Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-04-12
SM0OT CHARGES
FRAUD To CREE[;.
BULLETIN SALE
Probe Report Alleges
Secret Connivance" in
Deal With Babson.
Inquiry Into Government
Printing Nips Propa-
ganda, Is Claim.

Washington, April 11.-tBy The As
sociated ress).-Legal proceedings by
| the government against George Creel,
former chairman of - committee ON
public information; Rogers w. Babson,
OF Wellesley Hills. Mass. and others
concerned in the transfer of the COM
mittee's mi war publication. the Official
Bulletin. to Babson. are recommended in
q report made public by Senator Smoot,
Republican. Utah, chairman. and Repre-
sentative kiess. Republican, Pennsyl-
vania. vice chairman of the joint con-
gressional printing committee. The re-
port charges that Babson obtained the
Bulletin in March, 1919 by secret con-
nivance," with Creel, and others with
out the government receiving cent in
compensation" and urges that suit be
for the government.
lications, including army and navy and
other war service journals. are charged
IN the report. Many of these publica
tions, it says. were used for propaganda
favorable to the League Of Nations, the
liquor interests and officers in charge.
Advertisements. the report asserted. in
cluded get rich quick oil speculations,
and political propaganda improper in
government publications.
Charge Abuse Of Funds.
Another alleged abuse of government
funds charged by the report was print
ing of 3O,144,362 speeches Of federal
officials at an expense of $442. .79S to the
government. Paper consumed totaled
1,451 600 pounds.
The report says the committee under
its power to supervise government
printing Investigated 266 journals,
magazines and periodicals and discont-
nuedt Ill at a saving Of $1,000 an
nually. Eight army and navy news
papers and magazines were suppressed
at saving of $4OO, 900.
This has been DONE" the report
states. without single protest from
any man in the ranks. chiefly in whose
interests it has been urged the publica-
tions were printed. The objection to
discontinuing came entirely from hign
ranking officers"
Many of the war service publications.
the report declared, "were established
largely for the f-glorification Of
certain interests and to provide comfort
able and safe places for large number |
of men who found such occupation moro |
congenial than active service in the front |
line trenches"
Nipped Propaganda. Claim.
The law giving the printing commit
tee control over government publica-
tons. the report declares. "nipped in the
bud the greatest propaganda scheme the
has ever escaped
There is no Doubt the report says.
chat certain clique both in and out
Of the army and navy had their pre-
parations well advanced to cover the
with an all enmeshing chain OF
and magazines for the pur-
pose of spreading and fastening their
military and international doctrine upon
the United States.
Another extravagant publication issued
BY the Creel committee" the report said.
was the so-called National School Serv-
cc," which was distributed to teachers.
Its underlying purposes the report
declares, seem 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
Clear to Coblenz. h
The government publications. were
used extensively by propagandists. the
report charges. declaring articles favor
ing the League of Nations appeared In
many with no articles In opposition. I
'sThis propaganda extended as far a.
he Amaroc Nevis. printed at Coblenz,
Germany" the report adds.
Even the wet propagandsts, the re-
BORT continues, got good start in army I
publications.. Articles and editorials boost
ng the liquor interests appeared before
he committee suggested that further dis /
,ussion of the subject was not essential
% army vocational training or opera i
ion of army hospitals, J