Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-20

be there as an observer" Bardo ex-
planned.
did you employ him by contract?"
Shortridge asked.
There was no written contract
lust verbal. oral agreement"
Requested by the committee for de-
tails of this agreement, the shipping
official declared 1t was entered into on
March II, 1927. in New York at con-
ference attended by a "Mr. Hunter"
described as counsel of American ship
builders on the East Coast; F.. B.
Whalen of the Newport News Ship
building g. Drydock Co.: S. w. Wake
man of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding
Co., and Bardo, representing the Amer
lean Brown-Boveri Electric Corporation
and the New York Shipbuilding Co.,
subsidiary.
Tells Of Meeting Shearer.
IT was invited by letter to be there"
Bardo testified. Prior to that I had
never met Shearer. I went into the
room and I was introduced to him. The
meeting was called to order and Mr..
tell Of his long interest in the question
Of sea power"
Chairman Shortridge cut the answer
short by requesting the witness to con-
fine his answer to an explanation OF
the agreement which was entered into.
THE agreement was that he should
60 to Geneva as an observer and re-
porter Of the trend of events and give
us information not contained In news
paper accounts that would be of inter-
est sto shipbuilderS in their work, "
Bardo stated.
Bardo was permitted at this point
to explain the situation" his own COM
pany was confronted with at the time
which induced 1t to enter into the
agreement. He pointed out the Brown
Bcveri Co. was about to take over the
Cramp contract and about to bid on the
cruiser which now is 20 per cent COM
pleted. He said the corporation was
undecided whether to go on building
ships or TO change to manufacturing
electrict equipment.
What had this situation to do with
Geneva?" the chairman asked.
1T had everything to do with Ge-
neva," Bardo replied. I'VE wanted to
know whether the Cramp and the new
contracts we're to be discontinued. We
were deeply interested in the trend OF
events at the conference for that rea-
SON."
And in the results?" asked Senator
Shortridge.
Only interested in Trend.
mo, only in the trend of the con-
ference. We were not interested in the
negotiations for or against guns or tons,
for those functions belong to the gov
ernmentS. We were interested only in
the trend"
But If you were interested in the
trend, how is 1t you were not interested
in the results? Did not the trend in
dictate what the results would be?"
Bardo insisted he was concerned only
with the trend. and said this trend
aroused their curiosity because of the
contract problems which were confront
ing his company.
In reply to question by Senator
Allen of Kansas as to whether the ship
builders were amply protected in their
contracts against discontinuance of
work on the cruisers. the witness said
there was no protection provided. Ship
building, he added, is a highly scien-
tific business. and cessation of work on
the contracts would have Frustrated the
industry and dissipated the organiZa-
ton.
What authority, what instructions
did you give Shearer?" Chairman Short
rldge continued.
I'VE told him to go as an observer
and recorder. He had no other duties"
What was provided in your contract
with him in the way of compensation?"
I'VE agreed to pay him $4,000 to be
divided equally among the three ship
building companies at the rate Of So
1888 each, to be used as lump sum
for his compensation and expenses"
Services 10 Cover Conference.
Asked about the length of Shearer's
services, Bardo said he understood the
services covered only the duration of
the Geneva conference and that 1t was
Shearer's look out" If the conference
was long or short. He said his COM
pany paid Shearer a check for $4,000
at the New York meeting, another So
500 by check in the June following and
the balance, amounting to $3,333.33,
In December.
All the payments were made through
Attorney Hunter, the witness asserted.
Mr.. Bardo agreed to submit to the
committee a list Of all moneys paid
Shearer by his company and for what
purpose.
Senator Allen asked if Bardo would
also submit a report of moneys paid
to any other persons or lobby work at
v
lis that covered in the scope of this
Investigations" asked Bardo. He agreed,
however, to furnish this information.
Robinson Cross Examines Bardo.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas began
searching cross-examination Of the
witness regarding the employment of
Shearer. Bardo testified that he did
not know the purpose of the conference
summoned by Hunter at which Shearer
was employed until he arrived at the
conference. The witness testified that
Shearer had made an impression on
him by his apparent knowledge of the
subject of seapower and shipping.
Did Shearer represent himself as
an advocate Of strong seapower at this
asked Robinson.
The witness replied that he had not
himself as an advocate Of
anything and that he had been hired
as an observer and reporter.
did he say anything about the
strength Of the Navy?" asked Robin
son.
HE did not"
What was the object of discus
sing seapower?" asked Senator Robin
son.
He brought it up"
THE primary purpose" said Senator
done to build up the Shlpbuildlng indus
try"
Mr.. Bardo, Ito know whether the United
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