Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-06-19
Business Men and Attorneys
in Several Large Cities, Also
Secretaries to Congressman
implicated,
ARMY OFFICER PLACED
UNDER ARREST IN N. Y.
| etterS and kilograms Which
Pour in From Manufacturers
Show That Scheme to Steal
Was Widespread,
rsv sosmno JOURNAL SPECIAL ls.sso ~,s.l

Washington. June 18,-The shadow
of completely in the extensive
scheme by which commission agents
made millions out of government war
orders by acting as middle men in OBJ
tanning contracts for manufacturers
today extended to scores of, business
men and attorneys in Washington,
New York, Boston and other cities,
and even to a few secretaries of mem
bers of congress.
These men, mauy OF whom were
amateurs in the game of soliciting
war contracts, promised to use their
influence with government officials,
army officers or members of congress
to assure the awarding of contracts to
special concerns, and in turn to re-
ceive compensation if the contracts
were landed.
A large proportion Of these cities
disclosed by correspondence and
other documents seized in the simui'
taenous raids yesterday on offices of
several hundred manufacturing plants
and forwarded today to the depart
ment of justice, were not prompted py
sinister motives officials believe, ana
prosecutions will not follow Many
carefully planned plots to squeeze mil
lions from contractors, who in turn
were 10 add the contingent fees to
/ prices which the government was re-
quired to pay.
One Arrest Yesterday
Reuorts of only one al res.--an un-
named army officer in New York
reached here today but officials
would not discuss this case. They IN
timated that other arrests may be
made soon in connection with the
| charges on which four men are no"
under indictment here-consplracy to
violate federal laws forbidding the
sub-letting of contracts and payment
of contingent fees
| Attorney General Gregory took th'
latest information on the raids u
the cabinet meeting.
Analyzing reports of yesterday
raids proved a task which Will TAX
more than a week, particularly siiic'
some of the evidence was gathere'
as far west as San Francisco M
names of either manufacturing con
Germs or suspected commission agehu
we're given out, although 1t wa
learned that the identity of the falu
ed firms leaked out in many locdli
ties. - a.,
| one of the principal arms OF TN
inquiry now is directed to learhlni
whether any army or navy olllcer'
were subject to sinister influence %
the agents. If it is found any ON
GERS we're implicated directly the!
will be speedily tried by court lliai
Itial, Secretaries Baker ana DAMIEN
said today after the cabinet meetihs
So far as is known now, the relcr
ence of contract agents was not u
ANY high army or navy offlccr'
Baruch Promises His Aid'
BARNARD Baruch, chairman OF TN
war industries board, promised nj
Icooperation today in fcrreting out an
cases of fraud or improper conduc
Inv any officials in his department. D
arranging contracts between the wa
and navy departments and producers
Letters and kilograms poured lnt'
the department of justice from man
Iufacturers who had been soilclted D.
commission agents. Some manulac
Iturers gave valuable information
while virtually all commended I'M
work of the depaI tment, SAYING the'
had been annexed by the solicitation
of the commission agents