Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-04-13
MILLIONS LOST
BY COVE ERNMENT
ON ARMY CAMPS
It IS ALLEGED
Sixteen CantonmentS Cost
S78,531,521 More Than
Should Have Been the
Case, Is Committee Report
C0ST-PLUS SYSTEM IS
SEVERELY CRITICISED
Bitter Fight Expected Over
Proposal to Prosecute All
Who PrOfited From Al
legged Extravaganza.


Washington, April 12.-After re-
publican leaders had denounced
and democrats upheld the govern.
ment system of building army
camps during the war, the house
prepared today for a fight tomor-
row on two proposals TO deal with
persons alleged to have reaped
rich profits from alleged extrava-
gance and waste.
Along with the investigating
committees report attacking meth
DDS of construction, the republican
majority presented q resolution di-
recting that evidence obtained dur
ing the nine months investigations
be turned over to the attorney gem
eral with the request that he in
stitute criminal and civil proceed
ings.
The democrats countered with n
substitute resolution proposing
to instruct the committee to name
persons, firms and corporations
which should be investigated" be-
fore directing the attorney general
to proceed.
Debate Not Ended.
When the house quit tonight, de-
bate had not ended The principal
speeches were made by Represent
ative Doremus, democrat of Mich
igan, author of the minority state
ment and Representative McCul-
Tough, republican of Ohio, sign
ing the majority statement.
Representative Mccullough de-
Clared the crv I'VE Won the war"
had been made to cover many sins,
while Representative Doremus as
serted that 'if the supreme archi-
tect of the universe had built these
camps, the bleacher managers
would have found fault with the
job
To the republican claim that the
lost $7S,5S1.521 on six
teen national army cantonments
through waste and was entitled to
recover damages. the democratic
member said il his computation
was correct, he figured he had
squeezed SS5,000,000 water out Of
pretended, claims to recovery"
Mr.. Mccullough said it was not
within the province nor the duty
OF the committee to prosecute crime
or indict criminals.
THE report of the majority con-
tains facts and evidence he de-
clared, "and the record of the tes-
timony taken in connection with
the construction of Camp Sherman
at Chillicothe, o., and camp Grant
at Rockford, ILL.,, contains evidence
on which the department of justice
should Immediately predicate grand
jury investigations"
Didn't Attempt to Save Money.
No attempt was made to save
public money, he said, adding:
"You are paying, your children
and your chldren's children for
to comn will pay and
sto pay for the cost-plus
system. Let us hope that never
again will such a reprehensible sys-
tenn be put into operation"
Representative Doremus said
that the stress of war justified
peace time methods
Of construction" "Indeed," he de-
clared, eff Secretary Baker had at
tempted to build tho camps by the
system, he would have
been guilty of the grossest incom-
petence and merited removal from
office"
After nine months investigation,
with access to all records, he said
the majority of the committee was
unwilling to make specific recon-
or a specific allegation
Of fraud against any person, firm
or corporation"