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Show Near Fist Fight Staged Before Senate Military Affairs Comm i 1 1 e e While Charges of Secrecy Se-crecy in Awarding Army Contracts Are Being Investigated. EISENMAN GROWS ANGRY ON STAND Tennessee Senator Is Aggressive and Chairman Chair-man Chamberlain Is Finally Compelled to Intervene; Blames Both Men for Altercation. By LEWIS "WOOD, International News Service Staff Correspondent. WASHINGTON, Jan. 3. A near fist fight was staged beforo the senate military mili-tary affairs committee this afternoon as a climax to charges concerning secrecy in the awarding of army contracts. Senator McKellar of Tennessee threatened threat-ened to chastise Charles Eisemnan, who was testifying as chairman of the supply-committee supply-committee of the council of national defense. de-fense. "I ask the chairman of the committee commit-tee to make the witness answer questions properly," said Senator McKellar. "If the j witness does not do so, I will take steps j myself to make him." ! "I'm not afraid," said Eisenman. j "I want tiie witness to answer," re- i prated Mr. McKellar, "and I don't mind ; saying I'll take the matter in my own ; hands." "You're not threatening the chairman, are you?" asked Senator Chamberlain of Oregon in an amused fashion. "No, sir; but I don't want any remarks made to me by the witness. And I don't want him to keep hurling himself at committee meinbei"s." Room in Turmoil. The committee room was in a turmoil. Senators kept bobbing up and down while Senator McKellar and Eisenman glared at each other across the table. Senator Chamberlain banged his gavel. The stenographer ste-nographer pleader that he could not hear more than one person at a time. Finally comparative calm was restored. The purchasing by the supply committee commit-tee for the army was the target of Inquiry In-quiry all afternoon. In answer to Sona-tor Sona-tor McKellar's questions of yesterday, Eisenman produced papers showing what firms represented upon the committee had bencfitc'il in tiie contracts. Nine firms which have representatives upon the committee have received 000.000 of government contracts. Of this sum. contracts for 14,000,000 have been a warded to the firms since their repre-tatlves repre-tatlves became committee members. The representatives, however, ore said 1o be within the strict construction of the law, for it has been testified (hey refra ined from ad vising upon contracts in which their firms were uomcnieJ... I ijuesiion or secrecy. "is ii gooii business to comeRl Hie details?" de-tails?" asked Senator W'adswnrth uf New York as to the secrecy regarding contracts con-tracts with t he Base Son ing com pa n , which took the government rags. "I have never seen an industry in my life so ramiiied with .jealousy and strife riH the rac business." said Eisenman. "Weil, you say there are mistrusts and jealousies. I submii for your further cuidance that you fanned the flames of 1 ins mis; rust ry enncea hncn t- No harm , ci,ii!d ..ome of publicity." Various lei ret s were rend compla in in 2 Hi;, no lament 0r government, awards v:r made, (j t ioi is wf-re .Jirert-cd .Jirert-cd more :-.nd mm-p swiftly at the wifnes. Ifp nnswci'c. ra-h at great length until ' ikc-ked in h.s sentences. Answers With Great Heat. 1 Finally he "r, id with great heal : j "Po you mean that we deal pctH- ' u h fir 1 -is? Po you t hink t h? t's fair? I I ?-i:.r l!'HL .eMrdav- and rot . allddown j t'or u ; I'm willing to be . alier dou n ; I'm ' willing ti be '-ailed down again. I'm no'. tn be nnpuglifd nr iiis-iltrcj." 1 'I'm nnt roii ; o let 1 h .. n it ri.- s sa v I in.pug-'e.j his ic.i'i : e." sa.d Senator ' Kf..l.nehu sen O'. eu Jtv--, . v no was I ,y ; -1 a 111 i n j n at l no t:-'C. I "I t-.fWrc?on r.-seii' to Senafor McKe- : la-." s-aid i:if'-n-Pn. i "I'm ret romg tn 3 ,cw you n that 1 to ir.t, cMl.r." .-aid t Tnneye " s -tor. - ihitik 1 o;ir .'fi'f'i"' impnocr f : 1' rn'' cornet yo-.rslf p-r:rlv I'm gr.'n:; tc. tnir y-'i :i rpadf to do c0i ! 1 -r A 10 ! he . rfiit ." f 'hamberlain Intervenes. I m ir.'d-ned to T:nk :-c 're berh to : b'.-i -r ."' mt er ::---i.--d Sra t- Cha m ber;i!i. ; ' 1 iiirk yniir q:ic-t:rn to him lmpliej i (Continued, on Page Two.) I 1 SENATOR M'KELLAR of Tennessee, who offers to chastise witness before senate sen-ate military committee. M'KELLAR OFFERS TO CHASTISE WITNESS (Continued from Page One.) thnt he had secret asreemti te with certain cer-tain firms." "I don't admit that." responded Senator Sena-tor MeKellar. "I was asking about the general policy of the secietary." ' Well, we're not getting anywhere this wav, ' raid Senator Weeks. "LtVt con-durt con-durt the heari.ir, with que tions by one senator at a Lime." By this time disorder was complete. The stenographer was in a perfect stew. The gavel smashed down and questions went on, but in a minute Senator MeKellar Me-Kellar got up and made his r smirk about be rg qm'e willing to correct lC.aeninan physically. Satisfied Job Was Well Done. Elsenman said no matter what criticism