report. They both said in the report that it could be done, and therefore they must have both believed it. Mr. BENNET. There were some conferences in the office on October 11, 1918, at which you were present, Maj. O'Brien was present, Mr. Shank and Mr. Hines were present? Col. WRIGHT. Yes, sir. Mr. BENNET. And you made a stenographic report? Col. WRIGHT. Yes, sir. Mr. BENNET. And you very kindly furnished Mr. Hines with a copy of that interview, did you not? Col. WRIGHT. Yes, sir; at the time, I think. Mr. BENNET. And the papers I now show you-it was the 9th, instead of the 11th, as I see by this. [Handing witness papers.] Col. WRIGHT. He was there the 11th also, I think. Mr. BENNET. All right. At any rate, I will show you this paper and ask you if that is the copy of the stenographic report furnished by you to Mr. Hines? Senator HARDWICK. What is that, the record of a conversation between Mr. BENNET. Between Col. Wright and Maj. O'Brien and Mr. Hines and Mr. Shank, Col. WRIGHT. I think this is a copy; yes. Mr. BENNET. You have not any doubt about it, have you, Colonel. Col. WRIGHT. I have not any doubt about giving him one. Mr. BENNET. You do not accuse us of having forged anything? Col. WRIGHT. No, sir; of course not. Senator HARDWICK. That is a copy, is it not? Col. WRIGHT. I have not seen it since, and I paid little attention to it. Senator HARDWICK. Suppose you examine it enough to answer that question. Mr. BENNET. Yes; because your answer to that was rather dubious. Col. WRIGHT (after further examining stenographic report). Yes; I recognize it from the fact that certain words were inserted with a pencil in the stenographic report. Senator HARDWICK. That is a copy? Col. WRIGHT. Yes. Mr. BENNET. Mr. Hines at that time said to you this; this occurred [reading]: Maj. O'BRIEN. I think we are to analyze this and make some report to the Secretary of War. Mr. HINES. He said we are to get through with our conference with Col. Wright and then have a conference with him. Col. WRIGHT. That is a correct report of the conversation. Senator FRANCE. Mr. Chairman, I neglected to put into the record on yesterday this memorandum report from the Assistant Secretary's office with reference to the possible availability of the ordnance plant at Perryville, Md., and in view of the statement therein contained that that plant might be available for hospital facilities, and in view of the further fact that probably there are other plants at the disposal of the Ordnance Bureau that might be so used. I would suggest that the Chief of Ordnance or the proper officer from the Ordnance Department be called upon to furnish a list of all of their available buildings, and the possible disposition of the same. Senator HARDWICK. Without objection, the matter will be given that direction and the clerk of the committee will be instructed to instruct the Chief of Ordnance to send an officer here with such a list, at the conclusion of the evidence. We do not care to go into that before. Senator FRANCE. Yes. Mr. BENNET. Col. Wright, you never were present at any conference in Mr. Hare's office with Mr. Hines present? Col. WRIGHT. No, sir. Senator FRANCE. In considering this whole hospital proposition, we are, of course, considering the possibility of saving some money for the Government, and at least I have in mind the lease of the Greenhut store, which is costing the Government, I believe, something like $300,000 a year. Can you tell us anything with reference to the structure of that building which is now being used for a hospital, whether it is of fireproof construction or not?" Col. WRIGHT. Yes, sir. The building is essentially a fireproof structure. I mean by that, that the columns are cast-iron, the beams and girders are all steel, and the floors are hollow tile, and the outside walls are masonry. Senator FRANCE. How long has that building been built? Col. WRIGHT. I think about 20 years. Senator FRANCE. That question arose in my mind. Col. WRIGHT. It is also a debarkation hospital, you know. It is only kept there for a short time. Senator FRANCE. Yes. Mr. BENNET. Col. Wright, have you any idea why the War Department continues sending official mail to the Speedway Hospital in Chicago? [Placing upon the table a number of letters.] Col. WRIGHT. No, sir. Mr. BOUVIER. Do they come from Col. Wright's