Evening star., 1934-03-09
WAR PROBE Jury
NEAR|NGDEC|S|QN
BaIIoting Begins After
Charge to Body by
u. S. Attorney.
BY REX COLLIER.

Indictment of several persons in one
or two alleged conspiracies involving
War Department automobiles and
supply awards was regarded as prob
able today as the grand jury reached
the voting stage in its month long in
quiry into lobbying for Army con-
tracts
Balloting on the question whether
to indict or not to indict various of
the half-dozen alleged principals in
what has been described as an 'un-
holy alliance" against the Govern
ment is said to have begun late yes
terday, following a concluding charge
to the grand jury by Assistant United
States Attorney David Pine
In his final appearance in the grand
declined to make any specific recon-
mendation to the grand jury as to in
dictments, advising the inquisitorial
body that he felt the responsibility
for deciding whether to indict and
whom to indict rests solely upon the
jurors.
Duties Are Explained.
Pine, 1t is reported, read to the
grand jury a charge to a similar
body in California by Justice Fields.
then Of the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals. in which the func-
tions and obligations of a grand jury
were set forth, Among other things
Justice Fields contended the jurors
must indict If they believe the defend
ant is guilty and that the evidence is
sufficient to convict before a petit
jury. The jurors should not allow
public clamor' to sway them in their
decision the court ruled.
Pine Is said to have informed the
grand jury that his duty had been
fulfilled when he had supplied it with
all available evidence bearing on
charges under investigation and had
given advice on matters of law in
volved in considering the testimony
The grand jury was urged to give
long and careful study to the Is type
written volumes of testimony received
from more than 40 witnesses, who
ranged from Assistant Secretary of
War Harry Woodring, Gen. Douglas
Macarthur and other high War De-
partment officials to automobile COM
pany executives. lobbyist Lawyers. sales
agents. hotel room clerks and private
secretaries.
Drawing up of the grand jury re-
port, it was indicated. is complicated
task, requiring several days of delib-
GRAFTON. The report is not likely to
be completed before next Monday or
Tuesday, in the opinion of Court
House attaches.
Although evidence dug up by De-
partment of Justice investigators for
presentation to the grand jury is said
to have pointed to existence of two
distinct alleged conspiracies to de-
fraud the Government. two or three
of the principals mentioned in one of
the alleged plots appeared in the
other.
Because of this fact it may be the
grand jury will decide to make sepa-
rate findings with respect to each al
legged conspiracy. A total of five or
six persons are reported to have been
named by witnesses as having been
involved directly or indirectly in the
two cases under inquiry.
The first alleged conspiracy given
attention by the grand jury had to do
with negotiations for motor truck
contracts under the War Departments
program for motorizing the militia
and other units with $10,000,000 of
public works money.
"Underwear Deal"
1t was in the course of the inquiry
into the motor truck matter that the
grand jury learned of another deal
which it decided required investiga-
ton. This concerned proposals for
trade by the War Department of
cavalry supplies for privately owned
underwear.
Joseph Silverman, jr., New York
dealer in surplus war clothing and
other articles, is the only person
officially named as subject of
scrutiny by the grand jury. The
present proceedings are recorded as
the case of the Government against
Silverman "and others"
Silverman has hired A. Mitchell
Palmer, former attorney general, to
represent him in the inquiry.