of the Base Sorting company was made, "the ioh had been well done" and to the satisfaction of the government. He said he didn't know the company was organized with three dummies, but Inquired: "Isn't that a common thing to do and then pass the company along?" "Ob no. Mr. Eisenman." said Senator Wads worth. "I doivi think that's a common thing to do on a government job." Mr. Eisenman said he had written to General Sharpe advising the secrecy policy. "Do .vou know that such a course is contrary to the federal statutes?" asked Senator Frelinghuysen. "I did not concern myself about that. T tried to do the job properly. If It conflicted con-flicted with the law, it was up to the wai department to state that." Advised feharpe. Senator Weeks developed that Kisen-man Kisen-man had advised the quartermaster general gen-eral not t contract with the American Uniform company. "You said yesterday you did not have anvihin? to do with actually making contracts. But you wrote this letter. You did have something to do with contracts.' con-tracts.' i "No, sir. I only wrote the letter. I was asked to do so." , "You're a clever witness and a very clever dodger. You say you had nothing to do with contracts and now you bring your files with the letter." "I knew it was coming up; a newspaper man told me." "Tfl he in the room?" "No. 1 don't know half a dozen newspaper news-paper men." "You ought to know them: it's worth while," suggested Senator Weeks. "I'm going to cultivate them," said Eisenman, smilingly. "I think it pays." Still Denies. "But you did have something to do with contracts?" "No, sir." Your file letter answers in the af-firmative. af-firmative. What are you going to do with a witness who says he doesn't and then his letter shows he does?" Senator Frelinghuysen said he had been Informed that the navy department had been asked to issue a "secrecy" order, but had refrained upon the advice of the : attorney general. Ho had asked the sec-! sec-! retarv of the navy to produce any corre-j corre-j spondenee upon the subject. Nine Firms Named. Nine firms were named in Mr. Eiscn-man's Eiscn-man's statement as being among those which had received army supply orders from the committee and whose repre ; sen'atives served with the committee. The firms named, their representative on the committee, the amount of the contracts received and the total of contracts con-tracts for the kind of merchandise in which they were interested follow: American Woolen company, F. Reding-ton. Reding-ton. ?9TS5.nO0 ($33S,69J.Ort0). Wellington. Sears Co., Mr. Bailey, $o. i-iTfiju) (SI 01.37. uOttt. William Iseiin & Co.. Hincoln Cromwell, Crom-well, $1.(VJ9.000 ($74,Sl'."i,000). J. Spencer, Turner, A. U Scott, ?S,-(Sim.STL'.OOO). ?S,-(Sim.STL'.OOO). Turner Hatsev company, A. L. Scott, ?5,2;tH.oOO (J102.37O.0M). t'nited States Rubber company. A. W. Lawrence. $:i.7ti2.00O (S26,S79.0uiV. W. H. Mc El wain company, J. F. Mc-Elwain. Mc-Elwain. $.:130.000 (?9.r5t,i(i0. t'nited States Hunting company, George Stevens, Sl.5-iti.o0tJ (i9O,:U3.00O. Cleveland Worsted com pan v. Charles " Eisenman. $4.5u7."Oi ( JUO.S.uOO. Of the contracts given t he Cleveland Worsted company, of which Mr. Eisen-man Eisen-man is a stockholder, it was stated that only Siil 2.700 were negotiated after the supplies committee was formed. More Clashes. 1 IMirini: his explanation of the committee's commit-tee's work Eisenman again vigorously resented re-sented vh;;t he termed questions impugning impugn-ing his motives and insulting, and clashed with Senators Weeks and MeKellar. Testimony i-upper t ir-.z Eist-n man's con-tt-ntions thai the qualily of army clothing had not been lowered by his orders for use of more reworked wool, or shodn. iu the do; h was siven by Michael E. Frisco!!, an expert wool manufacturer of ftaritan. N. J.. who sai.i the new cloth virtually is as wai m and durable. Tie added, however, that the German uniform is ." per cent better and costs less. Testimony regarding army shos also was heard today from E. J. Kii.-s of Boston, who said about NO per cent of Au'.cru an soldiers' shoes do no: lit ami cliars.-.i d'.'i.tv by tho war d pne r: mem sn adopting i I'.'i'rc s'.uc :'i:t:nc dc h e. Clip Commandeered. Koardi i:' wooi o'Ycvs from t he Nation; Na-tion; ! .ssoc:a ; io- of W M.-rowers. Fi eu-eri- U !-Mitv.;ton. Eisenrr.an's assistant, tcs-1 tcs-1 i ;';ed r hat wo'l was not offered at t he ivcr;::,lc;ifs own ;.viv luit that ihe ;ovcn;:'om t ommaudeerc : the entire 1 Sor:.i;or Mi. K-i'.ir read a letter from Senator King of Utah stating ti.at the ' ! lazier had "pleaded" with Eiscriman and! Secret a ry Baker to take the wool grow- ! ers' supplies at the government's own; prire and that they had been "turned ', down." Eisenman replied that he did not i revollect suci an offer. ' Inquire into the fdoti.ing question will i I be resumed uimorrov.'. At an executive ! i session iate today tiie comm.i'f ee de- ' . (.id-d to expedite its investigations ;is j much possible arid hereafter limit de- 1 tailed eat ruination of wi messes. |