Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
Senator Borah Will Sit With
Committee to Determine
Plan of Action.
WILL RECOMMEND THAT
SHEARER BE EXAMINED
Hoover's Stand Indicates Investi-
cation by Executive and
Legislative Branches.

The naval affairs COMMITTEES of the
Senate will sit Tuesday to determine
whether it shall investigate the alleged
paid propaganda of shipbuilding COM
panies to defeat international naval
| limitation.
Chairman Hale of the committee has
called the members to meet at that
| time.
Senator Borah of Idaho, chairman Of
the foreign relations committee. who
called the matter to the attention Of
the Senate last Wednesday, will sit
with the committee.
He will recommend that William B.
Shearer, the alleged propaganda. and
the officials of the three shipbuilding
companies who are said to have en-
ployed Shearer, be called for examina-
ton.
The chairman of the foreign rela-
tions committee indicated yesterday
that his committee would be entirely
willing to assume the burden of carry
ing on the investigation should the
naval affairs committee prefer the in
quiry be made by committee having
to do particularly with the foreign re-
lations of the country.
Justice Department at Work.
The upshot of the situation, as it de-
! veloped yesterday, following the attack
made by President Hoover Friday on
| the alleged efforts of Shipbuilding COM
panies to prevent international agree
ments for naval limitation, was a GER
| tainty that the inquiry would be con-
| Quoted both by the executive and legis-
| The Department of Justice, at the in
stance of the President, is already at
| work.
BY way of ascertaining whether
Shearer was still active against dis
armament" despite termination of his
alleged contract with the Bethlehem
Shipbuilding Corporation, the Newport
News Shipbuilding g. Dry Dock Cor
poration and the American Brown Bo-
vieri Electric Corporation, the Depart
ment of Justice yesterday interested
itself in recent radio talks made by
Shearer, 1t was reported. on behalf OF
the American Security League.
President Hoover. in his broadside
statement from the White House, served
notice that he would tolerate no inter-
ference from private commercial inter-
eStS In the present negotiations WHICH
are now at a crucial point, and the
reports of Shearer's radio talks. which
came pouring into the Department Of
Justice yesterday, were his first intima-
ton, so far as known, that Shearer
has not ceased.
Talked Over Station WOR.
The radio talks of "this propagandist," 4"
or this naval expert" as President
Hoover called him. have been made on
Saturday nights from Station WOR at
Jersey City, according to information
received here.
Shearer, it was emphasized by Gov
ernment leaders, is merely an incident
in what the President Is driving at.
They explained that Mr.. Hoover, in
his effort to bring about naval reduc-
tion, wanted the guidance of full and
frank discussion of the naval needs of
the Nation, but wanted to be certain
that no strain of commercialism would
De permitted to influence the national
point of view.
The basis of the investigation to be
held will be to learn the truth of the
implications in suit brought by
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