department? Mr. BENNET. From all the departments. We have had a half a wagonload of official mail from the War Department sent there. It shows that everybody knows that we are a hospital except the Secretary of War. Senator HARDWICK. I expect that is because you were called General Hospital No. 32. Col. WRIGHT. We know nothing about it. Mr. BENNET. There is a telegram that may be important, if the chairman cares to open it. [Handing unopened telegram to the chairman.] Senator HARDWICK. I would send it to the officer there. Mr. BENNET. We have sent the rest of it, half a wagonload of it, to Mr. Schmidt's house, of Schmidt, Garden, & Martin. Senator HARDWICK. We are through with Col. Wright, are we? Colonel, we will excuse you. Mr. Clark is the next witness, I believe. TESTIMONY OF MR. WALLACE G. CLARK. The witness was sworn by the chairman. Senator HARDWICK. Now, Mr. Adcock, proceed just as leadingly as you like. We want to get through. Mr. CLARK. Mr. Chairman, my statement is voluntary in every way and I claim no immunity. Senator HARDWICK. You hold no position under the Government? Mr. CLARK. I hold no position with the Government. A serious charge has been made here. Senator HARDWICK. Yes. Proceed, Mr. Adcock. Mr. ADCOCK. Where do you reside? Mr. CLARK. In the city of Chicago. Mr. ADCOCK. What is your residence number? Mr. CLARK. No. 4448 Drexel Boulevard; Hyde Park, it is known as. Mr. ADCOCK. What is your office address? Mr. CLARK. In the Michigan Boulevard Building, No. 30 North Michigan Boulevard. Mr. ADCOCK. You are a partner of Mr. Trainer, of the firm of Clark & Trainer? Mr. CLARK. I am a partner of Mr. J. Milton Trainer, and I am the senior member of the firm of Clark & Trainer. Mr. Trainer and I have been in business together for 25 years. Mr. ADCOCK. You have been engaged actively in the real estate business during that time? Mr. CLARK. Yes; and altogether about 32 or 33 years, in the city of Chicago. Mr. ADCOCK. You heard Mr. Trainer's statement in behalf of your firm? Mr. CLARK. Yes. Mr. ADCOCK. And that is substantially, correct, is it? Mr. CLARK. Yes, sir. Mr. ADCOCK. Do you hold any public, official position in the city of Chicago? Mr. CLARK. I have been trustee of the Sanitary District of Chicago continuously for 14 years. I am now occupying that position. Mr. ADCOCK. The Sanitary District of Chicago is a municipal corporation, I may state, which covers the Chicago River and Senator HARDWICK. Is that a part of the municipality of Chicago? Mr. ADCOCK. It is an independent municipal corporation, not a part of the city of Chicago, but its territorial area extends over the city of Chicago and all the territory of the city of Chicago, in addition to quite an area beyond that. Senator HARDWICK. You need not explain that. I asked just as a matter of curiosity. That is an institution created by the Legislature of Illinois ? Mr. ADCOCK. By the Legislature of Illinois; yes. Senator HARDWICK. To handle certain phases of the municipal government? Mr. ADCOCK. The principal object of it is to divert from Lake Michigan the sewage that arises within the city of Chicago and the suburbs to the Desplaines River. Senator HARDWICK. Do they handle all the sewerage questions in Chicago? Mr. ADCOCK. They handle outlet sewerage. Senator HARDWICK. That is practically the whole that they handle? Mr. ADCOCK. That is, practically; yes. They have in addition certain water-supply duties. 103155-19-PT 2- 3 Senator HARDWICK. That is to get rid of the sewage and garbage of the city of Chicago? Mr. ADCOCK. It is not the garbage, but the sewage. Senator HARDWICK. Proceed. Mr. ADCOCK. Is that an elective office, Mr. Clark. Mr. CLARK. Yes, sir. Mr. ADCOCK. There are nine trustees? Mr. CLARK. Yes. Mr. ADCOCK. How many times have you been elected to that office? Mr. CLARK. The first time, three years; the second, six years; and the last for six. Senator HARDWICK. Three times? Mr. CLARK. Yes. Mr. ADCOCK. Your term expires in 1920? Mr. CLARK. In 1920. Mr. ADCOCK, And in that connection you have had to do principally as chairman of the engineering committee? Mr. CLARK. I have been at least 9 or 10 years as chairman of the engineering committee which handles all of the construction problems. you Mr. ADCOCK. Will you state whether you ever called with Mr. Trainer at the office of the Shank Co. in June, 