New-York tribune., 1920-04-12
Creel Assailed
In Vast Waste
Of i. S. Funds
Congressional Report Asks
Legal Action to Reimburse
Government for Transfer
of The Official Bulletin
Ill Periodicals Stopped
Millions Squandered in
Publishing League Prop
aGanda and Spec c h Q s

sociated Prcss>.--Legal proceeding
by the government against Ceorgs
Creel. former chairman Of the Com.
mlttec on Public information; Roger
". Babson, OF Wellesley Hills. Mass
and others concerned in the transfer
Of the committees war publication
THE Official Bulletin." to Babson are
recommended in report made public
to-day by Senator Smoot. Republican
of Utah. chairman. and Representative
Kiess, Republican, vice-chairman of
the joint Congressional printing COM
mittce.
The report charges that Babson OBJ
tanned the Bulletin" In March, 1919,
by "secret connivance" with Creel and
others without the government re-
eceiving cent in compensation" and
urges that suit be brought to obtain
lust compensation" for the govern
ment.
Numerous abuses in government pub
lications, including army and navy
and other war service journals, are
charged in the rcpo>e. Many of these
publications, 1T says, were used for
propaganda favorable to the league Of
nations, the liquor interests and officers
in charge. Advertisements, the report
asserts. included "get rich quick" oil
speculations and political propaganda
improper in government publications.
Speeches Cost $442.7 .798
Another alleged abuse of government
funds charged by the report was print
ing of So,144,362 speeches of Federal
officials at an expense of $442,798 to
the government. Paper consumed to-
tailed 1,451,000 pounds. AS members
of Congress must pay for copies of
their speeches, the report says, the
gross abuse" resulting from the free
printing of other Federal officials
speeches should stop.
The report says the committee, under
its power to supervise government
printing, investigated 266 journals,
magazines and periodicals, and disconl
tinued III. at saving Of sl,2oo 900
annually. Eight army and navy news
papers and magazines were suppressed
at saving of 100000.
This has been done," the report
states, without single protest from
any man in the ranks, chiefly in whose
interests it had been urged the publi-
cations werc- printed. The objections
TO disseminating came entirely from
high ranking officers.
The committee has no desire what
ever to hamper or discourage the men
of the army or navy in publication of
their own magazines and news papers.
In fact, it heartily indorses and ap-
proves such expression of Americanism.
Government controlled, censored or
subsidized newspapers are utterly un-
American, and the committee earnestly
hopes this Prussian idea will find no
root or favor here."-
:. Many OF. the war service publications,
the report declares, "were established
a ho ~
tain interests and to provide comfort
able and safe places for a large num-
Der Of men who found such occupation
more concenal than active service in
the front-line trenches"
While conceding that many war pub
ilcatlons were necessary and helpful
during the war, the report sa S, other
craving for the limeligltt undoubtedly
were inspired by the bombastic activi-
ties of the Committee on Public In
formation. headed by that master pub
licist George Creel."
The law giving the Printing Commit
tee control over government publca-
tions, the report declares, "nipped in
the bud the greatest propaganda
scheme the country has ever ESCAPED. .,
There is no doubt" the report says,
that certain clique, both in and out
of the army and navy, had their prepa-
AotioHS We'll dUVduCcu 10 cover tQG
country with an all-enmeshing chain OF
newspapers and magazines for the pur-
pose of spreading and fastening their
military and internationalist doctrine
upon the United States"
Regarding the transfer of "The Off,
cla Bulletin" when it's publication by
the government ceased, t. 3abson, the
report charged that with the evident
assent. of Creel," and through Edward
;. Rochester, former editor under
Creel, Babson came into possession
Of the Bulletins name, good will,
prestige and value as a going con-
cern. staff and Office and even was per-
mitted to copy it's mailing lists and
subscription accounts without paying
the government one cent"
Babson and C. T. Clayton continued
on the Department of Labor pay roll,
the report adds, wAile devoting much
of their time to the Bulletin" and
Babson "took advantage of his posi-
tion" to give the Bulletin" an official
status.
Another extravagant publication is
sued by the Creel committee" the re-
port continues, "was the so-called
National School Service" which was
distributed free to teachers. Its un-
deriying purpose, the report declares,
seems to have been to convert teach
ers to the idea Of the League of Ma
tons and to urge them to teach that
doctrine to their school children"
Regarding the army and navy publ.
cations, the report says that the Camp
Merritt "Dispatch" and the MESS