethlehem Steel cor poration was paid by the shipping board or the Emergency Fleet corporation as a Tt Of the cost of ships built for the United States as intimated'
 | The committee will continue its general hearings here .-~S week but 1t was said the voucher incident certainly so far as clcsed
 New York January MI am indeed grateful" Charles M. Schwab. steel mas nate, today told the Assofiateu fres5i when he learned that the Walsh com mittee had issued a statement in Wasn- irgton clearing him of charges of receis- ing payment from the government for expenses while serving as director gen. eral of the Emergency Fleet corporation.
 Tt is the best news l have ever heard, he said, his voice shaking with emotion.
 T appreciate beyond words the action of the Walsh som nittee ir so promptly me from the unfouided cnarge tnal has been SD widely c.rculat- ed" MT Schwab added. T an deeply. grateful to the committee for the thor onghness and fairness with which It took up the investigation of the charge the moment it was made.
 T cannot forhear adding an expression of my appreciation of the spontaneous expressions of confidence and sympathy of Congressman Foster at the close Q; my testimony yesterday