The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-02-08

Of WASTE
ALLEGED
Department of Justice Agents
Conduct Minute Investigation
Since Sept. '10
By FRANK A. srETsow
Il. N S. star Correspondent,
(Coor~g-.1-. 49,

'S0pSfisht' 1919, By I. ~. s.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8.-Tbar
the department of justice agents
have been investigating charges of
graft, waste and extravaganza run
ming into millions of dollars-some
reports says as high as $s,O0o.o 600
IN the construction of the govern
ment nitrates plant at Mussel
Shoals, Ala, was revealed here TO-
day.
The investigation has been in
progress since Sept. 18, last year.
but officials of the department to-
day declared whether the result Of
their long and exhaustive INQUIRY
would result in criminal charges
being brought against those in
volved.
10 FIX RESPONSIBILITY.
0peciaI agents Of the department. fr-
[esl4sators for the military inteilise,c.
department. and local federal oficial.
oeen delving into the figures ana
IN acts with the greatest OF care and
s'laenoe Is believed 70 have been OBJ
tanned that will FIX at least part ~ -
responsibility for the a1legsd So,
iarities in the construction Of the -
war time plant
These facts are knerrn:
] The spurou-faffo-, -
Vas s35 100000
2 The cost to date has exceeded
ADMIT ExTRAvAGAUcE
War department officials. who haze
had the work in charge. freely adr,,f+
mere was waste and extravagan srd
that there were dndoubtedlv rsnv
cases OF what they term petty zraf,
IIFlng the construction o. the pyo4ec.
ihls condition Of affairs. they cont.nr
; 70 be expected in so big p-oisoe
working under rush orders TO meet :
DIG emergency. They say thev Do ror
believe however. that any crin1fns1,t,
involving large sums will be revealed
b. the probe although the sun, to,si
OF the petty cases may reach a consid
cradle sum.
Inc war departments own ir1esttg.
ions made by the military tn+elltrsroe
department before the plant went irto
production in November. showed man,
cases of payroll adding larceny os r,s
eTlal and other graft II is said. bp-
there has been no Indication that ther.
vas any large scale conspiracy to de-
fraud the government
VI hen Il was decided 10 build tla
plant in order TO make the T. $ irde-
pendent for its nitrate supply" explai,
cd a high official today "our wartime
requirement OF nitrate was 15o 900 tons
Per year our onlE source Of suppl
aS from chile and there vas grave
danger OF this failing because oe 7ael-
or tonnage-Te We're then entering upon
oar program Of sending men oyerseas
Germany was independent because ot
her ability TO get nitrate from the 49,
We determined 10 obtain our supul,
from the same source and the Droiect
at Mussel Shoals was started. Con
struction Of tho plant proper was start
ed in Oct 1917. and production was
reached in Nov 1915 which clearly de-
ternined our ability TO produce fron.
this plant alone 10000 tons 8 wear Of
ammunition nitrate which IS used fo-
filing shells
We think it IS great record. and +
there was waste. extravaganza or even
petty graft in connection with tie nj
ing Of this big order they were insep-
arabic from the urgency of tie occs
sion where speed and production. not
economy We're the objects in v.ew
The actual construction Of th- rlait
was by the Air Nigratcs Co RI New
York. a CORPORATION said IT, ha b>et
formed for the purpose. and controlled
by tao cHaniuid Co Owners Of the
patented process Of producing an
n1ontum nitrate by nAation methods
The work was under the direction II
the bureau Of ordnance Of the war DE-
partment until last July when secretars
Baker ordered that ali bureau eonstruc-
tion be placed under the supervision or
The construction division Of the quar-
terrra ster's department which has
evolved a system Of checks on eNpcndi-
lures that is declared by experts TO be
almost perfect and under which irres
Iarities are almost impossible.
T. is under lood that friction was
caused by the transfer, the constructing
company rescnting the change in the
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