Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-17
Graft in War Contracts.

Recently. some manufacturers Tor ram
coats for the army, in New York CIty,
were arrested on charges Of defraudlng
the government by inferior work A
rIgid inspection OF their product had shown
that nj least half the coats furnished as
completed were grossly defective
This week some clothing men IN Phila-
depha holding contracts with the Federal
government Quartermastcr Corps were
indicted bv United States grand jury
on charges Of cmbczzling cotton cloth
belonging to the government Other
arrests are 10 follow
These instances, however, are eNccp-
tlonal. When it is considered that dur
lng the less than year and half since
or government entered upon the Great
War. ontracts for public work amounting
IN value to billions Of dollars have been
awarded, and lhat the instances OF fraud
or unjust imposition have been very few.
If will be admitted that the work Of supply
has been conducted with a degree OF
honesty. As well a. efficiency, that IS
amazing Very few army officers have
been charged with delinquency, while the
offences by civilians. 50 far rs they have
thus lar come to public knowledge. have
been small in number
The main conclusion 10 be drawn from
this situation is that honesty and efficiency
inspired by an undoubted feeling Of real
patriotism, have been conspicuous
throughout the enormous war work our
government is now engaged in Con
tractors. in the main, have been honest;
so have the agents of the government.
II is probable the greatest loss through
dishonesty Of any kind has been IN the
wav Of loafers and ''tlme-klllers IN
shpyards and other large manufacturing
nlants-those miserable specimens OF
humanity who have no interest IN the
war work. and whose chief concern Is 10
get through the workday with as little
physical exertion as p0sslble-and 10
draw full pay every week But the
agents OF justice are ou the track Of these
th!cvish loafcrs-ior they are as much
thieves, when they shirk their work for
which they are paid 10 do as those who
deliberately rob and stcal-and soon many
Of them wilISind themselves in positions
where they will be compelled TO either
work OF fight
Contrast this situation with that which
prevailed . score of years ago, during our
brief war with Spain Then contractors
were raycnous, and III one respect. not
content with receiving Il contract Tor beef
which. honestly performed would have
Welded generous profit they sought to
increase that profit by imposing upon the
government an article Of canned bcei
that smellcd to Heaven by reason Of its
rottenne.s, and helped 10 spread the
typhoid epidemic that was deliberately
invited by the ineifciency OF those in
charge of the War Department. who were
unable 10 handle the loyal armies that 50
quickly volunteered for service. and pro-
vide them with decent cncampments,
or 10 arrange for their effective Transports
ton to the seat Of war operations in Cuba.
The military history Of hat burlesque
war was a disgrace to the country and
startling exhibition Of ignorance and in
competency.
Even during the Revolutionary War
there was graft in contracts for army
supplies. The same condition prevailed
during the War of 1872, coupled with
miserable lncfIiciency Oh the part OF the
War Department while during our Civil
War thousands Of mon grew wealthy
through thievish gains from contracts
in the performance Of which graft and
trickery were the most conspicuous ele
ments
But not so during the thus far brief
period Of our government active partic-
ipation IN the Great War. Its expendi-
lures now run into the billions where they
did not reach the hundred-thousand
limit in the times Of the previous wars.
How the thievish contractors Of the past
would have revcIled in the opportunity
to make huge profits afforded by the
enormous war expenditures Of the present
day.
But different conditions prevail now
The government is watchful, as we'll as
lavish in its expenditures. Ii keeps an
eye on the performance Of contracts and
insists that they be carried out faithfully
without sighting and without graft il
is resolutely prosecuting the few whom
it detects in attempts at cheating or
robbery And in this work it is ably
assisted by large body Of truly patriotic
citizens, who are taking executive positions
in the public service at a merely nominal
salary, in order to meet the requirements
OF the law that prohibits the acceptance
by the government Of free service in