The Washington times., 1923-11-17
Al NJ AD
BY NAVAL
Or ARMY
NE
Col. Walton So Tesfifies. Add
ing Director Could Not Have
Had Advance Data.
By WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON
Tnfexnnfionnf Nat1n aer1fce.

1nfernntionai news service
Col. Charles 4 Forbes, former
director 81 the United States Vet
Grams Bureau, was absolyed Of at
responsibility Tor the award of
hospital contracts during his al
ministration By Col. Edward 81
Walton, q. 5. Al, testifying today
before the Senate investigating
connnittee
Only An oped Can,ct
Colonel Walton declared that the
army 0uarferrnaster corT ana tEo
Navy Bureau &c Yards and Docks
I had made an practical awards d
contracts and that Colonel Forkss
merely approved their recOm
mendA tons.
On the Northampton deal, Colonel
Walton said that Forbes had urged
speed, and as q result Of his. strg-
gestiOns several months were saved
III the time Of construction.
There were SIX bids for this
work, the Northeastern Construc-
ton Company, with bid gof $13e,-
900 and q 120-day time limit was
the lowest; the Pontiac Company
came next. with b 100000 bid. but
time limit OF sixty days.
Colonel Forbes urged speed, and
when the Northeastern Company
refused to shorten their time. we
called in the Pontiac Company. AZ
Colonel Forbes order we raised the
danahge allowance for overtime
from $50 to $3.50 day and
awarded the contract to the Pontiac
Company.
Recommended Hurley Bid
.sThis increase in damage allow
I ance equalized the Northeastern
and Pontiac bids and there was an
actual saving Of forty-four days ii
giving the Pontiac Company the
work =
The American Lake contract,
IWalton said was made to the Hur.
Iley.NEason Company, Of Seattle,
only after special board OF in
curry In the quartermaster corps
recommended it as the best BID. +
ssIn this case, knowing that
Colonel Forbes was formerly con-
nected with the Hurley Mason Com
pany, and in order to avoid al
future criticism, convened
special board OF three officers who
had no connection with the Vet
Grams Bureau, to consider the three
lowest bids. Including the Hurley
Mason bid" Walton said. This
board recommended the Hurley
Mason bid. and we forwarded that
recnmnnendation to Colonel Forbes"
interrupted BY Probers.
Members OF the committee fire.
uuently interrupted the witness, ana
on one occasion Mai. Gen. John y.
O'Ryan, Government counsel, con-
ceded there was nothing wrong ~
| the army's conduct or the rransac-
tons. Counsel Tor FORBES. now.
ever. insisted upon being permitted
| to prove there was no irregular1ty
| In these deals.
twas it possible for any man TO
give out advance information on
| these bids?" asked Col. James >
Easby-Smith.
s'It was Impossible. to give out q
sufficient portion OF the specifica-
lions or plans In advance, to afford
any material benefit to q bidder,
Walton replied. 81 should say that
no information could get out.
Mortimer previously harged
Forbes had given him advance In
formation on all these contracts
6el161O4A -AANSNA
man Reed Rep.l Of Pennsylvania,
announced the, committee was
greatly disturbed ''by the amount
OF irrelevant and scandalons testi-
mony," already written into the
record. He announced that all fu-
ture witnesses for the defense.
called to impeach Mortimer. would
have TO tell the committe what they
ware going to say, before being
permitted to take the witness stand
No Plans In AdvanN0.
No mention was made however
OF Government witnesses being sub
jeoted to the same tKeatluO1lt. al
though the spicy testimony TO date
has been given by Government vii.
neaseG,
Colonel waftan Als0 denied that
colonel Forbes en- any ether eEl-
nleye e. the yateEana Bureau hAa.A