Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-11-17
SENATORS PLACE BAN
ON SCANDAL" DURING
VETERANS BUREAU PROBE

VETERANS BUREAU PROBE
CONTINUED from First Page.)
in Mortimer's charges Of intrigue and
corruption.
Col. Walton said that Forbes had
turned over to the Army and Navy
the matter of preparing plans for and
supervising the construction of these
hospitals. explaining that he desired
to relieve himself of the worry and
responsibility" in the matter Forbes
insisted that speed In construction
should be the prime consideration,
and the witness said 1t was on the
basis of speed that he turned most OF
Corps.
Bids for the Northampton, Mass.
Hospital, Col. Walton said, were ad-
yertised for in newspapers and trade
Quartermaster Corps Office. The
Northeastern Construction Company
was lowest, with the Pontiac Con-
struction Company. which Mortimer
Pontiac Company agreed, however. to
complete the work within sixty days
or half the time asked for by the
northeastern Company. Forbes then
was In the west and the award was
held up until after his return.
Raised Penalty,
"Coi. Forbes told me that speed was
what he was after" the witness said,
and he wanted US TO find out who
was behind the Pontiac Company, II
it was reliable company. and If It
was likely that it could complete the
work in such short space OF time"
A representative of the Pontiac
RI nj
an agreement by which 1T got the
contract finally was arranged. The
witness said Forbes raised the penal
~ from $3.50 q day to $3.50 a day for
and also eliminated the proposal of
the company that 1t should be re-
compensed for extra expenditures In
the removal Of rock and boulder from
the hospital site.
The company completed the work
in seventy-six daps. he said. and paid
penalties aggregating $1,000.
Bids for American Lake contract,
awarded to the Hurley-Mason Com
pany of Tacoma, Col. Walton said,
Corps. and Forbes was present at
their opening.
He said that either Forbes or
Charles B. Hurley asked whether
there would be any objection to the
Hurley-Mason Company submitting a
bid. in view of the fact that Forbes
was at one time an officer OF that
company.
Col. Forbes was sitting beside me-"
Col Walton said, land. after all of
me and said: cit looks like the Hur-
Company" and agreed
with him.
Because OF the former connection
of Col. Forbes with the Hurley-Mason
Company, and to avoid any possible
~ n a ri
made to that company, I convened
board of three officers in the Quarter
master Corps who had not been previ-
ously connected with the Veteraos' Blu
reau work and charged Il with the re-
sponsibiiity OF tabuiating the bids and
making a recommendation as to the
award.
Speed, of course, was a considera-
ton, and the board recommended that
the contract go to the Hurley-Mason
Company"
Hearing to Continue.
Charges and counter charges are
developing with such startling
rapidly in the investigation that the
committee has abandoned hope of
ending fits public hearings before the
earliest. And to accomplish this 1t
probably will have to resort to night
sessions.
New elements were injected into
the hearing yesterday with the
testimony Of Mrs. j. M. williams OF
that President Harding
had apoioBised to her husband late
IN 1922 because OF the conduct OF
Charles r. Forbes. while director Of
the bureau. She said Forbes and
Sidney Bieber Of Washington. whom
Forbes has described as his friend,
had threatened her on the long-dis-
tance telephone because she had
written letter detailing to the at
Mortimer. charges which since have
been presented to tho committee by
Elias H. Mortimer.
Appealed to votaw.
Mrs. Williams said that despite
these threats she came to Washing
ton to find out what Forbes and
Bieber were doing and had appealed
to Heber votaw, President Harding's
brother-in-law. to take tho matter
UP with the President. It was after
this that her husband. in company
with Representative Edmonds, repub-
lican. Pennsylvania. called at the
White House to report to the Execu-
tive.
'It would take me a week." Mrs.
told the committee. ito tell
you the things that Mr.. Forbes and
Mr.. Bieber told me were going to
happen to Mr.. Mortimer"
Timberlake, counsel for Mrs Mortf.
mer in her divorce action, previously
had testified that the letter referred
to by Mrs. Williams had been written
to him without solicitation. Mrs.
williams said. however. that Timber
lake had asked her to write II, ex.
planning that he wanted to use the
In finding out what
Forbes and Bieber were doing and
that a few days later she learned
the letter had been turned over to
Forbes.
Testfnes for Forbes.
Timberlake also testified that Morti-
mer. in seeking to arrange with him for
a meeting with Mrs. Mortimer, had de-
MED to him that he had made any Of