Toilet Kit Tempest

Having been in office three months, the Roosevelt Administration last week blundered into what Republicans tried to whip up as its first "scandal." At the demand of Wyoming's Republican Carey the Senate Military Affairs Committee began to investigate the Civilian Conservation Corps' purchase of toilet kits for jobless workers-in-the-woods.

Senator Carey contended that by awarding a contract to Be Vier & Co., Inc. of Manhattan to supply 200,000 kits at $1.40 each, Director Robert Fechner of the C. C. C. had wasted $216,000 of the Government's money, since the Army could have bought such kits for 32-c- each. As the week wore on and the investigation continued, the Army purchase price shifted uncertainly with the testimony of various witnesses. The net impression created was that a fast-thinking supersalesman had managed to outsmart the best minds in the War Department, the Budget Bureau, the C. C. C. and the White House. Key man in the inquiry was small, wrinkled Louis McHenry Howe. President Roosevelt's No. 1 Secretary and close friend.

The Senate committee was told that on May 15 Richard B. Bevier had come to Mr. Howe with an introductory letter from Basil O'Connor, the President's one-time law partner. After inspecting Mr. Bevier's toilet kits (comb, toothbrush, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush holder, brush. soap box, mirror, shaving cream, razor, razor blades), Secretary Howe asked Budget Director Douglas to come over and have a look at them. Director Douglas was busy, sent a subordinate named Lowery. Instructing Lowery to investigate the cost and quality of the product as compared with the kits the Army was already issuing the C. C. C., Secretary Howe telephoned Director Fechner to make his own kit purchases without consulting the Army. He also signed letter --on Bureau of the Budget stationery-- confirming the telephone conversation, recommending the "superior articles" but without mentioning Salesman Bevier or his product by name. President Roosevelt scribbled his approval at the bottom of the letter.

Director Fechner proved a confusing witness. Clearly the telephone call from the White House had sounded like "orders" to him. He was now ready to take all the blame. He had signed the contract with persuasive Mr. Bevier May 15. No, he had not asked for competitive bids. No, he had not investigated the product--not until two weeks later. It was also brought out that although Mr. Bevier had quoted the kits at $1.10 each, by the time he had finished selling Mr. Fechner they had somehow jumped to $1.40 each, the increase being apparently occasioned by Mr. Bevier's throwing in a sewing kit which sold wholesale for 12 1/2-c-. With great reluctance. Director Fechner admitted that Be Vier Corp. was to make 15% profit on the deal.

Senator Carey's best witness was Major General John Lesesne De Witt, in charge of the Quartermaster Corps. He said that the Be Vier product had been turned down by the Army, that he had cautioned Director Fechner against it. It seemed to him that what was good enough for soldiers was good enough for forestry workers on the dole. He variously estimated that the army could have bought the $1.40 Be Vier kit for 42-c-, 75-c-, at the most 85-c-.

Subpenaed by telegraph, Salesman Bevier hotly disagreed. The C. C. C., he said, "wanted a fine quality of toilet article." Before the whirlwind finish of his Washington sales campaign he had spent a fruitless fortnight interviewing captains and colonels in the War Department. It then occurred to him, he said, that a President's Secretary would know "exactly what officials to get in contact with." He saw Mr. Howe at 3:30 the afternoon of May 15. Mr. Howe's letter did not reach Director Fechner until next day, but "before sundown" the contract, under which 110,000 $1.40 Be Vier kits have already been delivered, was signed and in his pocket. Up to "that time, he said, Mr. Fechner was a perfect stranger to him.

"So you followed the [Biblical] in-junction," interposed Senator Logan of Kentucky. "He was a stranger and you took him in."

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