Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-26

Approved by Group.
"All this was acknowledged and ap-
proved by the interested shipbuilding
group until small-navy paper, inter-
national and pacifistic in policy, asked
The Navy Department for information
about me. Then came the disavowal
and darnnation by the shipbuilders &C.
! ceptinR the fruits Of victory, but de-
serting the leader in the fight. I was
| to be made the victim Of success, which
was cowardly, contemplate and I'M
lust. To carry out this ungrateful pol
Icy my citizenship and character were
attacked, not only to repudiate me, but
to rob me Of my just reward and rec
IGNITION which was promised.
| Mr.. wilder, who was on the stand
| wen the letter was read, denied that
| he had acknowledged the justice of
| Shearers claims against the shipbuild-
! ing companies, as stated by Shearer in
his letter.
SolIcits Fund.
There was introduced also In the
hearing a letter written by Mr.. Bardo
| on August 10, 1928, to E. M. Herr,
| president OF the Westinghouse Elec-
| trio & Manufacturing Co, in which
| Mr.. Bardo solicited q contribution to
help meet the expenses incurred by his
! company In connection with the mer-
chant marine and Transoceanic Cor
! poration campaign In Washington In
! 1928. In his letter Mr.. Bardo said, The
| Jones White merchant marine bill as
| passed by the last Congress Is the most
p, helpful and constructive national ship
| ping legislation ever presented TO the
American public.
| This legislation was only made pos
sible by the energetic action of Mr..
| Wilder and his associates in the Trans
oceanic enterprise, with the help and
cooperation of other shipping and ship
! building interests"
/; Senator Allen said that this letter
indicated to him that there had been
lobbying by the shipping interests In
connection with merchant marine leg
| islation.
Mr.. Wilder insisted, however, that he
had not lobbied.
Wilder Is Questioned.
In reply 70 questions by Chairman
Shortridge, Mr.. WIDER testified at the
| outset that the corporation of which
he had been head through IFS subsidiary
had built the Saratoga, an airplane car
| rier for the Navy, and had other con-
| tracts, including wo:.. for the Coast
Guard. He mis- company was
vitality int. .. in the development of
4
shipbuilding plant was so large, he said,
that a naval program, no matter hove
| large, could not have supported It..
! Unless there was to be more merchant
marine shipping construction, he said.
the company would have teen warrant
! ed Ill closing down It's plant. The wit
ness testified that he had been une @:
the principal stockholders in he COM
pany Of which he was formerly head,
! ha,k hAk Il haA ~ nfin liz,
| ALI his holdings during the LAST year.
Taking up the subject Of the Trans
oceanic Corporation. for the develop
ment of which Clinton r. Bardo, presi-
dent of the New York Shipbuilding Co.
! had earlier told the committee some
| $143, 900 has been expended, Mr.. Wilder
went into the details of those expendi-
lures. He told the committee that the
! Transoceanic Corporation was organ
would cross the Atlantic Ocean IN four
days. Back of the plan for the four
! day liners. he said, was survey Of the
entire conditions relating to the mer-
chant marine.
The Transoceanic Corporation was
| incorporated in 1928 in Delaware. he
said. Among the men interested in the
corporation mentioned by Mr.. Wilder
were william Flock, Theodore Smith
and William r. Kenny, New York
capitalists.
Although the plans called for 900. 900
shares of stock in this corporation, Mr..
| Wilder testified that only about 20 had
/ been issued. He said that on January
/ "a, 1928, the representatives Of the
corporation and their experts appeared
before the United States Shipping
Board to explain the proposal for the
four-day liners. Mr.. Wilder said that
there was not sufficient legislation to
! permit of the carrying out Of the pro-
| and the Shipping Board was urged TO
recommend the necessary laws.
Lobby Expenditure Denied.
Mr.. Wilder denied emphatically that
| q dollar OF the $4,000 to which Mr..
Bardo had testified had been expended
! for lobbying. He called attention to the
! fact that during Mr.. Bardo's testimony,
| in answer to a question by Senator
| Allen, Mr.. Bardo had admitted that
this money was expended for lobbying
| for the merchant marine.
Mr. Wilder testified that he had never
known or seen or had any communica-
lions with Shearer before January IL,
! 1928, when he saw him in Washington.
| He told the committee that Shearer had
| been paid $3.50 out Of the fund ex-
pended for the Transoceanic Corpora
ton for painting pictures Of proposed
four-day liner.
Mr.. Shearer is an artist and painted
very excellent picture" said Mr.. Will
der. II have one Of them here If the
committee would like to see It,"
The witness said that the employ
ment of Shearer had been for the year
| 1928, that Shearer had painted three
or four pictures in oils. He added that
Shearer was very well informed on
shipping.
"Get under the froth." said Mr..
Wilder, land Shearer knows shipping"
Repeating that Shearer had not been
employed as lobbyist, and adding not
cent had been spent for lobbying
purposes In connection with the Trans
oceanic Corporation. he said he had
been approached by several persons
/ while he was in Washington in 1923
who wished to be employed as lobbyists
but that none of them had been given
employment.
Classics Expenditures.
Mr.. Wilder gave in detail the items
of expenditure for the Transoceanic
! CORPORATION, showing much OF the
| money had been expended for the
preparation Of designs for the ships. for
| the study OF the Whoie question OF tneL
| construction and operation. Among the
| items was $4,000 paid to Ivy Lee and
! associates. who handled all OF the pub
licity, including pamphlets and news.
/ naper articles. Mr.. Wilder said that
Lee was a professional publicity expert
located in New York. He added that
| there had been no public interest In
| the merchant marine problem at that
| time and that 1t was dead"
awe were putting out something new.
! and it was up to us to arouse the inter-