New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-01
Crooks and Beats Abroad
Freely Helped to United
States Gold.
LITTLE CARE TAKEN
IN DISTRIBUTION
U. S. Fails to Recover Large Part
OF S2,750,000 Meant for
Distressed Citizens.
tYforn Tie Tribune Bursau.I

4
Washington. Oct. 31.-Crocks. dead
beats, those willing to borrow but too
proud TO pay back. and foreigners who
merely wished TO take trip TO Amer
lea at Americas expense. are listed by
| thousands in a statement given out by
the Treasury Department to-day. The
| list contains names Of some OF those 10
whom gold Was advanced by represent
| a,ives Of this government At the out
break Of the war so that they might
return home. but who have not paid up.
The list is an astonishing confes-
| sion Of the recklessness with which
hundreds of thousands of dollars were
passed out BY representatives OF this
| government. 4 large part OF the
money was advanced properly, ana
much Of this has been returned, but
the case with which any one walking
into the Offices where the money was
being dispensed could obtain liberal
advance on nothing but his bare word
caused the comment OF one official OF
the Treasury Department to-day that
"every crook in Europe got piece OF
this money
The only defence urged by the ad-
ministration for the responsible ON
c;als is that the time was one OF great
stress. ard naturally many mistakes
were made.
There would he hundreds of frantic
Americana in the Office in Paris SAID
ono Official, Enlightened to death ana
anxious to get home. Their paper
money was worthless, and their travel
lers' checks were made vslueless ny
the moratorium. The only money that
would buy food, clothing, lodging or
TRANSPORTATION vas gold. and OF TINS
thew had, naturally, very little. 30
mistakes we're made. and the CROOKS
and dead beats resped harvest.
Fuhd Reached s2,75o,ooo.
~onqreas appropriated at first $3.50.
200. and later s2.600,OO0. a total OF
81. 7b0 900. Il vas represented tna'
these Americans abroad in most m
stances had travellers cheeks ana
paper money, which would De "ottn
their face value later, but for whlch 10
hotelkeeper in Europe would give
crust OF bread at that time. ,,
Thoro seems TO have been little ef-
fort 10 get these persons to turn over
tbair travellers checks and paper
money in exchange for the gold. Critics
of the handling OF the fund point ouI
that al tAe American tourists ABROAD
and In fact. every one entitled TO au-
vances. according TO the understanding
Of Congress in appropriating the fund'
! would have enough money IN chechs
onG naper 10 have enabled them to re-
turn 10 merica had it not been for the
war II the governments officers hao
taLen these checks and paper money the
loss would have been negligible.
That the money should be properly
handled the government sent speelal
commission to Europe on the cruiser dn
Tennessee, which carried sl,ooo'oov VI
the gold. distributing II on some hlno
of a system which has ever since oeen
battling the Treasury Department COZ
lection experts. Apparently the onicers
worked on the Biblical injunction tha'
60 those who asked should De gwen.
Apparently, also, the amouh,s stSn
were determined largely Dy tne
amounts requested: thieagV "o"nn' 90
u,bo has not since been heard from; re
ce;ved only 50, for instance, while
nan Giving his name as l.. ,. de Besa
nnd his address as 620 West l3otn
Street New York. was given Sl,3fO; All
Efforts TO find Mr.. dc Bcss have peen
unsuccessful.
French and Germans Beneht'
I,ncle Sam was strictly neutral be
,ucen aiding the Teutons and the Al
lies in distributing this money frehch
reseryists who were IN Berlin OF eise
where in Germany a. the outpIe II
the war had no trouble IN gettlhg goIu
for transportation 10 America, ai'e.
which they promptly went TO Franc
and ioined their colors. on the o'uel
hand, Germans in Paris reversed w
route. and by crossing tne AtlahlIe
twice, the first time at tnis goNeIn
1t,s exnense. got back into the
E.therIand. Even Englishmen IN Ger
,,anv and France we're given trips
aoross the Atlantic out OF this gold
fund. h,arods
~ instances in which fake addresses
w.re given. there were some where thr
,en m obtaining the money made no bluff
u, oil Addresses were frankly given
a. Paris in several instances, IN per
lin in one or two and in London IN hsii
q dozen. One man merely stated that
he was Belgian and gave no address ~
whatever, vet his receipt Tor tne S@'o
be was advanced was grsveiy taken;
evidently with the idea that ne "ouid
repay the loan. slaod ,r
A climmer Of humor not shared py
the officials disbursing the gold was
nossessed by man who gave ms name
- rs 3ls Fdgecombe Avenue, which
Continued on pace 3, column