The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-26
SCHWAB WEEPS ON
WITNESS STAND
Sheds Tears as He Asserts
He Never Received Cent
for Work
HAS SYMPATHY
OF SPECTATORS
Insists at Ship Probe Hearing That HE
Never Charged Government Anything
for Work Which lie Did During War
-Drn,nafia SrrnP.

Dramatic Scene.
NEW YORK, Jan. 2G-Ovcrcome by
his emotions. Charles VI. Schwab. TEN
porarily broke down on the witness stand
during his testimony here yesterday ait
crnoon before the Walsh congressional
committee which is investigating affairs
of the United States shipping board.
With tear-flled eyes. he denied charges
of previous witnesses that $4,000 OF Il
S269. 600 voucher charged to his account
in the home Office Of the Bethlehem Ship
building corporation. had been allocated
to expense of construction Of government
ships.
Mr. Schwab had been recalled to give
testimony regarding ship construction
matters during his term as director gen
eral of the emergency fleet corporation.
At the conclusion of this testimony his
attention was called by Representative
Poster To testimony that since making
his denial last Friday Of the charges, he
had conferred with IcrIey Morse, of Per-
ley Morse X Co. the auditors who found
the alleged voucher.
Mr. Schwab admitted he had talked
with Morse. stating that a Mr. Wildman,
whom he had known for several years,
came to him with the statement that Mr..
Morse was Il man of the highest repute.
L listened" Mr.. SchWab added. and
said that if what YOU say Is true, and
what | assure you L can prove Is true,
that | received none of this money.
should not Mr.. Morse be willing to make
u statement that he has made mis-
take! Mr.. Wildman said he thought he
would do So
As a result of this conference, a meet
ing between Mr.. Schwab and Mr.. Morse
was arranged The witness said he re
In hn
Misunderstanding 1t was matter so
indescribably deep in my heart to be
charged with something OF that kind,
that | hope he would correct it,
He would not do it, Mr.. Schwab
continued. He said there were eX-
plantations and reasons.
Here the steel mans voice became
husky and his frame shook with sup
pressed sObs.
Il hope you will excuse me, Mr..
Chairman and gentlemen of the commit
tee" he started to continue, but his voice
broke again. Great tears rolled from
his eyes and he wiped them away with
his handkerchlef.~
The committee room was filled with
witnesses and spectators, and 1t was eyl-
dent that he had the sympathy of all by
the silence that followed, silence
broken by Representative Foster, who
said:
Il cannot help making this reflection
lust at this time. AS member of this
committee | want 10 express on the
record my appreciation of tn" manner.
MI Schwab. in which YOU have intro
duccd evidence concerning this voucher.
Aside from my membership on this COM
mittec ] want to express my apprecia-
ton. as an American citizen. for the
services YOU have rendered our country
in the recent war.
Tins >,>t,v-ucEt was greeted by APP
plause from those in the room.
II thank YOU very much. Mir SchWab
replied. That was Che substance of my
conversation with Mr.. Morse"
He had now regalncd control of him
self and in answer 10 the chairman $
question. said he had never instituted
any steps to have any audit stopped at
his Shipyard or Offices. He said matters
Of this kind were never brought to his
attention.
Previously Mr.. Schwab took up Incl
dents relating 10 his becoming head of
the fleet corporation stating that he de-
voted - considerable portion of his time
to visiting the various Shipyards to in
Spirc the men To greater efforts.
lie asserted tho entire shipbuildng
program was an emergency. that General
pcrahing was urging ships and more
ships and that nothing was allowed to
stand i'm the way of construction. He
declared at least two billion of the three
billion dollar cost ought to be charged
Of a. war cost.