Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-01-26
Bethlehem Steel Head
Breaks Down Under
Strain Of Inquiry
RELIEVES TENSION
Crowd Cheers War Service as Chief OF
Emergency Fleet Testifics--Says
Nation Owes Him Debt.

New York, Jan. 26.----it would seem
to require pretty big hurt to brea!:
the emotional control o. man like
Charles NJ. Schwah, known through
out the business world As a conStitt.
tional optimist and chronic ell,
tliuSiast.
So it was ror strange that wnc:'
Schwab suddenly halted his tcst'
mony before the congressional Ship
ping Board prcbcrs here late yes:':r.
day and openly went, there was &
reaction on the part Of tn, committee.
members. press representatives AMI
onlookers that developed cheering
and haniclanping as "yidenc;n% con-
iderce in the biz, broad shoul.iercri
steel man.
Possibly il was the usual heart
string :, pull that follows an cI,o-
tion9l breakdown by powerful NAV.
But ir seemed. rather, the resul: u
many hours Of watching Schwah -:
h. sat through the long session.
Like father. listening to his
children recitc successfully at some
public school entertainment. Schwab
sat by and smiled, gesticulatnd.
laughed or viewed with pride as ono
or the other Of his men drove hons :!
point or clearly demonstrated 4"
knew his business during the days
grind of testimony
Eugen" G.. Grace. president Of the
Rethiehem Stc=, CORPORATION and he
'cldrst;' Of Schwab'S boys" WAS
first cn the stand. Grace was follow
ed by s. A. Shick, comptroller Of tn,
Bethlehem corporation and the man
who apporti0r> profits and losses
about the Bethlehem holdings. Fol,
lpWirr Shick was n still Younger
man, W. G.. Hank. assistant anditor.
Tie objective ii all ftr"c was clear.
ing the mystery Of what b@rame ."f
n :26a, ,0000 voucher. recently de
ciared by expert accountants 70 nave
covered persona! expenses Of Tha>.
NJ. tSchma.b ard to have been adfea
to tn building costs OF government
ships.
As fer rhc mysterious voucher.
which started all the troub,e. each
CT the ''bcys-' m turr testified that
the sum covered n the voucher was
charged 70 profit and l2ss" Of the
Deithlehem corporation; was never
COLLECTED in part or in whole from the
government by being added 10 the
construction costs OF ships-and neyer
wculd be. The voucher ard other of
Schwab's expenses. all declared, wero
paid by the corporation alone.
Then Schwao himself took The
s.and a SORT Of climax to his 'fan-
i!ys" day st court The question:
ing ny the prcoerS go- around, of
course. 70 the voucher Schwab de-
scr:bed how, after test:fyirg last FRI
day and denyTrg that he had coGect-
Cd any nlorey from the government
to, cover personal expenses. he mG
pc'lev Morse. the expert accourtargt,
whose audit Of the Bethlehem books
revealed tta $3.50 900 voucher and re-
suited in the Ia+er ins;nuat?aT,a
against; schwab.
"After forty years Of honorable
business experience in the United
States Schwab then declared, obvi.
ouAy moved, Il felt IT 50 deeply
these irsin,stacns--T cannot put !,
INTO Words
His voice broke. Tears streamed
down his face. Hls "boss," from
Grace rn-Dowu. looked fo-. a moment
rs i. they. too. were going - weep.
! The committeeman shifted sJmcT1hat
| uneaSEy for a second. thcr Rcprcsen-
t:a.ttii~e Foster. one CT. the committee,
| ,secHa red Ile. believed the Amcrcan poo
PIE c7xea schwab great de2t Of graft
s,l6e.-for ms war work. II was what
vas .nceaei 1t the 11ar:acuIar rnpmtht.
. W..a;;es sc!rHarb sat witl, a ilandkef'.
rAies as h<<sceye5 the crowd in the
! .orrrn5 ttee rom jumped 70 rs feet
!, With cheers .arsi hard clapp:,ry for the
| sre;et mar. 49,. ,.
Tho ovation, lasted several min
;,5es, after ;Mhich Schwab was him