Evening star., 1924-10-22
Shipping Board Member Says
Another Gave Him Funds
to Meet Expenses.
GROUP HEARD SPEECH
BY COOLIDGE ON HOLIDAY
Borah Committee Asks Witness
About Alleged Charge Soviet
Is Aiding La Toilette.

Inc money 10 pay Inc motel ana
taxicab bills of the labor leaders who
came to Washington on Labor day to
hear President Coolidge was ad-
vanced by T. V. O'Connor chairman of
the shipping board. he testified to-
day before the Senate campaign fund
investigating committee.
The Shipping Board chairman added
under questioning. however, that he
in turn was paid the money by Joseph
Ryan, a labor leader.
Il advanced the money, some 1855
or $3.50, to Joseph Ryan, vice presi-
dent of the Longshoremens Union"
O'Connor said.
Who paid you?" asked Chairman
Borah.
Joseph Ryan" the Shipping Board
chairman replied.
Asked About Speech.
Connor, the first witness called
was asked also about his recent
speech in Buffalo in which he in
quired whether money for the sup
port of La Toilette was coming from
Russia by way of Mexico. He point
ed out that he had made no direct
charge that funds had been obtained
by that route. and added:
Here is what 1 said:
Where all this money comes from !
do not know? That was one statement
The other one said: How much money
has been sent here by Soviet Russia to
win this fight to bring about the un-
certainty in this country that exists in
that country?' VIII anybody in author
ity deny that?
Il was making an inquiry. 1 think
you have the wrong man on the stand
Based ON Rumor.
Pressed sharply by Chairman Borah.
O'Connor said his inquiry was based on
common rumor."
Where did these common rumors'
come FROM" asked Senator Borah.
Some of them came from the
crews of boats running into Russia
replied the witness.
DO you have any information that
money has been sent here by Soviet
Russia for political purposes?"
Il could not aay positively"
Do you believe suchsis the CASE
Il believe it in my own heart, yes"
Senator Caraway, Democrat, Ar
kansas, insisted that O'Connor had
been undertaking to state a fact in
asking his question, but O'Connor
again denied it.
Untermyer Cross Examines.
Samuel Untermyer, the New York
lawyer, who is associated with Frank
2. Walsh, personal counsel for
Senator La Toilette, took over the
and subjected O'Connor
to gruelling cross-examination,
again covering the same ground In
the midst of it O'Connor protested
that If this was to be a fishing
expedition" he had some facts he
wanted to present
Chairman Borah interrupted to say
that there would be no fishing ex-
petition"
"O'Connor continued that Thomas
Healey of the Maine Engineers As
sociation had told him at New York
that he had been told by ships
crews that money was coming from
Russia. That was about all the in
formation he had on the subject.
Paid Bills From Cash.
Cntermyer switched t he inquiry
back to who paid the expenses of the
labor delegation that called on Presi-
dent Coolidge.
Had you heard that Mr.. Frank p.
Walsh's office had been making in
Quiries at the Hamilton Hotel as to
who had paid the hotel bills?" asked
Untermyer.
Yes. 1 heard about it at noon
today. 1 told them to tell them 1 had
paid the bills.
Il paid the bill of $3.50 myself prob
ably from cash, which l had in my
pocket"
SubpOenas for Bankers.
Subpoenas were issued today by
the committee for William B. Knox,
president Of the American Bankers
Association; Charles D. Hilles. former
Republican national chairman, and
George w. Simmons, vice president of
the Mechanics and Metals Bank of New
York City. They are asked to appear
tomorrow.
In a telegram to Chairman Borah
today, Mr.. Knox denied the statement
made at the Chicago hearings by
Frank Walsh, attorney sfor Senator
La Toilette, that trust companies and
national banks had been requested at
a recent meeting of the American
Bankers Association to contribute a
La Toilette in the West" The tele-
gram follows:
Statement Is Disputed.
referring to the recent meeting
of the American Bankers Association
in Chicago, Sundays papers broad
cast the following statement as hav-
committee by Frank Walsh, attorney
for La Toilette:
"a speech was made requesting
that all trust companies be required
to give one-twentieth of 1 per cent
of their capital and national banks
of l per cent of their cap
ital as contributions to fight La Fol-
lette in the West
"Inasmuch as no such statement
appears in the records of our con-
vention, of which stereotype tran
script was made. and to the best of
my knowledge and belief no such
statement was made, / would be glad
to receive the name of the speaker
to whom Walsh referred.
mo request has ever been made by
the American Bankers Association
for funds for political campaign pur-
poses. I trust this correction may
be accorded by you the same oppor-
tunities for publicity as the state
meat read into your record by Walsh"
Pennsylvania Under Scrutiny.
With Walsh and Samuel Inter
meyer of New York in the role
of special prosecutors, the Senate in
committee got back to-
day to the charges OF the Inde-
pendent presidential candidate that
a Republican ''slush" fund of from