The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-22
BOY SCOUTS 0. K.
Department of Justice Returns
Letter to GIuck.
Says Accuser of Boy Scouts
Has No Foundation.
ATTORNEY GENERAL IS RILED
Has Highest Opinion of the
Boys Leadership.
Accusations Made Because of a
Lawsuit.
ATTORNEY GENERAL IS RILED

Washington. April 22.-The depart
ment of justice has effectually
squelched the effort recently made by
John D. Gluck of New York to dis
credit the Boy Scouts of America and
certain of its officials
On March rs, Chuck mailed to the
department of justice papers which he
described as a complaint against Colin
NJ Livingstone, president OF the ma
tional council. and James f. West,
chief scout executive of the Boy
Scouts of America. At the same time
he gave to newspapers an erroneous
statement to the effect that these pa
pers contained twenty charges"
against the officials. whereas there
were no charges of any wrongdoing in
them.
A Personal Antagonism.
Attorney General Gregory in a letter
made public today brands Gluck's ac-
ton as an attempt to use the depart
ment of justice to further his personal
antagonism against the Boy Scouts of
America and the officers of that or
ganiZation. The attorney general. in
letter to Judge Charles f. Hughes.
whose firm represents the Boy Scouts
of America, said:
I'm view of the publicity given to
the matter. have concluded to return
the papers to Mr.. Gluck and in so do
ing have written in a way that indi-
Gates my views respecting his con-
duct"
The attorney general enclosed
copy of the latter, dated April IS,
which he sent to Gluck. advising
Judge Hughes. you are authorized to
fit"
Attorney General Not Pleased.
In the letter to Gluck. the attorney
general recited the action taken by
Gluck in sending the papers to the de-
partment of justice. stating:
1T is evident that there was a plan
to injure the Boy Scouts of America
and to use the department as a vehi-
Gle to accomplish this end.
ANY person can mail a complaint
to the department of justice. no mat
ter how irrelevant its subject matter
may be If an examination of this
shows that no action by the depart
ment would be justified. the ordinary
course is to retain it in the file room.
7 see that this procedure may be used
as a means to injure innocent persons.
I return herewith to You your COM
plant and petition with the distinct
sta tement that it contains no allega-
ton. much less proof of any wrong
doing on the part of the officials of
the Boy Scouts of America and it
should never have been submitted to
the department of Justice
To Right an Injustice.
In a letter making these documents
public Judge Hughes firm states:
''Our associat tons with Mr.. West
and Mr. Livingstone and the other
national officers of the Boy Scouts of
America have given us SO high an
opinion of their leadership and of the
work the organiZat ton is actually ac
comprising in these times of war. that
we are greatly interested in seeing that
the injustice perpetrated is righted.
Ii is not only unfortunate but unpa-
j.. triotic for the little group of promo OF
ers of which Gluck is a leader 10 thus
prey on the boy scouts
The Boy Scouts of America officials
explain that Gluck's action is a part
of campaign being conducted by him
because of a suit they have brought
against the ''so-called United States
boy scout. of which Chuck is a COM
missioner. to stop it from collecting
money under false pretense by preying
on the good name of the original Boy
Scout orga MIA ton"