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Show vesication and the resultant sale of army food. "Why that's a trick question," the witness replied. "It's like asking a man if he has quit heating his wife." ".Strike that out," Mr. Magee shouted, and it was stricken out. To Discredit Probe. Chairman P'rear contended that the Deviocrats were making a concerted attempt at-tempt to discredit the inquiry, while Mr. Cummings insisted that the Republicans in control of congress were trying to criticise every single act of the administration adminis-tration during the war. The committee chairman brought out that prior to 1.VJ5 the witness was a Republican. He told how he and Mr. Magee and Representative Representa-tive Lee of California, Democrat, members of the committee, had protested against being forced to travel to the Pacific coast next month. Mr. Frear said he had been to the coast over every railroad, so the trip was no "junket" for hirn. There was great need. Chairman Frear proceeded, for an inquiry Into the forthcoming forth-coming sale of millions of dollars' -worth of government property. Ho presented a letter from Senator Chamberlain of Oregon, Ore-gon, Inclosing pictures of lumber engines lying in ditches along the railroad track. Examining them for a moment, the witness wit-ness remarked : "They are hardly worth sending this committee to look at," but added that he did not wish to he understood under-stood as deprecating investigation of any war activities. Mr. Magee wanted to know if Mr. Cummlngs, as chairman of the Democratic organization, feared the results of the inquiry. in-quiry. "Quite the contrary, my dear sir," he replied. "I look forward with great pleasure pleas-ure to these investigations. The leaders of the Republican party are doing us a great service. But I think you are on the wrong track and that's why you have my sympathy. I am In favor of the Republicans Republi-cans investigating everything the Democrats Demo-crats did. I believe you gentlemen are actuated by high motives, but the whole thing will come to naught." IBS fflEES Mjpwi Homer S. Cummings Stirs Committee Meeting by-Replies by-Replies to Questions. 13 Tells Republicans He Has 8 Plenty of Ammunition in Store. WASHINGTON". July 31. Homer S. Cummings, chairman of the Democratic national committee, called before the , house subcommittee investigating aircraft expenditures to testify under oath tonight to-night why he had permitted the publicity bureau of his organization to brand a proposed committee trip to the Pacific coast as a "Junket," took full responsibility responsi-bility for the statement and declared it was not a circumstance to what would I come later. From the moment he entered the committee com-mittee room and addressed himself to the members demanding the explanation, until he went away, Mr. Cummings continually con-tinually was smiling, while Chairman Frear pounded the table with great heat and stopped the proceedings to have certain cer-tain replies stricken from the . record. S "With mock courtesy Mr. Cummings, f turning to the chairman and address-r address-r Ing him as "my good fellow," said that he knew before he arrived that he would be unable to satisfy the Republicans. There were one or two sharp retorts from Chairman Frear, to one of which the wit-&a wit-&a peas, lighting a cigar from another and rrs; still smiling, declared, "My, wasn't that a delicate thrust?" ni!.: At the outset Mr. Cummings told the LS it committee that while he had not read the aitin particular article to which the Itepub-IIU: Itepub-IIU: Means took offense, he quite approved it, itif-c except that ft wis not vigorous enough. ll)0lj.: it was during this questioning that Uw Chairman Frear told the stenographer not nil' t0 permit certain statements to remain in the record, to which the witness re-0"','' re-0"','' piled that in a court of justice he wouid cor, bave more rights. ilfil: Sharp Wrangle Ensues. What the chairman wanted to know es-food'pecially es-food'pecially was the basis for the charge that lr the subcommittee was a "smelling com-f com-f remittee" and that It soon was to start on s hi a "Junket." Finally, after a sharp wran-L wran-L odd gle, Mr. Cummings said he understood Hiir-the committee contemplated a western lbs trip to look Into spruce conditions relat-, relat-, jtfng to aviation, when nil of this had been pro: gone over by Charles E. Hughes. , tl "There have been other inquiries," the ty t witness continued, "and this whole sub-y, sub-y, Ject has been canvassed until it is thread-Si';; thread-Si';; bare. Moreover, the taking up of a sub-por: sub-por: ject of this character by a committee, prowhleh I submit Is npt friendly to the administration ad-ministration and not in a position to give an unbiased report, is a waste of time and public money, and in ordinary political politi-cal parlance a junket." "Is it fair to this committee when it Is ordered to make the trip to call it a 'L 1 Junket," Chairman Frear asked. ! Says Wilson Is Slandered. t; , "I think so," Mr. Cummings replied. wr"It is perfect folly to spend money on a ai, trip of this character when you ought breally to send public accountants and when there are so many other problems, ? including the high cost of living, demand-dolling demand-dolling consideration." "The Republican organization," the ci'witness went on, "has indulged in plenty eo-j.of Rkinder directed nt the president of uid the United States and you should be fror sportsmen enough to stand mild criticism. vvi;Thls isn't a marker to what's coming." ?bur "If you do there will be an investigation investiga-tion by the house," the chairman inter- ruptert. "Fine," the witness replied. "I have quite onjoyod myself this evening." Commends Hughes. In commending the public service of Mr. Hughes, who conducted the aircraft Inquiry, Mr. Cummings said the difference differ-ence between Republican leaders in con-press con-press and the president wia that the president had selected for the inquiry a man of known Impartiality, while the other was a purely political Investigation. Representative Magee, Republican of New York, asked Mr. Cummings for a yes or no answer bearing on the war in- |