The Washington times., 1926-05-03
FENNING WONT I
TESTIFY


which will be Of value to your
committee in its further consider
alton OF the measure now pend
ing. Ny very fun and complete
statement already made to your
committee contains all the infor-
nation pertinent to the inquiry
which ] am able to give"
Letter False, IS Charge
Representative BuIwinkle theE
moved to instruct the chairman to
have Fenning appear.
"Fenning's statement Is false and
he knows it, !" BnIwinIKIe declared
~ want him to come here because
he knows we haven't questioned
him about the Norris case and
other cases"
The Norris case is being used as
one Of the grounds for impeach.
ment. It is declared that this case
proves beyond refutation that Fen.
ming violated the law prohibitine
him from conducting claims foa
the Veterans Bureau.
81 -
read Jennings original letter to tn.
.eonlhrittee requesting that he he
permitted t0 ap1eaf.
am reading this letter to show
You the faIsehood Of Jennings let
ter of today BuIwinkle said. "Ir
his first letter FenniIig gave as his
reason for wanting to appear the
fact that he had observed that FIRE
fesx IL 81,
information about cases in which
he was guardian. He made no men
ton of pending legislation, which IL
his. excuse for sending this letter.
I think the true status of the
feet"
Sweet Blocks Motion
Bulwinkle's motion that the chair
be instructed to request the appear
ance Of Fenning was blocked by
Representative Thaddens G. Sweet
of New York., who raised the point
Of no quorum.
Representative John E. Rankin
of Mississippi, using the telephone
in the committee room, In the pres
sence of the committee. telephonao
to absent members that "a filibus
ter is being conducted and l want
you to come up here"
Before a quorum was assembled
several motions were made but
Chairman Johnson refused to enter
tain them on the ground that a
quorum was not present and .hs
committe sis not in session."
The committee adopted a motion
calling for the appearance of DIR
William A. White, superintendent
of ST. Elizabe this Hospital; Clark
ston e. Grier. of the Veterans Blu
reau, who last week took 21 in
mates of st. Elizabeth's to Augusta
Ca, and A. w. Collins, Of the
Veterans Bureau, who testified thai
he had seen the bodies Of Worlt
War veterans in a mutilated eondi
tion at the hospital.
Representative Bulyinkle theI
moved that the chairman be in
structed to present the motion
This was carried, to 8.
Representative Rankin explained
he had questioned Fenning regard
ing only Is Of SO cases in which
there were alleged irregularities.
81 wonder If this persistent op
position on the part of the chair
man is part. of the filibuster tha,
the gentleman from Massachusetts
Mr.. Luce, threatened the Other
day." Rankin said.
",The chair knows nothing of q
filibuster," Johnson replied.
ut happened in executive session
and the chair does know about it,
Rankin declared.
johnson did not reply.
Representative Rankin said thai
he wished to question Fenning re.
garding the removal Of 81 patients
from st. Elizabeth's. Among the
group removed to Augusta, he said,
was Fred G. Hall, whose case lis one
of the most important before this
committee"
Hall Case Began Inquiry
The Fenning investigation began
as the result of a dispute ON the
floor of the House over the Hall
case, in which it was stated that
Fenning refused to remand Hall to
the custody of his father.
''It is not fair for this Committee
or Congress to proceed when this
witness fails to answer" declared
Representative Gordon Browning of
Tennessee
"Under the friendly questioning of
Luce. Fenning broke
down and confessed he was the
greatest guardian in the world. Now
he refuses to tell us anything about
himself" -.