The Van Buren press., 1901-04-20
ALLEGED FRAUDS AT MANILA
Secretary OF War Root Cables Gen. MAJ.
Arthur Requesting Additional
Information.

Washington, APTll lt-Secretarv
Root Yesterday cablcd Gen. MacAr.
thur asking for additional informa.
ton concerning the reports of frauds
in Manila. 1t is expected that a reply
will be re ceived to-day.
While definite instructions have not
| been given Gen. Macarthur, hereto
fore, TO make searching and COM
plete Investigation, it is understood
that the requests for information
were of a character to imply that the
department expected such an invest.
CATION should be made.
Nothing definite has been received
| from Gen. Macarthur about the al
| legged frauds, although reference has
been made to the investigation in ca
Diagrams received. The first dispatch
on the subject from Gen. Macarthur
said there had been eXaggeration in
| the press reports, but the persistence
with which the reports have been re-
| itcrateu and the news dispatch yester.
day giving names and specific amounts
have indicated to the department Off
Gals that perhaps Gen. Macarthur
was NOT advised fully when he made
his first report 1t can be stated that
| the department intends to have all
the information possible on the sub
| iect. and Gen. Macarthur will be ex.
pectcd to push the trials and make
complete report of any and all wrong
doing.
Mai. George b. Davis, whose
name is mentioned in the dispatch
from Manila, as Being credited upon
the books of Evans d Co., as having
received ST 900, is in Washington. To
a press reporter, he would say moth
| ing when asked if he desired to reply
to the assertion. He was called upon
by the war department, however, for
an explanation, and to an officer said
that he knew nothing about the mat
ter. lie was closely questioned and
said that he never had any money
from the firm of contractors men
toned, had not borrowed. and could
not explain how there had been any
charge made. Although he is in this
country on sick leave, he will return
to Manila and if the matter is not
cleared up when he arrives there lie
will demand court of inquiry.
Evans, of the finn of Evans g. Co.,
is known TO some army officers in
| Washington. Evans was in this coun-
| ,,x Il tit,,n and ha IL,
New York.
At the commissary department Gen.
Weston spoke OF his subordinate, Col,
Woodruff in the highest terms. lie
said;
"Col Woodruff always has borne
| the highest reputation in the army as
a splendid officer and thoroughly
honest man. There might be oppor.
tunitics for small frauds in great
depot such as that at Manila but
there would have to be collision
among the officers and the Sergeahts
in charge if frauds were carried on 10
any great extent. II depends largely
upon the honesty of the commissary
in charge to prevent any wrongdoing,
and he would be very likely to know
If there was anything crooked going
on in large way.
"Whcrc so much business is done, 1t
Is almost impossible 60 make nm in
ventory Of goods on hand, Before
such an inventory is. completed hall
Of the goods may have been taken
away, The usual method is for the
commanding general and the commits
sary officer in charge to go through
the warehouse and inspect the stores
and make n statement as 10 the stores
on hand at a given time. Il is rccog-
nized that such busy man as Gen.
Macarthur would not he able to make
such an inspection, and even il he did
he would have TO take the word OF the
commissary for nearly everything, so,
as u matter Of fact, the chief comms-
sary has almost exclusive control and
is the man held responsible. II is for
this reason that man of experience
ard rank IL selected TO be chief com
missnry OF I'm important point like
Manila, which is the distributing
point for 10000 troops"
"Col, Woodruff has made allusons
to the arrest of the commissary SER
gent In kilograms 10 Gen, Weston,
but nothing like u report has been
| unbp i,N him,