The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-27
SENATOR s
NAME: IS
CITED
Forbes Will Base His Defense
on Records of Army
and Navy.

and Navy.
BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON,
International News Service.
Col. Charles r. Forbes, former
director of the United States Vet
Grams Bureau, has prepared q
complete defense against charges
of graft and corruption in the
award of hospital contracts, In
ternational News Service learned
today.
This defense will be based on
the testimony Of high army and
navy officers and official Govern
ment records will be introduced
In an effort to refute the sensa-
tional accusations Elias H. Morti-
mer, of Philadelphia, made dur
ing the Senate committee investi-
CATION.
Said To Furnish Refuta&iOn.
These records, it is said, viii show
that the accused director did not
select the successful bidder on any
contract, but that he merely ap.
proved the recommendations Of the
army quartermaster corps and the
navy bureau of docks and yards.
The army and navy officials, the
records show prepared gpecificA-
tons, asked for bids, received bids
and finally prepared contracts with
recommendation Of awards on all
hospital construction work during
Forbes administration. The army
and navy officers will be called as
witnesses to substantiate the
records, particularly on those con-
tracts which Mortimer involved in
his charges.
While Forbes was directing the
preparation of his defense from Sc
clusion in sick chamber, rumors
were current that other big public
officials viii be drawn into the in
vestigation by evidence to be submit.
ted to the Senate committee next
week. The names of a former high
Government officer and of a United
States Senator were mentioned. The
Senator was said to have obtained
contract for a relative to furnish
Veterans Bureau supplies at an ''uir-
usual profit"
Threatens Perjury Punishment.
Senator Tasker L. eddie, Republi-
can member of the Senate commit
tee, meanwhile issued warning Of
criminal prosecution for any witness
found to have prejured himself,
mo NJ - u.
false statements under oath, 1t will
be our duty to take adequate steps
for his criminal punishment" said
Oddie.
A detailed account OF Forbes de.
Tense against the graft charges was
obtained by International News
Service. BY use of Government
records, Forbes hopes to refute the
testimony Of Mortimer that he en-.
tered "profit-sharing" combination
to divide profits. on the constrlic.
ton of hospitals at Livermore, Cal,
American Lake, Wash, and ST.
Cloud, Mimi, that he accepted a
'1oan" of $4,000 from Mortimer in
return for awarding a contract to
the Pontiac Company, OF Detroit.
for the hospital at Northampton,
Mass, and that he was influenced
In giving the Sutherland Company.
of st. Louis, a construction con-
tract at Upper Lake, N. Y.
The Government records show
that no contract was ever awarded
at Livermore, Cal, that the con.
tract for a hospital at st. Cloud,
Mimi, was awarded by Forbes sue
cessor, Director Frank T. Hines, and
that the successful bidder for the
American Lake, Wash, Contrat was
named by the quartermaster corps
of the army, it is claimed.
In addition, the records show that
the Northampton contracts were &C.
lected by the quartermasters' bu-
received only a 100000 contract,
whereas work amounting to $2,192,-
434 was awarded another firm by
the army officers. Forbes action
was to approve the army recon-
mendations. The records further
show that the Navy Bureau of
Docks and Yards named the Suther-
land concern for the Upper Lake,
N. Y, contract, and that Forbes
merely approved the naval recon-
mendations.
Forbes also will take the stand
to make a sweeping personal denial
OF all the charges. He also will call
q number of surprise" witnesses,
it is said.
During Forbes administration only
eight hospital contracts were award
ed all told and of these the navy
handled three recommendations and
the army five, he will contend. To
support his defense, Forbes un-
doubtedly will summon as wit
nesses. Rear Admiral L. f. Gregory
and Brig. Gen. John NJ. Carson,
now retired, who were in charge of
the study of bids and contract
recommendations in their respec.
tive services.
Contracts Recommended.
The records, it is asserted, show
the quartermaster general recon-
mended these contracts, all OF
which Forbes accepted:
At American Lake, to the Hurley
Mason Company, at $1,346, 61O; al
Northampton, Mass, to the Pom
tiac Company, at 100000, and tC
the George A. Fuller Company, al
$2,192,434; at Chillicothe, Ohio. t.
the George A. Fuller Company, Al
81 ,497, 662, and at Camp Custer
Mich. to A. Bentley and Sons, a
$1,SS7.0S6.
1t further is declared that tn,
navy bureau of yards and docks
made these recommendations TO
contracts which Forbes accepted:
At Excelsior Springs, Mo-, fol
charging an existing hospital; q