Evening star., 1934-02-26
WOODR|NG TOFACE .
Jury PROBE AGAIN
Valves Immunity and viii
Submit to Questioning on
Army Contracts.
Harry H Woodring Assistant Secre-

Harry H Woodring, Assistant Secre-
tary Of War, in charge of Army con-
tracts. today was slated to make his
second appearance before the grand
jury investigating alleged irregulari-
ties in negotiations for War Depart
ment automobiles, underwear and
military equipment contracts.
Waving immunity as other wit
nesses before him have done, Wood
ring was to submit himself for lengthy
questioning about activities of Joseph
Silverman, jr. New York trader. and
others in seeking important Army
contracts
Lyons 10 Be Heard.
Robert w. Lyons, New York and
Washington lawyer, whose name has
been brought into the inquiry in con-
nection with bids made for a motor
contract, also was to be a witness
today. at his own request. He, too. will
be required to sign a waiver of i'm
munity.
Woodrings return engagement with
the grand jury is the outgrowth of
important testimony given by civilian
and Army witnesses subsequent to the
assistant War Secretarys first appear
ance at the courthouse.
1t is understood the grand jury
wants to interrogate Woodring closely
with respect to contract signed by
Silverman for an exchange of World
War surplus underwear for cavalry
supplies and other military equipment
in Ar-r17 zreI.
Gen. Douglas Macarthur chief Of
staff of the Army, and Maj. Gen.
Robert E. Callan. assistant chief of
staff in charge of supplies, disapproved
the contract after it had been signed
and submitted to Woodring and sue
| ceeded in blocking the proposed trade
| The general staff officers held that
| the proposal amounted to a swap of
100000 suits of underwear valued at
slightly more than Is cents each for
| military supplies vitality needed for
, national defense and worth millions
OF dollars more than Silverman's un-
derWear
Insists on FulfiIlment.
Silverman, however, recently wrote
TO Secretary of War Dern that the
Government would save 100000 on
the deal and insisted that the con-
tract, now reported to be in possess
sion of the grand jury, be fulfilled.
Lyons was to have preceded Wood
ring into the grand jury room this
morning, but was delayed in appear
ing by the snowstorm The lawyer
sent word to United States Attorney
Leslie c. Garnett that he had been
held up by the storm in Pennsylvania,
en- route here from the West, but that
he expected to arrive here by noon.
Lyons has been described by officials
as attorney for the Fargo Co., Chicago
distributor of Dodge trucks, which
was low bidder under one phase of
the Army's S1O,000,000 motorization
program.
Mark Mckee, prominent in Ameri-
can Legion circles, also has been
mentioned by officials in connection
with the Fargo Co.'S negotiations but
Mckee has not been called to testify.
Assistant Secretary Woodring prob
ably will be questioned also about
conference last July at the home of
Col. Joseph I. McMullen of the judge
advocate generals Office, attended by
McMullen, Robert Jackson. then secre-
tary of the Democratic National Com
mittee and counsel for a Boston firm
of clothing dealers, and Ralph T.
O'Neil, said to have been representing
Silverman. At this conference an
agreement was reached, investigating
officials say, to eliminate from Silver
mans and the Boston firms contracts
for underwear purchases from the
Army proviso against resale of the
goods in the United States. Col
McMullen was questioned last week
about this conference.
O'Neil to Explain.
O'Neil has been granted permission
to explain his activities in connection
with contract negotiations in a VOL
untary appearance before the grand
jury tomorrow.
The investigators for the grand jury
meanwhile are known to be following
new leads which may delay early con-
clusion of the grand jury hearings.