The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-11-14
Is.
Upheld by
Col. Forbes
Tells Body Probing Veterans
Bureau Presidents Doctor
Ordered Rum Shipped
to Ohio.
Lays Trouble to Politics
BY Universal Service.


Washington, Nov 13.-Col. Charles
X. Forbes, former director. today
made a sweeping denial of aecusa-
tons brought against him and his
administration in the senate investi
cation of the veterans bureau.
Forbes charged Brig. Gen. Charles
T.. Sawyer. personal physician to the
late President Harding and President
Coolidge. with being responsible for
the major part of his troubles.
Forbes charged that Sawyer At
one time made a requisition to send
into Ohio 20 barrels OF whisky from
the Perryville Md supply depot.
He said that Elias H. Mortimer had
been described to him at the Depart
professional bootlegger OF Washing
ton" Sawyer and Mortimer are
among Forbes chief accusers in the
list OF witnesses heard.to date.
Politics Is Blamed.
Political influence had been exerted,
both inside and outside tn ebureau,
to interfere with his administration
Qf the bureau. Forbes asserted. This
influence, he declared, came from
senators and Representatives in con
gress as we'll as through other chan
nels.
Forbes defended the purchase of
the Livermore (Cal) and Excelsior
Springs fMo) hospital sites. that have
been the subject OF vigorous attack,
and other hospital transactions that
have been brought into question
The sale of supplies at Perryville,
Md, claimed to be worth $4,000, 900.
to a Boston salvage concern for 20
cents on the dollar. likewise was de-
Tended as a good business deal in the
face OF the information he had at the
time.
Denies Writing Mellon.
In his defense OF the Livermore
deal, Forbes denied ever having writ.
ten or having knowledge of letter
purporting- to have gone from him
to Secretary Of the Treasury Mellon
strongly urging the purchase Of the
Liyermore site at $3.50. 900. Likewise
he denied ever having seen the sec
retary's reply thereon.
IT was brought out that the orig
inal letter could not be located in the
Treasury department files. However,
what purported TO be a copy OF II
and Of the seeretarys reply were
produced from the treasury. A car.
bon copy OF such a letter was read
into the record from the veterans
bureau files when the Livermore
deal was under investigation fort
night ago.
Forbes defended his contract with
Matthew O'Brien. San Francisco ar
chitect. who received s97 600 for pre-
pairing plans that were never used for
a hospital at LiYermore. lie declared
o Brien came TO him with endorse
monts from both senators and the
entire house delegation from Cali.
fornia. oBrien's plans. he said. were
rejected after he had left the bureau.
Touchy on Dead Man.
When the late Charles F. Gran
name had been brought into the dis.
cussion OF the Livermore deal, Forbes
said
Mr.. Cramer is dead. The man In
gone. / don't think ii win avail any.
thing to question me about him.
Forbes admitted. however, that he
had sent the former general counsel
to California TO investigate and recon-
mend tuberculosis hospital site. He
said he first met Cramer in 1914. but
had not seen him again until he came
to Washington in 1921. He declared
he knew nothing OF a supposed $780,.
900 option secured at Cramer's In.
stance for the Livermore site, nor
had he ever seen Lucian b. johnson.
former owner of the property, until
he came to Washington to testify in
this hearing. The bureau bought this
property for s105.0Oo.
Forbes said he appointed Mai VII.
liam Wolff Smith az Cramer's sue.
cessor In the face OF political pres.
sure, indicating Smith filed political
endorsements "a foot high" TO get
the job.