Evening star., 1943-09-20
Fuel Oil for We|Ies
Rushed by Steuart,
Witness Testifies
Shortage in Count
Of Coupons by oPA
Cited by Accountant

How a special OPA employe as
signed to the State Department as
a rationine officer for diplomats and
State Department ceremonials
officer co-operated in getting out q
rush Shipment ;of oil to the oxon
Hills estate Of Sumner Welles, for
mer Undersecretary of State, last
| January was related this afternoon
at the hearing on the OPA's charges
of 227 rationing irregularities against
| L. P. Steuart & Bro, Inc.
The special diplomatic rationing
officers testimony directly preceded
testimony by Raymond M. Florance,
certified public accountant, that q
! count of 100 of the Oil envelopes of
fuel oil coupons which are the basis
CT the OPA's charges against the
Steuart Co. had revealed discrep-
ancies or differences between his
! count and that of the OPA in "a Of
! the envelopes.
In the IA classes of coupons in
TTolved in the count, shortages ex-
listed in II classifcations. Mr.. Flor
! ence testified. He said his count
| showed a net shortage of 8,187
| coupons and 1850 gallons. The
count, before allowing for averages
in some envelopes, showed Short
age of 83,027 gallons If all the
coupons listed by the OPA had been
| available, he said. the shortage in
the OPA's count of the number of
Also Aided Russian Embassy.
Arthur w Vennell was the OPA
diplomatic rationing officer who
testified regarding the oil shipment
to the Welles estate. He said the
hurry call for oil was referred to
the Steuart Co. which had been a
Government supplier. and recalled
that the estate was so difficult to
reach that he had to get out a
special map in order to direct the
driver.
Mr.. Vennell testified that at a
later date he was instrumental in
.
tact with the Steuart Co. when it ran
out of oil last winter.
Oil Deliveries Praised.
The hearing reopened today, with
Renah F. Camalier. company attor-
ney, presenting series of witnesses
whose testimony tended to show that
the Steuart company was able to
deliver oil last winter when other
dealers could not
Representatives of various hos
pitfalls and other institutions. laun-
dries. embassies and Government
agencies, as we'll as Washington fueI
oil dealers. were summoned by Mr.
Camalier to disprove the OPA's con-
tention that a suspension of the
Steuart company's license would not
put an undue strain on the District
fuel oil industry.
Among the witnesses were Thomas
Somerville, president of the Wash
ington Brick Co., Muirkirk, Md.
James E. Collifiower, president and
general manager of James Coli
| iio"cI, liz, SlO Sbl Ctt IN. w ., COIlI
J. Anderson. assistant superintend-
ent and chief engineer of the Chill
dren's Hospital; Donald F.. Mac
Kenzie, 100 Elmwood road, Kenwood
an official of three laundries in this
area: julius F. Hague of Bethesda
acting superintendent of the Inter
national Business Machines Corp.
1918 New York avenue NV: w. J
David, secretary and general man.
ager of the Brentwood Village Corp.
and John S. Bromwell. a supervisor
in the office of the director of fooe
distribution, Agriculture Depart.
ment.
Say Steuart Firm Helped.
Both Mr. Someriville and MI
Hague testified as Government wa
contractors, relating similar expert
ences with regard to their oil suppl
last winter. Each found himsel