The age-herald., 1901-04-17
ROOT ASKSFOR MORE FACTS ON
 MANILA FRAUD Reply Expected from General
 MacATthuf Today TIE SCANDAL GROWS WORSE It Is Not Believed That. Colonel Wood ruff Is Implicated ir the Whole sale Steals-Anothe Court
 martial Is Ordered.
TIE SCANDAL GROWS WORSE

Washington. April 16s-Secretary Root today cabled General MacArthur asking for additional information concerning re- ports of frauds in Manila It is expected a reply will be received tomorrow.
 The first dispatch from General Mac Arthur said there had been .exaggeration in the press reports, but the persistence with which the reports have been reit- erated, and the news dispatch today giv ing names and specific amounts have n- dicated to the department officials that perhaps General Macarthur was not ad vised fully The department intends to have all the information possible on the subject, and General Macarthur will be expected to push the trials and make q complete report of all wrongdoings
 Maj. Gen. B. Davis, whose name is mentioned In the dispatch from Manila as being credited upon the books of Ev ans & Go as having received 5000, is in Washington To an Associated Press Ie- porter he would say nothing when asked If he desired to reply to the accusations. He was called upon by the War Depart ment, however. for an explanation, and to an officer said that he knew nothing about the matter. He was closely ques- tioned and said he never had any money from the firm of contractors mentioned, had not borrowed and could not explain how there had been any charge made. Although he is in this country a sick leave, he will return to Manila, and II the matter is not cleared up when he ar rives there he will demand court of in- quiry.
 Evans, of the firm of Evans & Co.,, Is known to some army officers in Wash ington Evans was in this country a short time ago, and 5siay now be in New York if he has not returned to Manila.
 Colonel Woodruff Praised.
 At the commissary department General Weston spoke of his subordinate Colonel Woodruff In the highest terms. He said {: "Colonel Woodruff always has borne the highest reputation in the army as a splen- did officer and thoroughly honest man. There might be opportunity for small frauds in a great depot such as that at Manila, but there would have to be col fusion among the officers and the ser geants in charge if frauds were carried on to any great extent. It depends large ly upon the honesty of the commissary in chage to prevent any wrong doing and he would be very likely to know If there was anything crooked going on in large way. Where so much business is done 1t is almost impossible to make an inven- tory of goods on hand. Before such an inventory is completed half of the goods may have been taken away The usual methods for the commanding general and the commissary officer in charge to go through the warehouse and inspect the stores and make statement as to the stores on hand at a given time. It IS recognized that such busy man as Gen eral MacArthur would not be able te make such an inspection and even If he did he would have to take the word of the commissary for nearly everything. so as a matter of fact the chief commissary has almost exclusive control and Is the man held responsible. It Is for this req son that man of experience and rank is selected to be chief commissary of an important point like Manila. which is the distributing point for 5000 troops"