The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-12
A CASE OF WHITEwAsH.

vote of thanks to Fred Voiland for his
services. This morning Governor
Capper's Topeka Daily Capital, in
cowardIy and unjust attempt to mis-
lead the public concerning government
investigations. prints two column
story under the caption, "Voiland Is
Given a Clean Bill by Defense Coun-
Gil"
IT presents a. case of sordid camou-
flage.
The State journal was represented
at that meeting. Its representatives
heard the Voiland report; heard the
expression of thar ks.
It's editor is a member of the Kan
sas Council of Defense, who was pres
ent and took part in the proceedings,
and who voted to thank Voiland for
his free services in defense council
activities, was commended by Presi-
dent Waters before the council for his
report as chairman of the publicity
committee and for specific sugges-
tions he made.
But neither the State Journal rep
resentatives nor any member of the
council of defense heard one reference
to the charges that the government
has investigated Mr.. Voiland and MI
CAMPER for their methods of handling
certain mail that came into their pos
session. The State Journal has ac
credited to Mr.. Voiland credit for GER
tain work for the defense council
This work concerred the assembling
OF war activities information, reports
! concerning food hoarders. land slack
ers and similar information But the
State Journal has challenged Gov
ernor Capper and Mr.. Voiland to show
! their authority to handle disloyalty
| cases-which they deliberately took
| charge of. In fact Governor Capper,
| in public speeches, sought this infor-
nation without authority from the
| government. The State Journal is
, willing to prove that information thus
received and turned over to Voiland
! was in some instances held sixty-five
days before being presented to the dis
trict attorney.
! The vote of thanks to Mr.. Voiland
| for free services i'll defense council ac-
tivities was very just and warranted
| The council gave this expression of
ppreciation-nothing more, nothing
| less Neither Governor Capper nor
voiland mentioned the charges which
the State journal is fully able to con-
/ firm. The council heard none of
these matters. 1t heard only a report
which reviewed work properly IN the
provinces of the council
| The attempt of Governor Capper's
paper to capitalize the vote of thanks
for free services into a whitewash
from the State Journals charges
against Voiland and the governor, IS
a reflection on the patriotic organi-
zation. It is an equal reflection on the
| intelligence of Kansas people to as
sumo that the council of defense took
part in a case which the government
! is investigating-a case which many
! lawyers believe constitutes a viola
tion of section of the federal espion-
age act
Yet the self-administered whitewash
proves one thing. 1t proves the zeal
of Governor Capper and voiland to
Si0oL IAACAA oA4l III III litter
ference with the administration OF JUS
tice without consideration of methods
policies or even the use of the state
loyalty organization. The purpose OF
the Daily Capital story. as directed. is
absolutely false and misleading
In short, the governors paper has
undertaken the task of shouldering or
the council of defense a whitewasr
which cannot be administered by facts
or evidence. Thru distortion of vote
or thanks for free services Gov Cap
per's paper seeks to disprove at the
expense of the council charges which
he and Mr.. Voiland have not dared
to ask the government to release to tn.
press. They have used the council O.
defense for a pretended whitewasn O.
charges which the State Journal ha,
orrered to prove ir court of record
an offer which the governor and Mr.
Vo1land have not accepted
: Governor Capper and Mr.. Voilant
were doing certain things in connec
ton with solicitation that disloyalt,
letters be sent to them instead of t,
the United States district attorney
5 office where they should go, and re
: tanning and using these letters, AM
they were both investigated in perso,
by Mr.. Bagley from the district at
torney's office
These charges cannot be answere,
, as they have attempted to answe
them a week ago and this morninI
oy declaring the charges "unfnund
ed, ugly" ''venomous," "pro-Hul
attacks" ''scurrilous and unfounded.
: which are the exact words, as quoted
: used in the attempted replies.