1918, and state how happened to go there, and if you can, fix the date, and state the conversation you had and who were present. Mr. CLARK. In the early part of June-that is, before the medical convention met in the city of Chicago, in passing along the street on La Salle Street, passing the old Stack Exchange Building, Mr. Trainer being with me, Mr. Trainer stated that he wanted me to step up with him just a moment, that he wanted to acquire some information in behalf of Dr. Billings, or the Surgeon General, and I went up in the elevator with him, and I found that it was Mr. Shank's office. Mr. Trainer there made an inquiry as to the Speedway property, and stated that his purpose in calling was to accumulate certain information, and that was the purpose for which I went to Mr. Shank's office with Mr. Trainer. Mr. ADCOCK. Who were present at that conversation? Mr. CLARK. Mr. Shank was present. I do not remember Mr. Foster being there. He might have been. I know that if he was there I did not know his name was Foster. Mr. ADCOCK. Do you remember if Mr. Trainer said he desired to ascertain the elements of value of the property? Mr. CLARK. That was the substance of his remarks. Mr. ADCOCK. Do you remember what Mr. Shank said and what Mr. Foster said, if anything? Mr. CLARK. I do not remember the conversation. It was subject matter that I was Senator HARDWICK. Can you give me substantially the date of that interview? Mr. CLARK. I can only place the date, Senator, from the fact of my knowledge of Mr. Trainer's desire to secure this information before the medical convention met. Senator HARDWICK. That was before the medical convention? Senator HARDWICK. It must have been very early in June? Mr. CLARK. I have heard it testified here that the medical convention met sometime between the 10th and the 15th. Senator HARDWICK. Between the 9th and the 15th? Mr. CLARK. Or the 9th and the 15th of June. Senator HARDWICK. It met on Monday. Mr. ADCOCK. I can not say whether it met on Monday. Mr. CLARK. I had knowledge that that was the purpose, and that was later discussed with Mr. Shank in going out to the Speedway. Senator HARDWICK. Then you asked for a permit to see the Speedway-Mr. Trainer did? Mr. CLARK. He asked for definite information, and he may have asked for a permit. Senator HARDWICK. Finally, as an outcome of that, Mr. Shank agreed to go with you all out there, or with Mr. Trainer out there? Mr. CLARK. He might have done so. Senator HARDWICK. Did you not go there? Mr. CLARK. No; we did not. Mr. ADCOCK. Not that day. Mr. CLARK. It is my impression that it was the day following or a day or two afterwards that we went there. Senator HARDWICK. Did you go in your automobile? Mr. CLARK. Mr. Trainer had asked me if I would drive him out to the Speedway. He asked me first if I had my car there, and I had; and then he stated that he was going to call up Mr. Shank-I suppose he did, because he asked me if I would pick up Mr. Shank on La Salle Street and then pick him up. Senator HARDWICK. At the bank? Mr. CLARK. Yes; and I remember distinctly picking Mr. Shank up, and, as has been testified by Mr. Shank, he rode on the front seat with me, because I was driving, and the only person in the car when I picked Mr. Shank up. We came to the Continental Bank and waited a minute or two, and Mr. Trainer came out, and he got in the back part of the car that pulled out-those seats that fold under-and sat right behind me, and talking between Mr. Shank and myself. Senator HARDWICK. I am trying to get that conversation located. That was the conversation, in other words, that preceded this visit to the Speedway? Mr. CLARK. That was the conversation that took place after we had gone to Mr. Shank's office; after Mr. Trainer had telephoned and asked for a permit. Senator HARDWICK. Yes; but the conversation you are stating now is the one that led up to the subsequent visit, in a day or two, to see the Speedway property? Mr. CLARK. Yes. Mr. ADCOCK. How many times have you ever been to Shank's office? Mr. CLARK. I have been to Shank's once, at the time that I was called by Mr. Hodge to find out what was delaying the report on valuations of the real estate board, and I either called Mr. Shank's office on the phone or stopped in. I have been trying to dig up every corner of my memory as to just what I did. |