Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-02
MCDONALD DELAYS.
SHEARER INQUIRY.
Probe to Be Delayed Until
British Premier Has Left
-. Capital.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

subcommittee OF charges that william
B Shearer was hired by three Amer
lean shipbuilding companies to aid
In preventing an agreement at the naval
limitations conference at Geneva, which
recessed late yesterday, will not be re-
sumed until after Ramsay Macdonald,
the British Premier. leaves the country.
Mr.. Macdonald will arrive here Friday
for conferences with President Hoover
regarding the relations between this
country and Great Britain.
It is considered unwise in official
quarters to wash Americas dirty linen"
while the head of the British govern
ment is a guest in the Capital.
The Shearer investigation, 1t was said
today, probably will not be resumed
until a week from Monday or perhaps
later. In the meantime. the Senate
committee will examine the record of
the investigation up to the present time
1t is expected that some of the ship
building officials and Shcarer himself
eventually will be recalled to the stand
and questioned further.
DcnlAlS Arc ISSueO.
Already denials of Shearer's testimony
before the committee have been made
by Charles M. Schwab president of the
board of the Bethlehem Steel Corpora
ton and others. Shearer testified that
Mr.. Schwab had been responsible for
his employment by the shipbuilders in
the FIRST instance.
Homer Denies Shearer Testimony.
poforo ho ri Cd
day afternoon and after Shearer had
left the stand, Arthur B. Homer, sales
manager of the Bethlehem Shipbuild-
ing Corporation, testified that Schwab
had not suggested that Homer get
in tounh with Shearer in 1926.
Shearer, in his testimony, had told
the committee that at meeting
he had with Schwab in New York, the
steel magnate had told him this matter
would be taken up with Shearer by
representative Of the company.
The most important disclosure dur
ing Shearer's final testimony before the
committee was when, with a touch Of
melodrama. he accused Sir William
WiSeman as the chief British spy in
America during the World War" and
with being the author of what Shearer
had described as an amazing British
secret document" This document, the
contents of which were not made pub
Az, Nuo uAAC6CA Wy N0LlCdLCI W have DtSIl
written by "a member of the British
government" to David Lloyd George,
former prime minister The document
was alleged to be saturated with hos
tility to the United States and to pro-
pose plan for organizing a united
states OF Europe designed to be I'M
friendly to this country.
When he first produced this docu-
ment Shearer said 1t was signed, "ac-
cording to the Navy Department, by
Sir William Wiseman," but under ex-
animation 1t appeared that it had no
signature attached when Shearer got it.
Quotes a Judge Summers
Shearer said he had received it from
Judge Summers. who, he said was
IN the Department Of Justice under
President Harding's administration.
He said that Judge Summers received
word from the Secret Service that Sir
William Wiseman was the author of the
document.
The witness told how he had given
this amazing document" to naval in
telilgence officers, who had photostatic
copies made of it, and one of these
Shearer furnished that night to Sena-
tor James A. Reed of Missouri, who
since has retired from the Senate.
In reply to queries from the commit
zee, Shearer said that Sir William now
Kuhn, Loeb & Co. of New York.
Sir William Wiseman, later in the
day, telegraphed the committee that he
understood the document was an lab
surd forgery"
Wants Wiseman Called.
When Senator Allen questioned the
auInenucity OF the document, Shearer
insisted that Sir William be called and
examined under oath. Allen indicated
that this course would be pursued.
Senator Allen offered a report from
an expert Of the Navy Department
questioning the authenticity of the
document, but after briefly discussing
the matter, the committee decided it |
would defer admitting the expert re-
port until 1t had time for consultation |
During his testimony regarding the |
amazlng document" Shearer said he
had taken it to Senator Reed Of Mis- !
souri, because Of the Missourian'S vigor- +!
Gus stand for national defense and be- ]
cause he was an anti-League of Nations
man. The cruiser bill and the Kellogg !
peace pact were before the Senate at
that time and Shearer explained that |
while he did not want the anti-war !
pact to fail, he wanted it to precede the |
cruiser program.
Charles NJ. Schwab's Washington at
torneys made public last night the text
VI Tie telegram ne naQ sent 10 the SUD-
committee denying any recollection Of
having met Shearer
Failure of Shearer to make any in
come tax return on the sums he re-
ceived for his propaganda was brought
to public attention during the course of
his examination yesterday afternoon by
Senator Allen.
Shearer admitted receiving about
$4,000 since January l. 1929. He en-
tered the employ of William Randolph
Hearst in June or july at $4,000 a
month, he said. His payments from
Hearst amounted to between $4,000
and $4,000.
when and where did you make your
income tax return?" Senator Allen de-
manded.
It had been brought out previously
that Shearer had collected about
ISL 900 for his services with the ship
ping interests. Senator Allen reminded
him he was expected to make out
return on income whether he paid q
tax or not .
Insisting that he had no regular place
Of business. Shearer then admitted that
he had expected to pay an income tax
on declarations when he had gotten
ell his money"
IGGETT COMMENTS.