Evening star., 1941-08-03
Dupont Circle
Quiz Expected
ToEnd tuesday
Secretary Of Former
Corporation to Take
Witness Stand
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

The investigation of the Dupont3
Circle. Inc. transactions to lease \
the apartment-hotel to the Federal
Government will be completed
Tuesday, when hearings are re-
sumed by the House Public Build
ings and Public Grounds Commit
tee, Chairman Lanham predicted
last night.
Mr.. Lanham and committee men,
bers said they were confident that
with the appearance Of Walter E.
Furey as a witness the confused pic
ture thus far presented will have
been practically cleared up."
Mr.. Furey was identified to the
committee Friday as secretary Of
the corporation of former owners
who sold all their stock on July 8,
and the one which negotiated the
sale with Harry Newman, president
of the new corporation Of stock
holders.
The main point the committee is
seeking to clear up is how Mr. New
man had authority to approach the
Government to offer the building
for lease as early as May Z. when
transfer of stock did not take place
until July 3.
Option Seen Possible.
Mr.. Newman has testified under
oath that he had documentary au-
thority and several members of the
committee said last night they
thought it possible that before May
he might have been given an op-
ton to purchase the building.
Harrison Somerville, former presi-
dent, testified Friday that he had
had no negotiations with Mr.. New
man and did not know him before
July. Some members of the COM
mittee speculated that the option
for purchase might have been given
to Mr.. Newman, however, by Mr..
Furey and his law partner, Paul V.
Rogers, both stock owners.
Among the questions the COM
mittee proposes to ask Mr.. Furey
Tuesday is: Was it possible for so
days prior to the signing of the
! lease with the Government for your
company to have leased or sold
either the stock or physical property
without the consent of Mr.. New
MANI"
Mr.. Newman has said that "no-
body could have dealt with the
Government or anyone else since
the early part of April for lease or
sale Of the apartment hotel except
myself"
Newman May Testify Again.
Mr.. Lanham also said yesterday
that he has promised to grant Mr..
Newman an opportunity to reply to
certain testimony given since his
previous appearance as a witness.
Meanwhile the new ownership of
the apartment hotel sent out some
thirty 30-day notices to tenants who
hold apartments on a monthly basis,
asking them to evacuate. 1t was
explained that this is the customary
notice which the landlord is required
to give under the law.
George Quinn. resident attorney
for the company at the hotel, said
yesterday that the 12-story building
is now practically 85 per cent va
Gated. that there are only II tenants
with leases and only of these have
not notified the management re-
garding the date on which they
will vacate.
The Lanham Committees inquiry
into the advisability of moving some
Government agencies out of Wash
ington, in the interests Of economy.
efficiency and to relieve congestion
here, which has been temporarily
sidetracked by the Dupont Circle
inquiry, is scheduled to be resumed
Wednesday,
Several Government officials have
been notified to be present on that
day to testify.