New Britain herald., 1923-11-07
FORBES ASKED BY
HARDING TO QUIT
Late President Acted After Noting
InSubOrdinatiOn
GENERAL SAWYER TESTIFIES
Declares That Veterans Bureau
Director Had DisregaTded Presi-
dents Order Not TO Dispose of Any
More Surplus Materials.

Washington, Nov. President
Harding called for the resignation of
Charles r. Forbes as director of the
veterans bureau as a result of the
Perryville, Maryland, surplus supply
sale transaction, Brigadier General
Charles f. Sawyer, personal friend
and physician to the late executive,
testified today before the senate vet
erans' committee.
Disobesed Orders.
General Sawyer testified that in the
face of an order by the president that
the shipments of supplies from Perry
Vile be stopped, carloads of materials
were sent out for two or three days.
''As a result of this insubordina-
tion Colonel Forbes was asked to re-
sign" General Sawyer said.
General Sawyer. who is co-ordi-
nator for the general disqualification
board. read 10 the committee a pre-
pared statement regarding the whole
rerryville transaction. lie said that
on or about Nov. %, or IL days after
the contract of sale had been entered
into with Thompson and Kelly Com
pany, Inc, of Boston, Surgeon Gen
eral Cumming of the public health
service, reported to him that supplies
~ Perryrille were being sold regard
less OF public health service needs.
Had Heated Session.
Dr. Sawyer accompanied DIR. Cum.
ming TO the veterans bureau and
asked for a conference.
1T was after quite a heated con-
Ference" the witness continued, that
Colonel Forbes was persuaded that
the public health service should be
considered Ia the matter at an.
After this conference | took the
matter up with President Harding and
he requested mo TO proceed at once
to fcrrSkille To see what was going
on. Accompanying m on this trip
were General Cumming and Dr.
Smith tDr. Frederick c. Smith of the
public health scrticeD.
Upon arrival at perryyille we
found great activity going on In the
matter OF shipping supplies. 1nyes-
figation showed that one large truck
load Of towels was just being moved
ont OF one OF the buildings.
4 cunning the authority that had
been given me by the president, I d.
1ected the officer In charge 10
lave the materials nnloaded and ask
ed him TO await further orders before
any other shipment was made. He
gave his word that such order would
he issued by him and that all shipping
proceedings would cease until this
matter was fiually determined.
Reported To President
Returning home, | made a state
fnent 10 the president, telling him that
felt sure that very valuable materials
much needed by the Veterans bureau
hospitals and the public health service
was being disposed of at great loss TO
The government. He Immediately or
dered through me that further dis
position Of this property should stop
until there was compliance with the
executive order requiring a division OF
the property at Perryvile on the basis
Of 50 per cent for the veterans bu-
reaus and 20 per cent for the public |
health service.
within a day or two second con- |
terence was held with Colonel Forbes, 1
Including General Cumming, DIR. /
smith and myself, and we received |
written agreement from Colonel :
Forbes that the provisions of the exc |
'utiVe order would be carried out. Col /
3noi Forbes gave US To understand .
positively by a signed agreement that /
10 further shipments would be made /
intil the letter of the executive or "
Ter had been executed. About three /
weeks later word came TO me from a /
Of the public health 1
ier,ice at Perryyille that materials 1
till we're being shipped: that practi-
ally 1926 carloads in all had been for
garded TO Thompson and Kelly.
Turned Deaf lar I
II then took the subject up with /
hr president and he Immediately \
allied Colonel Forbes and said TO him
hat nothing further must go. Re- a
.ard1ess Of this order. however. direct IA
(rontinued on Third Pager