The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-11-15
FORBES OUSTED,
HARDING ORDER
Sawyer Tells Senators Veterans
Chief Continued Sale of Sup
plies After Orders to Stop.
HOSPITALS NEEDED GOODS
Late President Personally Examined
Materials Sold at sacrifce-Goods
In Carload Lots Shipped From
Warehouse at PerryvlIe.

Washington. President Harding
forced the resignation of Charles r.
Forbes as director of the veterans
bureau for INSTRUMENTATION in connec-
ton with the sale of government prop
erty at Perryville, Md, the Senate
Veterans Committee was told by Brig
adler General Charles E. Sawyer, per-
sonal friend and physician of the late
President.
DR.. Sawyer explained that after Mr..
Harding had ordered the movement Of
goods from Perryville to stop, a num-
Der Of cars had been allowed to go
forward to the purchaser, the Thonlp-
son & Kelly Company, Inc, of Boston.
When this came to the attention Of the
President, who previously had told DR..
Sawyer the sale was "a waste and
should not be tolerated" Forbes was
asked to resign.
Within few days after the sale was
stopped in the latter part Of last jan
uary, Forbes sailed for Europe. His
friends said at the time his health had
failed, but reports persisted that his
resignation then was in the hands Of
President Harding. Forbes returned
to this country the following month
and quit the bureau last March l.
Responding to subpoena to tell the
committee what he knew of the Perry
vile sale, DR.. Sawyer stated that he
would prefer to read statement
which he had prepared. Standing at
the witness table SO as to have advan-
tage of better light, he read in loud
and clear tone, with emphasis here
and there on sentences and phrases.
His statement was that his atten-
ton as co-ordinator for the General
disqualification Board first was called
to the Perryville sale on November
26, 1922.
1T was after quite heated confer
ence," the witness continued that
Colonel Forbes was persuaded that the
Public Health Service should be con-
sidered in the matter at ali.
After this conference I took the
matter up with President Harding,
and he requested me to proceed at
once to Perryyille to see what was
going on. Accompanying me on this
trip were General Cummings and DR..
Smith CDR. Frederick C. Smith, of the
Public Health Service).
Upon arrival at Perryville we
found great activity going on in the
matter of shipping supplies. Investi-
cation showed that one large truck
load of towels was just being moved
out Of one of the buildings.
assuming the authority that had
been giving me by the President, I
directed the officer in charge to have
the materials unloaded and asked him
to await further orders before any,
other shipment was made.
Returning home, I made a state
ment to the President, telling him that
1 felt sure that very valuable mate
rials, much needed by the Veterans
Bureau hospitals and the Public
Health Service, were being disposed
of at great loss to the government
He Immediately ordered through me
that further disposition of this prop
erty should stop.
Colonel Forbes gave us to under
stand positively by a signed agree
ment that no further shipments would
be made until the letter of the Execu-
tive order had been executed About
three weeks later word came to me
from a representative of the Public
Health Service at Perryville that ma
terials still were being shipped; that
practically 126 carloads in all had been
forwarded to Thompson & Kelly.
81 then took the subject up with the
President and he Immediately called
Colonel Forbers, and said to him that
nothing further must go. Regardless
of this order, however, directly from
the President, other carloads within
the next two or three days were
INSTRUMENTATION Colonel Forbes was
asked to resign"
DIR. Sawyer told how President Har-
ding had come to his Office in the
State, War and Navy Building to see
samples of the goods which were sold.
HE looked at the samples much
more critically than have In present
ing these samples to you" he said.
Exhibiting the goods, he said:
These blankets are good enough to
be used in any home; this is the same
kind of towel as is used in my home;
this sheet is as good as can be pur-
chased"
Mr.. Forbes was absent from the
hearing on account If illness, the first
session he has missed in two weeks.