The Washington times., 1935-01-31
SH|PBU|LDER'S 5
STORY FALSE,
HE ASSERTS
a. B. Craven Says Meeting
In Local Hotel Was
Fully "Legitimate"
international News Service

A categorical denial OF JeSCl-
anony before the Senate Num-
tions Committee that he was an
intermediary between "fixer"
who offered to throw millions in
Navy shipbuilding contracts to pri'
vate builders for a $250,000 fee,
was made before the investigat-
ing body today by A. B. Craven,
Washington attorney.
Mr.. Craven was the man Laur.
ence R. Wilder, chairman of the
board of the Gulf Industries Com
pany. of Pensacola. Fla, told the
committee came to him in Au-
gust, 1888, and said he had a
"chiseler friend" who for $3.50 900
would see that he CMr. Wilder)
got between 10 and IS million
dollars worth of Navy ship con-
tracts. Mr.. Craven said this was
hot true.
t. Says Stories False
! Mr.. Craven said the circum-
stances about which the Wilder
story was built were not at all as
MIR. Wilder presented them, and
that there was nothing reprehensi-
ble about his meeting with Mr..
Wilder in Washington hotel. He
declared testimony given by Mr..
Wilder and Mr.. Wilder's secretary,
Miss Judy Kitchen, of Erie, Pa,
yesterday was false"
He pictures Mr.. Wilder as a
"disgruntled bidder" for Navy
Contracts.
Mr.. Craven said he met Mr..
Wilder at the instance of a friend,
Charles Barrett, Washington at
torney, and spent not more than
five or 10 minutes with them.
Mr.. Craven said:
"There was no discussion Of
business"
Senator Vandenberg (R.) of
Michigan asked:
Did you suggest that you
could help Wilder secure some
Ghfpbuilding awards?"
absolutely not"
did you suggest that you
had 'chiSeler friend who had
secured an award for the Bath
Iron WOrkS?"
absolutely not"
The first interview with Wilder
occurred August 2, 1898, and be-
tween then and the next meeting
with Mr.. Wilder. the witness said
he talked to his lifelong friend.
A. P. Homer. of Washington,
about the meeting.
Mr.. Craven said he did not see
Mr.. Wilder again for a week, al.
though testimony in the record al
legged a second meeting the next
day.
Facts Mixed Up
From this point the whole struc.
ture of the testimony and counter
testimony became so mixed up
that even committee members
confessed themselves perplexed
when it was concluded for the
morning.
The single thing that stood out
was that Mr.. Craven denied the
earlier testimony and was allowed
to insert in the record an affidavit
by Mr.. Barrett to support his testi-
mony.
Mr.. Homer, whom the witness
mentioned, recently sent the COM
mittee doctors certificate to the
effect that high-blood pressure
would prevent him from appearing
as a witness. Then, startling
everyone in the closely packed
room, Senator Nye (R) of North
Dakota, chairman, asked the COM
m1ttee counsel. Stephen Raushen-
bush, if Mr.. Homer was in the
room.
Homer Present
The man the doctors certificate
had prevented from testifying
earlier, rose in the rear of the
Toom and said:
II am"
Senator Nye asked him if the
doctors certificate had been a.
true statement of his condition.
He said:
ut is true. 1 have been under
doctors care for a year."
DO you feel that you can
testify nOw?"
"If the committee feels that
I should"
Builder Is Blamed
I'm Mohawk disaster