Evening star., 1934-06-22
Col. McMuIIen Tells House
Probers He Changed
Terms of Deal Upon In
structions of Superior.
SAYS DEBARRED DEALER
DICTATED AGREEMENT
Meetings at His Home and in
Hotel of 0'Neil Described by
Officer Who Earlier Refused to
Testify-Declines to Admit
Procedure Peculiar"
BY REX COLLIER.

Harry H. Woodring, Assistant
Secretary of War, ordered the
drawing up of d contract in &C
cordance with terms requested
by Joseph Silverman, later
barred from War Department
business deals, the House Mill
tary Affairs Subcommittee was
told today by Lieut.. Col. Joseph
I. McMullen of the Judge Advo-
cate Generals Office
Col. McMullen, agreeing to
testify today after once declin-
ing on constitutional grounds,
told an interesting story of con-
ferences arranged, he said, by
Woodring in connection with
Silverman's efforts to buy and
sell surplus Army goods.
Asked by Chairman Rogers if
he did not consider these &C
tivitieS peculiar, the sandy
haired Army officer said he did
not think they were, but sug-
gested that Woodring could an
Swer that question more COM
pletely.
Woodring will be invited" to ap-
pear for questioning by the committee
regarding the Silverman contracts,
Chairman Rogers announced this
afternoon. He said the committee de-
sired to give the Assistant Secretary
''an opportunity to tell his side of the
story"
Drew New Agreement.
At Woodring's direction, given by
telephone, while McMullen was on
leave at his home in Battery Park,
Md. the colonel said he drafted a
supplemental contract eliminating a
restriction which had prevented Sill
verman and several other dealers from
selling Army surplus in the United
States.
Woodring, McMullen testified, sent
Ralph T. O'Neil, former national
commander OF the American Legion
and attorney for Silverman. and
Robert Jackson, then secretary of the
Democratic National Committee and
attorney for a Boston firm, to Nc
Mullen's home on a Sunday morning
and the contract desired by Silverman
and the others was drafted in ac-
cordance with Assistant Secretary's
Instructions.
McMuilen also told the committee
Woodring sent him to OrNeil's apart
ment, at the Mayf1ower Hotel. to get
the contract signed by Silverman" and
that he also carried out this order.
Previously, the officer said. he had
paid another visit to O'Neils apart
menG because O'Neil was i'll at the time
and unable to come to the War De-
partment to discuss Silvermans con-
tract.
Much of the testimony disclosed as
the committee threw open its doors
today had been given secretly last
February before the grand jury which
investigated charges of lobbying before
the War Department.
Woodring, O'Neil and McMullen were
among about 40 witnesses questioned
by the grand jury, but no indictment
resulted. Instead the jury sent to
President Roosevelt and Secretary of
War Dern a csustic report criticizing
lobbying conditions at the War De-
partment.
Did you take contract to ONeil's
apartment at the Mayf1ower Hotel?"
Chairman Rogers asked.
Il did" replied McMullen. Il took
1t TO his door. He was sick at the
time. 1 just handed it to him."
Had you been there before in con-
nection with the same contract?"
Yes; day or so before"
Silverman Present.
"Who was there on that occasion?"
Joseph Silverman was there once,
and ONe!l's law partner-I think he's
from Kansas-also was there"
McMullen said the contract had to
do with what amounted to an ex-
change Of. surplus materials between
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