Show COAST PARTY PROBED BY GRAND GRANO JURY Mrs Sweet Wife of Private Private vate Se Secretary Among Chicago Witnesses Director Director Di Di- rector Was to Have Share i CHICAGO Feb 19 Inquiry Inquiry calculated calculated cal cal- to reveal reveal details of oC the oW- oW lal trip to to the Pacific coast oas by bya a party of veterans' veterans bureau officials atta attaches h s and anti their wives in the th s m r- r i of 1922 was und understood under understood under r- r stood to to have co continued tin ed today be before before before be- be fore th the special fed federal fedral ral ira grand d Jury Investigating th the dr i of ot the bureau au und under 1 former Director Charles R. R Forbes Forbe Among witnesses who were prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared to appear ar before e the grand jury today was Mrs Merle It L. Sweet wife of ot the former forme- private te secretary secretary to Forbes i The Sweets were said in In testimony testimony before before the tho senate committee committee com corn which investigated the bureau bu bu- bu rca reau to have accompanied Forbes on several trips east and west durIng during during dur dur- ing his eighteen months as chief of oft t the e bureau Purchase of the site for tor the Livermore Liv- Liv Ca Cal tuberculosis hospital and payment of in architects architect's architects architect's archi archi- teet's fees tees for plans which hl h ultimately ultimately ulti ulti- were rejected was expected to come before the grand jury in inc c connection with the Western jun jun- l ket et CHICAGO LOAN REVEALED Another incident of the trip accordIng according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to the rhe testimony before th the senate committee was a cash loan of to Forbes In a Chicago ho hotel hotel hotel ho- ho tel by Ellas Elias II H. Mortimer member of the firm which soon after the trip rec received a contract for construction construction construction con con- of a veterans' veterans hospital According to the record the bid of Mortimers Mortimer's firm the Pontiac Construction Construction Construction Con Con- company of Detroit was higher than the lowest bid Mortimers Mortimer's statement was to the effect that he l loan an never had been repaid One result of the te trip to the coast the he senate t testimony indicates s. s was an tn informal agreement between Forbes and the two contracting v Continued Continued- on page pageS 5 I FORBES COAST Continued from page 1 1 firms for tor a division of profits on all aU hospital work i Mortimer d testified that more than i profit was wa In prospect and andI I the amount would be divided three ways Forbes receiving third one-third and each firm another third I GRAFT IN SITE PURCHASE i Purchase of or the Livermore site by the vl veterans veterans' bureau at I Iwas was investigated by the American legion of ot San Francisco and the re report report re- re re-I re I I port read into the senate record It said real estate transactions relatIng relatIng relating I I Ing to the Livermore project were shady and surrounded by graft Tho rho report also asserted that charges of irregular procedure in connection with ith the site had been Em presented to Forbes Forbes- during his admInistration administration administration ad ad- ministration that he seemed little interested WASHINGTON Feb Peb 19 19 An An Inquiry in inQuiry inquiry in- in into the situation In the New NewYork NewYork NewYork York office of the veterans veterans' bureau is to be made by the senate veterans veterans' veterans veterans' veterans veterans' veter veter- ans' ans committee Chairman Reed issued a a call to today today today to- to day for a m meeting which Is to be he attended by Frank H. H Hines di director director director di- di rector of or the veter veterans veterans' ns' ns bureau HINES TO MAKE REPORT j A number of reports regarding the New York situation which has led to several changes in high personnel in that district office reached the committee and General Hines will willbe willbe be asked to give a complete report The proposed codification of or all laws relating to the administration of the veterans' veterans bureau and the care of the disabled men was taken up today by the senate finance committee committee com com- mittE 6 and a decision was wa made to have public hearings next Thursday Thurs Thurs- day When Director Hines appears the committee also will q question estion him about the personnel In the general office here Senator I Reed said there had been many c complaints of faulty adr administration both loth here and andIn andIn andin In New York due to t personnel dif lIf- In addition he said some New ew York officials had evidenced a ahard ahard ahard hard boiled attitude toward veterans vet yet erans i Senator Oddie Oddle Republican Nevada Nevada Ne Ne- vada a A. member of of t the committee e also has criticised the bureau hureau here for tor failure to make personnel changes to meet conditions developed developed devel devel- in the committees committee's recent In In- In |