New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-14
Inspectors Reveal Bribery
and Pro-German
Activity
Embassy Nearing
End of Inquiry
Rejected Weapons Accept
ed, Despite Protests,
Is Charge
[staH Corsspondeneel

. wholesale irregularities, gross inSoni-
petence and pro-German activities In
the production Of American made arms
and ammunition for the Russian army
are being made the subject OF thor
ough investigation by the Russian En-
bassy here.
Chief among the complaints emu
merated are the charges that rejected
arms have been accepted By higher
Russian officials, that conscientious in
spectors have been tempted with bribes.
hampered and discharged.
While inefficiency is believed By
Russian officials here to have been the
chief obstacle in the way Of speedy
delivery of arms, they admit, however.
that in some instances cupidity, and
even sympathy for the German cause,
were motives.
The investigation, still in progress.
extends to several plants. and al
ready has resulted in the uncere-
monious dismissal of more than
sixty Russian officials, both civilian and
military, and their speedy return 70
Petrograd. There, officials say, wher-
ever age will not prevent such action,
the dismissed men will be called upon
TO serve their country in conspicuous
positions on the firing line.
Features of the Charges
The outstanding features of the
charges under investigation are these:
That inspectors at the New Eng
land Westinghouse Company formed
an organization for the purpose Of
making public irregularities that
came under their observation there,
having failed to obtain a hearing
from their immediate superior Rus
sian representatives.
That these inspectors, failing TO
interest any Of the Russian commits
, sions in New York, TO whom they
assert they made repeated personal
appeals, finally went on strike to call
attention to the fact that rejected
materials were being accepted b.
Russian representatives.
That the strike was ultimately
broken by the dismissal Of many OF
their number-"the most conscien-
tious of our men," is the way they
refer TO the discharged men in an
affidavit made after the occurrence.
That pro-German agitators had
succeeded in influencing the rejec-
ton of large quantities OF bayonets
manufactured by Fsyette R. Plumb,
Inc, in st. Louis, although the arms
were acceptable as "of military
value"
That Germans and Austrisns en-.
ployed in certain factories as in
spectors argued that "it would be
blessing 10 Russia if the Germans
won, therefore get the Russians the
worst ammunition and let the Ger
mans win
s275,000,00 To Be Spent Here
The new Russian government has
been authorized 10 draw upon the
United States Treasury for S275,0o0, 900,
all of which will be spent here for war
supplies. OF this amount, S97 500 900 al
ready has been disbursed. The interest
of this government, according to State
Department officials, is not simply to
safeguard this loan. but to assure itself
as far as possible that the armies OF
Russia, an ally OF the United States,
, are supplied with 100 cents worth OF
gunpowder, shot and rifles for each
dollar spent.
Nobody connected with the General
Munitions Board or the State Depart
ment could be found to-day who was
willing to discuss the situation. Mem
bers of the Administration appear sat
isfied that the Russian officials should
handle the affair as they deem NJ. H.
was specifically denied az the Treas
ury Department, however. that there
was any truth in rumors that the Rus
sian funds being held, subject 70 or
ders of representatives of the Russian
government, had been withheld, or that
any obstacle had been placed in the
way Of the use Of these funds.
"We have heard nothing Of the Rus
sian munition situation here" said Os-
car T. Crosby, Assistant Secretary OF
the Treasury in charge OF fnancia! al
fairs. "0f course, II is possible that
the Russian government has delayed
payments TO American manufacturers
on account OF defective materials. |
have heard of nothing Of the sort, how
ever"
Ambassador to Issue Statement
. II is thought that the investigation,
!, which has been carried on IN conjunc-
ton with the United States govern
ment and still awaits facts soon TO be
forthcoming from Petrograd, will be