The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-13
By WILL IRWIN
fCspyruht, 1924, by North American Newspaper
 Alliance for The Aae- -Herald.D

By WILL IRWIN
 fCouyriuht, I924, by North American Newspapev
 Alliance for The Age -Heraid)
 We left Col. Charles R. Forbes of the Veterans bureau and his friend, Elias H. Mortimer, in the Drake hotel, Chicago, where, according to Morti- mer's testimony before the Senate com mittee, he had lent Colonel Forbes S5,000 of Thompson & Black money. Thence they proceeded on their junket and joy ride to the hospital sites of the Pacific coast. M. l.. Sweet, Forbes private secretary, joined them at Den yer. From there on Forbes, Mir. and Mrs. Mortimer and Sweet were the nucleus of the expedition. Two off cials of the public health service accom- panied them in a general way; but these men avoided parties" or automo- bile joy rides, and attended to business. Other characters in the drama of the Veterans bureau flash in and out, however, as Black of the Thompson Black combination; O'Brien, supervis- ing architect of the proposed hospital at Livermore, Cal, and especial c. B. Hurley. The latter is a new actor, but entrance had been foreshadowed.
 Wanted His Partner
 In the brief period between his re- turn from the army in France and his appointment at Washington, Forbes was vice president of the Hurley-Ma- son Construction company at Tacoma. On leaving for the Pacific coast, Forbes had telegraphed to Hurley:
 Meet me in San Francisco without fail Sunday, June 25.'
 A brief sojourn in the pure mountain air of Denver and the expedition breezed on to warm, hospitable Cali fornia. San Francisco was the first stop. Here, accounts of the atmos- phere surrounding the party began to vary considerably. Mortimer told the Senate committee that it was moist, if not wet. Forbes declared that he saw little or no drinking; that he himself touched alcohol only once. That was wren, feeling poorly, he took a little hot whisky as remedy. There is some documentary evidence concerning this disputed point.
 As Colonel Forbes and his friends were working north from San Diego, J. w. Black telegraphed to Mortimer from Seattle concerning hotel reserva- tions, and added Have arranged to meet all the Scotch generals, General Haig in command. How many do you want! Regards to all. Sure my time." Leaving San Francisco, Forbes, Sweet and the Mortimers motored to Stockton, looked over q government rehabilita- tion project on picturesque Rough and Ready island, and ended up at house where, according to Mortimer, there was bar running the length of the room. A bartender, like a ghost of old years, was mixing drinks-'anything you wanted"
 Forbes Writes Letter
 Here Mortimer, Forbes and friends spent whole afternoon. From Forbes files in the Veterans bureau, the Sen ate investigators extracted carbon copy of bread-and-butter letter to the owner of this hospitable house. Here it is in part:
 Dear Mrs: I believe I could astonish you if were to record in this letter the visualization of that never to be-fo gotten room in your home, the name of lete; The heat of Washington conjures up before me as in a mirage the innumerable things that greeted one's eyes and excited the palate of the thirsty. If l could but materialze these things, assure you that Washington in it's bravest of torrid days would offer me no appre-
 
 (Typed) CHARLES F. FORBES.
 Forbes on the stand said that he could not remember writing such let ter; that Sweet, his secretary, usually attended to social correspondence. And Sweet also did not seem to remember.
 Following Mortimer's testimony on this trivial but interesting point of alco- aOlic stimulant: There had been some question concerning the disposal of the grape crop on the old Cresta Blanca vineyard, now growing famous as the LivermOre hospital site. It seemed a pity to lose those grapes. Don't you worry" said Forbes to Mortimer, we'll get all the wine we want there, anyway" Here is Mortimer's testi- mony in spots and flashes:
 On Monday there were couple of dozen quarts of It's (wlne) brought up (to the hotel in San Francisco) in two suit cases The drinking started about an hour after we came to the hotel The majority or people were drinking Scotch in fact, hardly any of the wine was touched. It was taken in the automobiles to stockton when VIC went there.
 Major General O'Ryan: There were liberal quantities of Scotch available, were there?
 
 Veterans Make Protest
 From Stockton to Los Angeles and San Diego, they proceeded by automo- bile, doing little government business here and there. At San Francisco a committee of the American Legion wis Ited Colonel Forbes to protest against the irregularities in the Livermore hos pital transaction. The details of that affair were just beginning to leak out. Colonel Forbes gave them only lansuid attention. By the time he came to tes- tify before the Senate committee he had forgotten their protest entirely. At Stockton he was dined by the Board of Trade; SouthernS California wei romed him with open-handed hospi- -ality.
 At San Diego the party took a Pa fife coast steamer for Seattle. The 'tate of Washington was all wired for'I heir coming. Colonel Forbes, an ldopted son of the great northwest, IS returning as a power ill our gov IN A