The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-04
Crippled Veterans Get No
Aid From Publication,
U. 5. Charges.
BREWER GETS s55.645
Few of His Khaki Clad
Statesmen in Sideways Saw
Service, Is Charge.
PLEA MADE IN MAILS
Then Uncle Sam steps In and
Looks Up History Of Dill
gent Collector.
BREWER GETS S55.645
PLEA MADE IN MAILS

William 5. Brewer director OF an
organization 10 which he has given
the name OF the >Ex- Service Mems Co
operative League and publisher of
magazine which he calls The A. t. +.
or Fan in France. was indicted yester-
day by Federal Grand Jury ON
charge of using the mails 70 defraud
For the last several months statesmen
dressed i'm uniform closely resem-
bling that of the United States Army
have been selling Brewers magazine
in subway trains and on the streets.
The indictment against Brewer charges
that few of his statesmen ever saw
army service, and that no soldier ever
benefited to the extent of penny
from the sale of the magazine.
The Indictment after setting forth that
the x-Service Mems Cooperative League
is Brewers personally controlled or
ganization, alleges that me issued and
circulated through the mails pamphlets
and letters which made misrepresenta-
lions and brought him in money. These
letters and pamphlets solicited contribu-
tons for the benefit OF i'll and crippled
soldiers and sailors The Indictment
charges that Brewer kept all the money
himself except what he paid in commits
sions to the imitation soldiers he en-
ployed as solicitors and statesmen.
There are six counts in the indlct-
ment, and should a conviction follow
Brewer could be sentenced to five years
Imprisonment on each count, or to a
maximum term OF thirty years. The FIRST
count recites the manner in which his
magazine was sold and circulated. Each
OF the Ave other counts charges that
Brewer used the mails to misrepresent to
some well known men the facts about
his magazine and the purposes for which
contributions to the Ex-Service Mems
Coopeiativ League were to be used
Prominent Mems Names Used.
The letters sent out from Brewers Of
flee We're so worded as to elicit favorable
replies which II is charged were re-
printed in fac smile and supplied to-
agents selling the magazine as creden-
tiais. Among the prominent men to
whom letters were sent were President
Wilson, Secretary Of War Baker. Gov
Coolidge Of Massachusetts and Arthur
Moods formerly Police Commissioner.
Brewer. according to Maxwell S. Mat
tuck. Assistant United States Attorney.
has within the months he has been cir
culating his publication deposited $685.
645 IN Broadway bank in the name OF
a young woman employed In his offices
as a bookkeeper. The former soldiers
and imitation soldiers who used to peddle
his magazine sold copies for % cents
apiece. OF every quarter Brewer got 10
cents and the seller Is cents. His agents
also used to solicit funds in banks and
offices in the financial district.
Among the firms and institutions
which contributed more than $2J to his
agents were the Mechanics and Metals
National Bank. Speyer & Co. the United
states Guaranty and Trust Company
the Philippines National Bank. George
r. Read & Co.. Coggeshall < Hicks and
Moore. Leonard & Lynch.
In Brewers ma gazlne the objects OF
the Ex-Service Mems Cooperative League
are described follows:
objects of Lengue Outlined.
."Founded In memory OF the heroic sac
rifice and to perpetuate the high ideals
of the fallen as set forth by Private
Cedric c. Brewer gSilled I'm action in
his-bool. the Destiny OF Nations
ITO protect and promote the interests
'of .ex-service men and to arrange with
. public spirited professional men to take
into account the losses suffered by
these men in the service OF their country
and to accord them special concessions
The purpose is TO aid ex-service men In
Ieestablishing themselves and to COM
pensate for their sacrifice in small
measure and facilitate the recovery OF
what they lost"
AS collector In many causes Brewer
has been notable for his industry and
optimism for many years. In 1893 when
DIR. Adolph Lorenz the famous Viennese
surgeon. visited this country. Brewer.
without consulting him. started collect
ing funds for the "Lorenz Orthopedic
Hospital" an institution for which no
corner stone ever was laid. IN 1910 he
collected funds for sufferers by the
flood In Paris. and the year after
passed the hat for the open Door Home
for the Aged. an Institution which
needed no door since II never had walls.
Thereafter he founded the Union AS
ISOLATED Press. press agents scheme
which was supposed TO serve 400 news
papers with facts about the National
Consumers Home Industry League. an
other conception OF Brewers. The league
was represented as an organization
CBrewer was the whole org1nization)
which was 20 take the tariff out Of
politics Narious manufactur con
tributed 20 IT in the belief that the
tariff was TO be- taken or every product
IN America except the product they pro-
duced themselves.