The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-10

and loyal rooter for Roosevelt.
AS early as April o, two months
before the Chicago convention,
he contributed $3.50 to the cam
paign. As a "B. c." democrat he
made him assistant secretary Of
war.
AS such he early came into con-
tact with Ralph O'Neil. The two
men had known each other in
commander of the American
Legion when Woodring was
Kansas state commander. In
Washington O'Neil became at
torney for Joe Silverman, a client
he inherited from George
George Coombs, ex-congressman
from Kansas City. Another
friend was Mark Mckee, a
Iegionnaire-lawyer in Detroit.
Woodring lived in suite 759 at
the Mayfiower hotel. Joe Silver
man had the apartment just be-
low him. In the same hotel, until
very recently, also lived Ralph
O'Neil.
JOE SILVERNIAN
He was an old hand around
the war department. He and his
brother Nathan bought and
sold second hand clothing.
Among other things he bought
from the army a lot Of wooden
underwear and $4,000 raincoats,
the latter for Csc each. About
the time he bought them, the
army needed 25G000 raincoats
for the Gee and he offered to
sell them back again for 1882
each - without transportation
cost, since they were still in
army warehouses.
His was the lowest bid. But IL
made the army look sick and
was rejected. Instead the army
paid 91.07 and 92.47 from other
dealers. So Silverman threaten
ed to sue.
Finally through his Kansas
attorneys, SiivermAn signed a
contract with Harry Woodring
of Kansas, by which this equip
ment was returned to the army
in exchange for other more
saleable equipment, chiefly sad
dies. brides and tent covers. The
contract was signed, scaled, but
never delivered.
General Macarthur held, 1t up.
He. called it an Outrage" and.
"robbery OF the American tax
payer"
SHOWDOWN
Sometime after this the White
House sent over to George Dern
certain confidential and highly
startling information. 1t caused
the secretary Of war to snap
out Of his blissful ignorance. It
also caused him to be exceed
ingIy irate against his assistant
secretary of war. To his friends
he said 1t was going to be a
showdown between Woodring
and him.
The Justice department, Dern
decided, should conduct the
showdown. To Assistant AttOr-
ney Bill Stanley he sent the
confidential data. Stanley, in
turn, sent for A. III. Ferrandou,
motor car manufacturers rep.
resentatiye. After three hours OF
grilling, FerrandOu emerged,
shaking. His firm was TO have
received about 0ne-half OF . 81
900, 900 order for trucks. But
Dern had blocked the contract.
Later, representatives Of other
called in. Also certain colonies.
The former testified that they
had been approached by certain
individuals representing them
selves as able to have truck
81 mi
able to their respective compan-
les. They had not accepted. The
colonies admitted that the spec
~ifications, originally fixed by a
board of officers, had been
changed by orders from higher
UP in the war department.
It was at this point tnat
George Dern ordered Joe Silver
man barred from the state, war
and navy building. Simultane-
ously he ordered Harry Wood
ring, in charge Of purchases, TO
register the name of every call
err and submit them twice a
week to him, Dern.
s'This does not mean that /
resign" proclaimed Dern, "des-
pite rumOrs to that effect"
Probably he won't. Probably
this will be the making of him
- though the unmaking OF
others. For at last George Dern
has Weakened UP.
No matter what happens,
Harry Woodring's days are num-
bered. Even If he comes through
the contracts scandal, Roosevelt
is irked at his militaristic rant
ing; has been greasing the
skids for some time.
Copyright, 1884, by United
Feature Syndicate. Incl