Evening star., 1934-02-25
ONF|DENT|AL FILE
EXTENDS WAR QUIZ
Grand Jury Examining Dia.
ries Produced by Wood
rings Private Secretary.

Continued From First Page)
Of Investigation Of the Justice De-
partment to 60 scurrying to far-fune
points in quest Of information, The
Star learned last night.
Importance Of the new leads is saic
to be so great that plans for an early
conclusion of the grand jury hearings
have been disrupted within the pas
"a hours. New witnesses may be
summoned from distant places, it now
appears.
O'Neil to Appear.
Earlier, it was indicated the grand
jury might make a report by the mid
die of this week, after hearing Wood
ring, Ralph T. ONeil, former nationa.
commander of the American Legion
and Robert W, Lyons. New York ane
Washington lawyer.
Woodring has been notified to keer
himself in readiness for a call from
the grand jury, probably tomorrow
afternoon. The Assistant War Secre.
tary broke a speaking engagement ir
Topeka, Kans., scheduled for las
Thursday, in order to remain close al
hand during the inquiry.
The first witness tomorrow prob
ably will be Lyons, an attorney for
merly identified prominently with &C.
tivities Of the Ku Klux Klan in In
diana, and recently reported to have
been practicing before some Fedora
departments. Lyons will be heard al
his own request. He asked this priv.
lege after learning that he had beer
mentioned by other witnesses in the
inquiry.
ONeil, described by officials as at.
torney for Joseph Silverman, jr., New
York trader, in the latters attempt,
to secure War Department contracts
has been granted permission to tes-
tify Tuesday under a waiver Of i'm.
munity. ONeil's attorney. Johr
Lewis Smith, national executive com.
mitteeman Of the Legion. asked tha;
O'Neil be accorded hearing on his
connection with matters under in.
veStigation."
Silverman Contract.
Woodring, also required to sign 8
waiver of immunity as other witnesses
have been compelled to do, will bt
questioned, it is expected. with spe-
cial reference to the now-famous Sill.
verman contract" for an underwear
saddle trade-a contract which Secre.
tary Dern refuses to recognize.
Silverman has retained A. Mitchell
Palmer, former United States Attor.
ney General. to protect his interest.
under the contract and in the INQUIRY
now being pursued. Silverman re.
Gently called on Secretary Dern tc
carry out the contract. declaring the
Government would gain s70o. .OOC
through the deal. The contract, after
being signed by Silverman, was helt
up at insistence of the general staff
members of which contended the
saddles, brides and other equipment
were worth millions more than the
underwear Silverman proposed to ex.
change for them.
In the meantime 1t was disclosed
yesterday that a collection of letter,
written to Woodring by Senator.
Copeland, Barbour and Reynolds In
behalf of Silverman has been aug.
mented by two letters sent to Sec.
retary Dern by Chairman McSwain Of
the House Military Affairs Commit.
tee in the interest of r. C. Remick
manufacturers agent, who was ques-
toned by the grand jury.
Asked Fair Deal,
Chairman McSwain made the let
ters public with the explanation that
he acted in behalf of Remick solely
because the latter was a former con-
stituent and was claiming he had
been Disseminated against by the Wal
Department. McSwain said he merely
asked Dern to see that Remick re-
ceived a fair deal.
Remick is said to have been cues
toned by the jurors about efforts
he made to sell the War Department
automobiles and leak-proof tubes and
tires. McSwain said in one letter
nearly year ago, he asked the War
Department to reconsider a rejection
of Remick's tube offer, in view of a
favorable report on the efficiency of
the tubes rendered by a military tech
nical board. In a second letter, two
months later, the chairman said
Remick was interested in securing a
contract for $500 automobiles re-
quired by the militia and that the
War Department was insisting the
entire consignment be delivered by q
certain date. This delivery require
ment was initiating against Remick,
McSwain informed Dern, and the
chairman asked why this time limi-
tation was necessary. The letter also
said McSwain had been advised that
a contract for 500 Dodge automobiles
had been awarded, although the
Dodge bid was not the low one.
Il am so scrupulous about the repu-
tation of our administration" Nc
Swain wrote, that I am urging that
all appearance Of irregularity be
avoided and that no one be given q
Just ground for complaint In any re-
spect."