New Britain herald., 1916-09-14
GREAT HARM DONE DR. BAYLIS' NAME
Commission Finds Him Innocent
 of Fraud Accusations

New York, Sept. 14-In the judg- ment of Alton B. Parker and Theo- dore Roosevelt, based on an investi-
 gation by lawyers and expert account ants, "a great injury'' has been done to the Rev. Dr. Charles T. Baylis, who is under indictment for grand larceny in connection with his management of
 the affairs of the Allies Hospital Re- lief commission, of which he was di- rector-general. In a letter addressed to R. J. Caldwell president and Jules
 g. Bache and Oscar s. Straus, other mem bers of the commission Messrs Roosevelt and Parker. who are hon. crary vice presidents say;
 Nevertheless the fact that attacks upon him GOT. Baylis) have been given
 wide circulation through the press fol-
 lowed as they have been by an 1ndict-
 ment for larceny, leads us to the con-
 clusion that the usefulness or the
 commission has been seriously i'm
 paired and it should pass out of ex- istence Therefore we recommend:
 First, that the commission be at once dissolved; second, that the sev- eral members of the commission con- tribute the moneys necessary to pay the debts of the commissioner and to turn over to the Allies hospitals the moneys contributed in response to the letter of the commission dated July IA, 1916, promising that all moneys re- ceived in response to such letter tn hospital
 Deficit to Be Pro Rated.
 The commission owes $3,S95. It has in bank $4S1.39, which will not be applied to the debt. but will be sent to the hospitals. Messrs. Roosevelt, Parker, Caldwell and Bache have agreed to pay their share of the So,- S95, and the rest will be pro rated among the twenty-five other members if they are willing.
 In August in response to requests from Messrs. Roosevelt, Caldwell and others, Frederic R. Coudert selected Edward D. Bolton and Judge Parker selected c. Walter Randall to lnVesti- gate the affairs of the commission. An auditors report was obtained from Lovejoy, Mather & Hough, public &C., 
 Bolton and Randall say:
 "The accountants have found that Dr. Charles T. Baylis has properly accounted for every cent contributed to the work of the commission or re- ceived by it from any source. We agree that there has been noth- ing disclosed which casts any sus- picion or diScredit upon Dr. Baylis' application of the funds received"
 Bad Faith Is Not Shown.
 Reviewing assertions that pr. Baylis several persons as members of the the investigators say that ir. each case pr. Baylis seemed justi- fled in believing that he was doing right. The report concludes:
 ''The fact that literature appealing for funds was sent out advising sub scribers that You have assurance that every dollar of your donation will be used in meeting their Suffering fellow beings) crying needs, for the expenses of the commission are met from a fund maintained by the members and by special contributions, does not i'm press us with any bad faith on Dr. Rayls' part. He has advised us that he expenses of the commission were to be met through the entertainments | and benefits which the commission | was working on, and we are convinced 1 If his good faith in believing that it l would not be necessary to use any part l of the donation for operating ex- oenses.'