Show VETS VETS' BURE BUREAU SCANDAL TALE I BRANDED LIE Mortimer Story That Confidential Confidential Confidential Con Con- Information I IWas Was Given Contractors I Is D Denied nied by Forbes SAYS HE REFUSED TO I HONOR BOOZE ORDER Arrangements for Trip t to j West Coast R Revealed Official Tells of Philadelphians Philadelphian's Philadelphians Philadelphian's Philadelphians Philadelphian's Philadel- Philadel I Angling Anglin i WASHINGTON J 14 i B By A A- Piecing P. P. P Piecing out details of hl his hii denial de- de nial of or the charge chergE against against- him former Director C Charles R. R Forbes of the veterans' veterans bureau put new thrills Into the senate veterans' veterans In Investigation Investigation inVestigation In- In today by flatly contradicting contradicting contra contra- dieting the testimony o of several previous witnesses He passed the lies direct to Elias Ehas H. H Mortimer lorUmer of Philadelphia wh who had told the Investigating Ung committee committee com corn that under Forbes' Forbes adminIstration administration admin admin- admin I confidential information was furnished certain contractors regarding proposed hospital sites If 1 Mortimer states states' that said the the former director he states that as a R lie Then ho turned to Mortimer who was seated at a table with the committee committee com corn counsel and exclaimed Y You laugh Chairman Reed of ot the co committee commit commit- tee interposed You are t testifying to the cool cool- said the chairman chairman and and it itIs itIs itis Is not necessary for tor you you you-to ou to address other persons The witness also contradicted di directly directly directly di- di the testimony of Dr Charles CharlesE E E. Sawyer personal friend and physician physician physician phy phy- of PresIdent Harding bawer baw- baw yer er had testified that Forbes was dismissed by the president for for not obeying an order to stop surplus property sales at ville M McI but the former director declared to today today today to- to day that Mr Harding had bad given him authority to release loaded cars at after the first stop order was issued BOOZE ORDER REFUSED James S. S E Easby Smith counsel for Forbes read read- into the a record a. a requisition on on the veterans veterans' bureau for supplies I for the soldiers soldiers' home at Dayton 0 O. made by General Sawyer It called tor twenty barrels barrels bar bar- of whisky twenty barrels of alcohol sheets towels towels towels towels' tow tow- bar I els els' blankets yards of gauze and yards ards of gauze bandages The requisition Forbes said he refused td fill Why asked the committee chairman Senator Reed Republican can Pennsylvania The quantities were excessive Forbes responded Taking up the purchase of the Ex Excelsior Springs Mo hospital site from rom E. E L. L Liv Morse prominent in Missouri l f lean politics Forbes I said there ther had been a definite definite deli deli- nite commitment by the treasury department to purchase the property property property prop prop- erty and nd establish a hospital Representatives in congress came to me and explained the situation situation sit sit- vho he ho continued I in turn discussed it at the White House The witness characterized as absolutely absolutely absolutely ab false the testimony of ot Mortimer that the Thompson-Black Thompson company of Chicago which Mortimer Mortimer Mortimer Mor Mor- timer said he represented was furnished furnished furnished fur fur- with a confidential list Bat of proposed sites for hospital sites so It could select the one on which it preferred to build Questioned about his relations with Mr and Mrs Mortimer Forbes said he met Mrs Mortimer first at atthe atthe atthe the veterans veterans' bureau and soon at afterwards afterwards aft aft- t was introduced to Mor Mor- timer lIe He denied that Mrs l Mortimer Mortimer Mor Mor- timer Umer was' was wasat at the bureau on soldier welfare wor work saying sa she was there thereto to visit a woman MORTIMERS WANTED TO GO GOV GO He lIe said he became fairly intimate intimate intimate inti inti- mate With the Mortimers and found them agreeable compan compan- ions Coming then to the me famous Pacific coast trip with them In the summer of 1922 Forbes said it was Mortimer who suggested sted that ho he and Mrs Mortimer accompany the party Forbes to the West as Mortimer Mor Mor- timer never had been In that se sec see see- tion I stated stated that there thera would bo ho a lot lotof f men Jn the the- the party the witness wit wit- n ness ss continued but hat I did not see any objection to their going if Jf they desired Forbes said there thre had been no conversation with Mortimer about expenses of ot th the trip Why did yo you stop qt Chicago asked Mr Easby Smith To inspect the Speedway hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital and to visit patients in the Marine hospital was the reply The witness said he met J. J W. W C Continued nt on page 4 VETS VETS' BUREAU RE Continued from page 1 1 Thompson at Chicago but not by prearrangement Before that he had seen him in Washington Thompson Thomp Thomp- son called on him iii hi connection with a claim against tho the government government govern govern- ment meat growing out of a a. seizure of a I ship Forbes testified as to the arrangement arrangement arrangement ar ar- ar- ar of the tho rooms of his of official official of- of tidal party at the Drake hotel where Mortimer claims li h hp loaned Forbes in the tho form of ten bills S Up to that time Forbes said Mortimer had been talking about contracts But I never gave him any encouragement he added Asked about th the testimony of Mortimer that Forbes had chad stated I that while ho he was In an official capacity In Hawaii he had fixed things so 50 nobody lost money Forbes exclaimed 1 ed Again Mortimer lies yourself Try to restrain warned Easby I am restraining myself re returned returned re- re turned Forbes I I |