Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-21
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Continued from Page One)

any event Mrs. Mortimr's testimony
at private session of the commit
tee two weeks ago will be made pub
lie later.
Senator Reed said the COMMITTEES
could not recall anything in the rec
ord rejecting on Mrs. Mortimer's
character, adding that where she
was referred to it was merely for
the purpose of fixing dates and times
and the names of persons present
when veterans bureau affairs were
under discussion. Mr.. Wright re-
piled that Mrs. Mortimer had in mind
the testimony of her husband and Of
her uncle and aunt. Mr.. and Mrs. J.
NJ. Williams. of Philadelphia.
There may be several brief public
sessions of the committee during the
next two weeks for the purpose Of
admitting to the public record GER
, tain reports and documents gathered
by investigators, but Senator Reed
declared that to all intents and pur-
poses the public hearings are ended.
The committee will not decide before
next week, he said, privately whether
it will hear Mrs. Mortimer.
Many odds and ends" were cleaned
up during the seven hours the commit
tee sat today. One subject of inquiry
was the leasing by the veterans bu-
feau of the hospital site near San
Diego. Cal. owned by the Mack Cop
per Co. The lease was signed on June
Is, 1922. for period of 10 months,
from June /. and $4,000 was paid out
by the government on the signing of
the lease on the representation that a
! foreclosure was about to take place
because of the non-payment of interest
due on mortgage on the property
given by the Mack Company.
A. +. Mack. vice president Of the
company, appeared with a request to
be heard. Senator Reed told him the
records showed that only $3.50 in In
terest payment was made by the COM
pany and that the committee was in
terested in knowing what became of
the other $4,000. The witness said
he got $3.50 and his brother. John
Mack. $4S5O, in payment of amounts
they had advanced the. company.
Mr. Mack declared that so far as he
knew there had been no. payments to
Charles +. Cramcr, former general
counsel, or any other official of the btu
reau in connection with che lease, nor
had any inducements been made to the
veterans bureau to enter into the
lease. 1t developed that the negotia-
tions were carried on by his brother
and agreement was made that John
MdSh IuTnlSn the committee
with an affidavit as to the whole tran
saction.
Testifying that the property first
was leased by the army during the
war. Mack told of many difficulties en-
countered in dealing with government
officials and asserted that his company
had been ground between the upper
milestone of the government and the
neither milestone of the holders. of the
mortgage on the property
James S. Easby-Smith, counsel for
Forbes. presented to the committee q
memorandum of what witnesses that
he would have called in defense ofghis
client had there been time wonld have
testified to.
Recommendations for Hesitation
from the American Legion and the Vet
Grams of Foreign Wars were received
during the day. Both organizations
congratulated the comn1ittes on its
Edwin S. Bethlehem, Jr., for the Vet
Grams of Foreign Wars, wrote that his
organization feels that the outcome
will be more careful and efficient
management of the Veterans Bureau
and also lesson and a caution to
government officials in charge of other
bureaus of the government"