Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-04-12
Printing Committee Renders
a Report Alleging Gross
Waste of Government
Funds During the War.
ROGER w. BABSON IS
DRAGGED INTO CASE
Federal Publications Used
to Boost Nations League,
Liquor Interests and Fake
Oil Propositions,

Washington, April " fbv .he AS
eoCiated Press. LEGAL proceed
ings by the government against
George Creel, former chairman of
the committee on public informa-
zion; Roger w. BabsoN of Welles-
ley Hills. Mass and Others CON
Ce"ned in the transfer of the COM
mittees war publication, the Of
uclal bulletin. to Babson, a,e rec
ommended in a report made public
today by senator Smoot, repuhll-
can. chairman, and Representative
kicss. republican, vice chairman.
of the toint congressional printing
committee.
The report charges that Babson
obtained rhe bulletin" in March
1919, by, secret connivanCe' wi h
Creel and others without the gov
ernment receiving a cent in COM
pensation."
Many Abuses Cssarged.
Numerous abuses in government
publications, including army a d
navy and other war service jour
rols, are charged in the report.
Many of these publications., it says,
were used for propaganda faVora-
BILE to the league of nations, the
liuuor Interests and officers in
charge. Advertisements, the report
asserts, included get rich" Oil
specuations and political prop
aEanda Improper in government
publications.
Another alleged abuse of govern
ment funds charged bv the report
was printing of 30,144,362 speeches
Of federal officials at an expense Of
$442, 1884, 600 TO the government.
Paper consumed totalled 1,451,000
pounds.
The report says the committee
under its power to supervise gov
ernment printing investigated 266
journals. magazines and periodicals
and discontinued III at say
of $1,200,000 annually Eight
army and navv newspapers and
magazines. were suppressed at
saving of 100000.
Done without Protest.
This has been done" the report
states without Il single protest
from any man in the ranks. chiefly
in whose interests 1t has been urged
the publications were printed. The
objection to discontinuing came en-,
tirelV from high ranking officers.
MANY of the war service publl-
cations. the report declared were
established largely for the self
glOrification of certain interests
and to provide comfortable and
safe places for a large number of
men who found such occupation
more Congenial than active service
in the front line trenches.
The law giving the printing COM
mittee control over government
publications, the report declares.
'nipped in the bud the greatest
propaganda scheme the country
has ever escaped,
There is no doubt, the report
SAYS. that a certain clique both In
aud nf tho and naNN hAd
their preparations well advanced
to cover the country with an all
enmeshing chain of newspapers
and magazines for the purpose OF
spreading and fastening their mil
itarv and International doctrine
upon the United states"
Propaganda Among Teachers.
another eXtravagant publica-
tion issued by the. ,Creel commit
tee" the report said. was the So
called national school service
which was distributed TO teachers.
Its underlying purposes. the report
declares. seems to have been to
convert teachers to the idea of the
league of nations and to urge them
to teach that doctrine to their
school children" ,,,,
The government publications
were used extensively, by propa-
gandists, the report charges. de
clarIng articles favoring the league
OF nations appeared in many with
no articles in opposition.
This propaganda extended az
far as the Amaroco News. printed
at Coblenz GERMANY the report
adds. ,,,
the report continues. got good
start in army publications. Aru-
cles and editorials boosting the
liquor interests appeared before
the committee suggested that fur-
ther discussion of the subject was
not essential to army vocational
training or operation of armv nos
DitalS"