The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-25
ENGL|SHMEA HAVE
SECRETS OF NAVY
EXPERT ACCoV NTtNTs ARE EN-
tLONED At ALL OF THE
NAVY YARDS.
INSTALL COST SYS TEN
~tst RETARf MEYER ISSUES 4
STATEMENT. SAYING THAT HE
WAS Not AWARE or
sIrt ALTON.
INSTALL COST SYS TEN

- ASuINGTON. II G., NOV. "a.
setting out that chartered expert az
CONTAINS who are English citizens
or of English birth are being employ
ed by the United States government
Ia install new cost system In ail
OF it's navy yards laying bare TO them
and through them. to the English
government III the secret -; Aneri-
can naval and gun manufacture. ax~
pert accountants throughout ths
United States ara making ready i'll
appeal in protest 20 President Taft,
the members Of his cabinet and To
Congress
t>esaations IA protest have already
been passed BY the society OF eertltte..
accountants Inch inclQoes four nun
ared members employing fifteen hun
dred etner accountants In New orA
Secretary of the Navy Meyer. ex-
planned Tonight that the cost system
Is being lnstalied in the navy fards
! by tine firm Of Marvtrx, mitchell u
Company, which has oILces in the
principal cities OF the United states.
HE did not know, ne. stated whether
the members Of this firm were char
tered accountants or not He did
! know that negotiations for tho work
were made by Joshua Mendenhaii. an
! expert accountant. whom he believes
now to be member OF the firm. lie
IL absolutely sure that Mr.. Mendcn-
hall is an American. and his home in
New England.
From another source il was learned
that Warwick. Mitchell d Co. are
chartered accountants and that they
have offices In London.
1t liz not alleged tina, the members
Of this firm or their employees would
take advantage OF their ability TO
reveal American naval secrets to II
| foreign government, but that If they
SO desired the secrets are within their
grasp.
Not Confidential Employees.
Ill does not seem possible that
foreign accountants have been en-
ployed in any confidential or other
capacity in tho navy department,
said Senator Newlands to-day. "Ir
the allegations made 10y the certified
accountants are true. an investign-
ton should be- made by congress ana
the practice stopped
THE statement that English ac~
countants are busy on the coast sys-
y
department Is a great surprise" de-
clared Representative NeedhaIn. of
the Ways and Means Committee. IF
X is true we might Just Well well
come Japanese or accountants OF any
other nationality into examining our
naval accounts Immediate action
| should be taken by Congress or by
| executive authority.
Secretary Meyer said: I'VE couldn't
get trial balances. There hadn't been
an account OF stock in twenty five
| years. Seven store accounts were
! kept instead of one. Through Joshua
| Mendenhan of Marvick Mitchell ~
| Co, We have consolidated all stores
| into one account. abolished tho naval
! supply fund Of 100000 and returned
/ it's value into the United States
! Treasury.
Increase Efficiency.
! I'VE can furnish trial balances
| quarterly and supply to heads OF
/ bureaus monthly. accurate and exac.
informa ton AZ to the uuexpendeo
] balances of the appropriation. All
| Of which has tended 10 increase eff
fciency.
! II do not believe that the account
/ ants employed by the navy depart
ment would have means of obtaining
/ secret information that would be Of
| any advantage to IL foreign power.
! Joshua Mcndenhall Is an American
i did not know that such an organ
| izatiou as chartered accountants or
4 certified accountants existed. MY re-
collection is that Marviek. Mitchell e.
/ Co. had been employed by the Senate
| Committee on Postoffices. The se-
/ lection was rot a premeditated ono
beyond that they had done saiiafac-
| tory government work.