The Washington herald., 1919-02-20
nine OFFICERS
OF NAVY IN NET;
ONE CONVICTED
Lieut.. Davis, Medical Corps,
Sentenced to 8 Years
Imprisonment.
ENSIGN UNDER ARREST
Enlisted Men Also Involved
In Graft Scandal In
Third District.

A coterie of naval orbcers in The
Third Naval District viii be brought
up for trial on the charge OF conspi-
racy to defraud the government
Already at least nine oficers Of the
navy have been enmeshed in the
graft scandals which have shaken the
naval establishment from stem TO
stern.
Charges against these officers in
volve alleged bribery, enlistment ir-
regularities. and selling OF soft Jobs
and safety first" places 20 enlisted
men.
Secretary Of the Navy Daniels yes
terday laid bare information the de-
partment already has in its hands fol-
lowing an extensive investigation car
ried out by his orders as a result OF
facts brought out in the trial Of Lieut.
Benjamin Davis.
One Officer Sentenced.
Here is the list Of results as given
out by Mr.. Daniels:
Lieut.. Davis. Medical Corps. L :
N, has been convicted OF receiving
brides and sentenced to three years
Imprisonment.
Ensign Paul NJ. Beck is under ar
rest charged with receiving money
unlawfully. Beck is 8 resident OF
New York City. who was appointed
following the outbreak Of the war
a third officer is under arrest
charged with receiving $1,000 cor
ruptly. Tho name Of this officer
Is temporarily reserved at the re-
quest Of Mai. John q. Muir. Marine
Corps. the navy's special invcstiga-
tor in the graft charges.
chief Boatswain's Mstc Casey -
charged with receiving gifts"
Seven enlisted men have been tired
for receiving gifts but the record
Of their cases has not yet reached
Washington.
-Four or moro other officers hsya
been caught in the net and will
be brought 10 trial on similar
charges as soon as the Investigators
see hit to move.
Daniels Make, Statement.
Secretary Daniels made the follOw-
ing statement:
These cases grew out Of the traI
Of Lieut. BENJAMIN Davis. he was
tried. on the charge of hsN1ns re-
ceived $50 from one man and 400
from another. He was convicted on
those charges and ordered 10 be dis
missed When the record came here
for review. We refused 20 approve II
and sent II back to the trial board on
the ground that the sentence was In
adequate. Then the board took up
the case again and the sentence tt1ts
time was three years imprisonmelIl-
His counsel protested that the eVi-
dence was not sufficient, that some OF
it was hearsay and that there vas
new evidence he wished 10 submit.
"In the meantime. we had Davis
locked up. and ten other charges de-
velOped against him and are noS
pending
Found Others Involved.
This led TO the unfolding OF ms
other present and future cases. Judge
Advocate General Clark and Capt
Leonard. OF his Office. saw by reading
the testimony that there were other
men involved ana I saw that myself
When that became certain ] detcr-
mined upon a full investigation
I instructed Mai John G. Muir
retired. OF the Marine Corps. TO fol-
! low out every POSSIBLE trail He was
given by my orders. an possible as
( sistancc so that he had secret service
men. Bureau OF Intelligence mon and
others To work under him
7 gave him orders which secured
all the assistance he could possi5 bly,
use and full power 10 do almost any
thing
= do not know how many men via
I be involved in these proceedings.