Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-01
Employers Insisted That He
Not DivuIge Their Connec-
ton, Senators Hear.
WAKEMAN GAVE HIM
INSTRUCTIONS, HE SAYS
Witness Clashes With Allen Dur.
ing Hearing Over Testimony
Involving Legislator.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

william B. Shearer, today told the
Senate committee investigating charges
he had been sent to Geneva by Ameri-
can shipbuilding companies to prevent
a naval limitation agreement, that his
employers had insisted that he keer
secret the fact he was representing
them there.
He named particularly S. w. Wake
man. vice president Of the Bethlehem
Shipbuilding Co., as giving him instruc-
tions that the employment should be
kept secret. The representatives Of the
other companies, he said. acquiesced. s.
The witness suggested that the de-
mand for secrecy may have been made
because Charles NJ. Schwab. presiden,
of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation,
which owns cne of the shipbuilding
companies. would have been EN-
barrassed if the charge had been made
that his company was working in the
interest of the Navy.
Shearer Cites Palen.
Shearer testified that he had been
told by Frederick p Palen, a vice presi-
ing and Drydock Corporation, that ofl-
cials of the Bethlehem Corporation had
been called on the mat by Secretary OF
State Kellogg and told there must be
no more employment of Shearer.
Shearer said that the Bethlehem COM
pany was involved in $15,000,000 suit
brought by the Government in connec-
ton with war contracts and that he
had heard a threat was made to press
the suits if something were not done.
Shearer, completely at his ease, an
swered the questions OF the committee
readily today and frequently launched
into long explanations which the COM
mittee sought to cut of. He was asked
if he had ever been employed by the
Daughters of the American Revolution,
the American Legion or any other
patriotic organization.
Il have acted as their adviser" said
Shearer. But never got cent from
them" He said that the patriotic or
ganiZations never put out any money.
Says Pacifists Spend Millions.
"It's the opposition, the pacifists, who
spend millions" said Shearer.
Shearer told the committee that he
had gone to Boston to do publicity
vork and to interest the Irish" dur
ing the last presidential campaign. He
said that some of his articles on the
marine and sea power had been sent
out to newspapers in envelopes supplied
by the Republican national committee
publicity bureau.
Because there were charges that the
Republican candidate for President was
pro-British, Shearer said, 1t was agreed
he should go to Boston and talk to
the Irish"
He mentioned Senator Moses of New
Hampshire, Eastern campaign mana
ger; Representative Bacon and man
named Archer, said to be the New York
representative of Senator Allen. who is
said to be the head of the publicity
bureau. as having been consulted be-
fore he went to Boston.
The committee questioned Shearer
about his more recent employment by
William Randolph Hearst. Shearer
said he had a contract to work with
patriotic societies against the entry OF
the United States into the World Court
and the League of iIations. The agree
ment, he said, was to pay him $4,000
a month, out of which he was to pay
all expenses for printing and travelling
and so forth.
He was to furnish the patriotic or
eanizations with resolutions to be
adopted and arguments supporting
them.
This employment. Shearer said. was
ended when the Senate ordered this
investigation"
"All employment stopped then" said
Shearer. IT found myself walking by
myself. All engagements. social and
otherwise, ended
At one point in the hearing today,
memorandum of an interview between
Shearer and C. L. Bardo. president of
the New York Shipbuilding Co.. was
read into the record. This memo
randum was from Mr.. Bardo. It stated
that Shearer had made threats to kill
Wakeman and had sought to blackman
Bardo and his company, at this confer
ence, which was held in Washington,
after the shipbuilders decided to end
the employment of Shearer.
Shearer Denies Threats.
Shearer denied emphatically that he
had made any such threats. He said
it came out at the conference with
Bardo that Wakeman had declared
Shearer had been German spy.
There was no row, no gunplay; I
don't carry gum" said Shearer. He
insisted that he made no attempt to
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