Evening star., 1935-07-27
PAYNE IS CALLED
FOR QU|zz|NG IN
ARMYLOBBY DEALS
Committees Futile Effort
to Get Business Data
Is Disclosed.
EXPECTED TO ANSWER
STORY OF SPEICHER
Former Assistant Secretary OF
War to Be Questioned on
His Companies.
BY REX COLLIER.

Futile efforts of the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee to delve into
business affairs of former Assistant
Secretary of War Frederick H. Payre
are to culminate in a personal ap-
pearance of Payne before the commit
tee in connection with its inquiry into
lobbying for Army contracts.
Disclosure that the committee has
made repeated requests for certain
data" from a bank and a manufac-
turing corporation with which Payne
Is connected followed a demand" by
Payne that he be given an oppor-
tunity to clarity his activities in deal
ing with Joseph Silverman, jr., So
called powerful influence" in swing
ing War Department contracts.
Chairman McSwain, who received
a letter from Payne charging Nc
Swain had not stated correctly me
facts about changes made in a Silver
man contract on the last day OF
Payne's tenure as Assistant War Sec
retary. has replied that the sta.s-
ments we're made not by the chair
man, but by sworn witnesses.
Stories Conflict.
81 haven't made any statements
about Mr.. Payne" McSwain an
nounced. Il merely asked questions
The testimony came from number oi
witnesses who have made confusing
and contradictory statements under
oath to this committee.
''As a matter of fact, the issue is
not between Mr.. Payne and the chair
man, but is one of veracity between
Payne and Silverman. For that rea-
son, I am sure the committee would
be most happy to hear Mr.. Payne's
testimony in person. l have so in
formed him by wire
McSwain revealed that the commit
tee on April Is asked the First Ma
tional Bank & Trust Co. of Green
field. Mass, to supply certain infor-
nation and that the bank replied il
would do so. When the information
had not come by May II. the CON-
mittee instructed the clerk to wire
the bank. asking immediate COM
pliance with the committees request
of April 25" Nothing was heard from
the bank, McSwain said, until June
IS. when the cashier wrote that the
information requested required time
to prepare and that because of N. r
A. code hours the working time avail
able for compiling the data was lin
tied. On July 10 the committee again
urged that the data be sent.
The committee has not received
the information yet" McSwain de-
clared.
Fail Again.
The chairman said similar request
was made on May of the Greenfield
Tap & Die Corp. of Greenfield, Mass,
of which Payne is listed as president.
When no reply was received, the
committee wired the corporation an
other request on June IL. This tele-
gram. he said, also remained un-
answered, so on July 10 the commit
tee sent by registered mail long let
ter repeating the request for informa-
ton. The committee still is without
the data, McSwain asserted.
The committee plans to ask Payne
not only about his affairs with the
bank and the die corporation. but to
question him about testimony by
Frank E. Speicher yesterday that
Payne told a General Motors repre-
sentative at the Mayhower Hotel that
he knew Joseph Silverman could be
of aid to the General Motors man,
and suggested the latter put Silver
man on the pay roll That was after
Payne had left the War Department.