The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-31
VETS BUREAU. BY .CONGRESSNEN
Testimony Shows That Site
 Unsuitable For Hospital Leased By Government
 Under Senatorial Pressure WITNESS DENIES FIGHT WITH DIRECTOR FORBES Missouri Man Says That Poli-
 ticians Helped Him To Put
 Over Sale Of His Land In
 Splite Of Recommendations

WASHINGTON, Oct 3O.-Congres- sional influence was broght to bear to block plan of the veterans bu- reau to abandon the projected tub erculosis hospital at Excelsior Springs, Mo, the senate investigat- ing committee was told today by k. L. Morse. prominent in republican politics in Missouri and manager in that state of the Lowden campaign for the republican presidential nom nation in 1921. Morse subsequently, sold the plant to the government for s11e.1OO.
 The property consisted of the Morse homestead and ten additional acres and was leased to the govern ment under an agreement which 1t has been charged before the com mittee was rushed through by Ewing Laporte, then assistant secretary of the treasury, on the last day of the Wilson administration despite rec ommenda tions from the public health service that the place was not suit able for a hospital. Further adverse, reports were made by medical men the evidence showed and in June, 1922, the veterans bureau decided to abandon the project.
 o o o
 Politicans Act.
 Morse testified that when he was notified of this decision he came to Was1i ton fe 9ha h.$ ls FifA senato ard teerss nts sNes 4e se s4afe a.r N@f 9Ne 3+
 atdSi1 took rns Matter tc tea Whita tfruse. Later iita Eaf odnsus0ma,eH.
 Morse wns on the stsu6 tcday for more than two ho&ss. At one time he was being asked by Senator Reed, republican, Pennsylvania, the chair man, questions prepared by counsel for Charles R. Forbes, former direc- tor of the bureau and relating to conferences with Forbes.
 The witness testified that Forbes had appeared very belligerent' against the Excelsior Springs project, but denied that he had had any al- tercatlon with the then director.
 When you saw Colonel Forbes was there bitterness of feeling of his part and yours" asked Senator Reed, but the question never was answered as Morse appeared on the verge of a callapse and recess was ordered.
 O O O
 Warns Forbes.
 Morse told the committee that he had informed Forbes that If he con tinued to spend In new construction, the money required of him under the lease contract and the government then failed him, he would be busted" He added that in an inter view with the late Charles H. Cram CT, head of the legal division of the bureau, in 1922, he had been told that it had been decided to turn the property back to him and reimburse him for his expenditures in addition to the rental already paid.
 That meant, as l figured H. Morse said, "a loss to the government of s200, 900 and a gain to me of that amount and 1 said then and there that I could not afford to do it.
 Major General O'Ryan, general counsel for the committee. read into the record in an affidavit of ap- praisal of the value of the original plant at only $35,Ooo. Morse told the committee he would be willing to have another appraisal made and to refund anw difference there might be between the sum fixed by the ap- praisers and that paid by the gov ernment. He proposed to appoint one appraiser, the government one ana the two to select a third.