Evening star., 1919-03-20
INVESTIGATION OF
WARR|SK WELCOME
Assistant Secretary Shouse
Speaks of Improvement
and Denies Charges.
LETTER MAKES CHARGES

Will welcome an investigation Dy Con-
gress of the bureau if Congress sees
fit to order it. During the last session
of Congress a resolution was intro
duced in the House providing for an
investigation, but the committee on
rules decided, after hearing the new
director. Col. Henry D. Lindsey. that
it would not proceed with the inves-
tigation, but would give an opportu-
nifty for the new administration to
take hold and improve the business of
the bureau.
No one urges that mistakes were
not made, and that there was inef-
ficiency early in the life of the bu-
reau. Assistant Secretary Shouse of
the Treasury Department. under
whom the bureau Is operating. said
today. however, that marked i'm
provement had been made.
Work Piled Up.
The very fact that the bureau was
created some six months after the
United States had entered the war,
and was retroactive in operation,
made it certain that a vast amount
Of work would be piled up at the
very start. The dificulty Of obtain
ing quarters ana adequate clerical
assistance, he said. had been very
great.
1t is expected also that legislation
will be proposed to consolidate the
bureau of war risk insurance with the
pension bureau, placing the commits
sioner in charge. Several bills to that
effect were presented in the last Con-
Whether anything will be done with
such q proposal at the next session
Is a matter of conjecture.
Discussing letter addressed to
Secretary Glass by Thomas r, DaW-
ley, jr., former employe Of the bu-
which he charged gross inefhciency
and extravaganza In the operation Of
the bureau of war risk Insurance., Mr..
Shouse said today that he himself had
given Mr.. Dawley full hearing, as had
the director Of the bureau.
Had Investigated.
II tried to pin Mr.. Dawiey down to
specific charges OF cases where allot-
ments 70 'soliierS dependents had, been
wrongly issued or wrongly held up, -
said Mr.. Shouse. HE mentioned two
only. and both OF these cases had in
sestigatsd. The result Of the fnvestiga-
ton sustained the action Of the bureau
Mr.. Shouse said that Mr.. Davisy was
1et out Of the service because he was not
competent to Nh the position which he
held. - ;,
In his letter to Secretary Glass Mr..
Dawleys who 10 an examiner Of claims
in the compensation section. said. in
part:
During nay; short tenure OF once
in the section referred to. never have
i seen such q display Of executive In
capacity. either at home Or abroad,
in a business and professional ca
reer extending over periods OF many
years. The only check upon en-
timekeeper or watchman stationed az
the entrance to the building to pre-
vent any one leaving without & pass
during office hours. Otherwise ex-
aminefs. stenogrlphere. messengers,
went about the building holding con-
yersatioss whenever and wherever
they pleased.
''Stenosraphers employed at reia-
lively high salaries, In some in
stances mere school girls ana boys,
IN other Instances matured women,
assigned to take dictation from me,
III some Iubt8uCcS were unable TO
read their own -stenographic notes,
and some did not understand the
rudiments Of punctuation.
Chiefs Orders Dizregarded.
"orders issued BY the chief OF the
division weRs needed with about as
much attention as your own ruling
Of December ~ regarding the mean
ing Of dependency in the war in
surance act. and that was not at all.
There was NO supervision Of either
the examiners or the stenographers
and my various complaints because
Of the ineficiency Of the service
which was obliged to depend upon
went unheeded.
"At the suggestion OF Represents
tive Campbell Of Kansas attempted
to bring these matters to the atten-
ton Of the director Of the bureau, Col
Henry ID. Lindsley, whereupon, two
days lister. was notified that my
services had been discontinued. to
take effect At the close of business on
February zS, 1918. l was given no
hearing in the matter. no chance to
defend myself against any charges
which may have been brought against
me-"