The Washington herald., 1921-02-20
Walsh Investigating Body
Finds Sands Charge
Unfounded.
SQUARE DEAL FOR
ALL, SAYS CHAIRMAN
Received No Money for
Influence With Wilson,
Report Reads.

Charges that he accepted money
for his influence in securing Ship
ping Board contracts for supply
made against r. w. Boil
ling. brother-h-law of President
Wilson by Tucker Sands. former
cashier of the Commercial National
Bank of this city. were declared
false and the Walsh investigating
committee of Congress exonerated
Boiling yesterday.
A. NJ. Fisher, special Investigator
CT the committee, testified that he
examined the bank records and per-
sonal books of Sands and Boiling
and that there is no foundat ton for
Sands charges and ! find Bolling's
denials substantiated."
Deals Were Personal.
Cancelled checks which he said
proved that all the Sands-Bolling
wese personal, were
presented to the committee.
This committee intends to give
a square deal, whether it be Schwab,
Boiling or who" Chairman Walsh of
the committee said in clearing the
record of Boiling. The committee
issued n statement explaining the
fact that Boiling was found to have
received no money for his influence
with the President in favor of any
supply company as charged by
Sands. Boiling was treasurer of
the Shipping Board. He is the sec
ond person cleared of similar
charges. the other being Charles NJ.
Schwab.
John Barton Payne. Secretary Of
Interior and chairman of the Ship
ping Board, told the committee yes
terday that prohibition on hmeri-
can ships put them at "a disadyap-
tage with, foreigR ships that are
wet" declaring that persons in the
United States who even want pro-
hibition travel on the ships that
are not restricted. He declared
that concentration of authority in
one executive instead Of dividing 1t
among the present seven commits
sioners is necessary to a succe sz5ul
operation of the Shipping Bad
Wants Wet Ships.
- tn X we might just as well
nal-a up y minds" said the for
aer SnipIfag Board head, that we
eA'tp operate passenger ships in
competition with foreign ships and
enforce prohibition on our ships.
The ~ people who are for pro-
hibition here will ride on the for
eign ships in preference to our own
ships because of prohibition"
AbrogatiOn of existing CONNER
cial treaties with other nations as
provided in the Jones shipping act
is another handicap to the Ameri-
can merchant marine, the commit
tee was told
The supposed handicap of the
wage provision of the La Toilette
seamen's act, Judge Payne declared,
is not as great as generally sup
posed.
Makes Statement Public.
Following Judge Paynes testt-
mony the committee heard one of
its. special Investigators, A. NJ.
Fisher. r. W. Boiling also took
the stand.
The committee then went into
executive session and, after discus
sion, instructed Chairman Walsh to
make public the following state
ment:
The members of the select COM
mittee on the United States Ship
ping Board Operations Are of the
opinion that r. w. Boiling is not
guilty of soliciting or accepting any
bribe, gift or gratuity as\charged
by T. K. Sands in relation to the
DowneS Shipbuilding Corporation"
Opposing abrogation of the COM
mercial treaties, Judge Payne said:
'T was very much disappointed
at the shipping bill when it con-
tanned Section "a which contem-
plated the abrogation of our COM
treaties. 1t is impossibleGo
build up a shipping business with
clubs. You can't do it."
This section of the bill has been
by President Wilson.
Judge Payne recommended that 1t