Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-02-26
DISABLED VETERAN
HEAD IS WITNESS
John T. Nolan Signs Waiver
of Immunity and Tells
Story to Committee.

John T. Nolan, national commander
of the National Disabled Soldiers
League. made a general and detailed
denial before a House investigating
committee today of the charges of
fraud which have been lodged against
the league by other witnesses.
Testffying after he had signed a
waiver Of immunity, Nolan explained
al length the leagues pencI-selnhE
campaign to raise funds, around
which many of the charges have
conferred.
Tells of Leagues Receipts.
The first contract, he said. was
made with the Donnelly Coz of New
yorl, for 81 500 worth of pencils to
he sent out before April 1928: A sec
ond contract was made with the
Donnelly Co. in April, 1928, he said.
The receipts of the second contract
he gave as amounting to about sou
coo, of which the league got $lS,ooO.
4 third contract, he testified. was
made with the p. c. Smith Co. of New
York in February. 1924.
1t was not developed what the re
CENTS were from the first and third
contracts or how the money was ex-
pended. Examination of the witness
will be continued later.
Answers Campaign Charges.
Nolan also was asked about the
testimony of a recent witness, that
Mr. Chadbourne" had given $4,000 to
the league, thinking il was to be used
10 aid in the presidential campaign or
james NJ. Cox in 1920, but that as
matter of fact the money was spent
for Joy rides"
He denied that such a contribution
had been received in connection with
the Cox campaign. but said that $4,000
had been loaned the league by Bernard
Baruch, Vance Mccormick and Thomas
Chadbourne.
In reply to a long series of questions
by his attorney, Nolan also testified that
Amber Siegal, the league counsel, had
not been connected with the organza-
ton prior to October, 1928.
Samuel J. Reed of Graymoor, N. Y,
former adjutant of the organization,
testified that he became a national
officer of the league in 1921 and sew
cred his association with it in Janu-
airy, 1928. His personal knowledge of
its activities convinced him, he said,
that its members had the cause of the
disabled at heart and that its actions
and those Of its commander. John T.
Nolan, We're honorable and upright
Between 10000 and 10000 compcn-
sation cases had been handled by the
league, 10 his knowledge, he said,
with the Veterans Bureau.
". r. Beatson of the Army and
Navy Branch of the Y. NJ. c. A. testi-
fled that the league had sent to him
many disabled men for board and
lodging.
League Counsel Heard.
While Chairman Fish of the COM
mittee stated that the National Dis
abled Soldiers League had collected
at least S350,000. Abner SiegaI, coun-
sci for the league, in defense said
enday that some $4,000 in cash
had been expended to aid ex-service
men.
Chairman Fish observed that it had
been discovered that the league had
$4,000 in banks I'VE know Of TO say
nothing of cash, which amounts to
about $4,000" Replying. Mr.. Siegal
said that 1t was expensive to main
tam such an organization; that the
league had given close to 100000 to
pencil companies for its campaigns
and that he could prove by vouchers
that 1t had spent $1,000 in aiding vet
Grams to present their cases before
the Veterans Bureau by paying their
board and lodging bills.
Haze Z. Corners, Frank Brinzo and
they had received personal aid from
the league, while Mrs. Mary Todd,
a Washington boarding house keeper,
said it had sent more than 100 dis
abled men to her establishment.
Red Cross Report Cited.
Randolph Shaw. committee counsel
introduced statement quoting Rob-
ert L. Bondy, of the veterans relief
section of the Red Cross to the effect
that the league was regarded I'M
favorably by that organization and
that there is no arrangement in
effect whereby the Red Cross would
extend aid or assistance to that con-
Germ or any member thereof"
Mr. Seigal estimated the league had
given money to about $500 men and
assisted in pressing claims totaiing
$4,000. No disabled man who .applied
to the league for relief, he said, had
failed to receive it,