Arizona republican., 1921-02-13
BAKER DECLARES
WARDEP Mt
SECRET ARCHIVES
.CANNOT BE USED
f OR BLACKMA|L :
Representative Flood Re-
ports War Department De-
MED Inspection After
Learning Request Motive

WASHINGTON, Feb. pa resolu-
ton which is expected to shift the
congressional investigation of the.con
duct of the war into a new field was
introduced today by Representative
Flood, Democrat, Virginia, member of
the general investigating body.
The resolution called on Secretary
Baker for all facts connected with the
application of J. NJ. Hill and c. c.
Lindsey for permission to inspect the
secret archives of the war department
and the refusal of the department to
grant such permission"
The two were employed by an In
vestigator who was employed bT tbs
Johnson subcommittee and not direct
ly by the committee, the chairman ex-
planned. "A voucher of 81, 400 for their
work, or part of it, made out in the
name of their employer, is held by
Chairman Ireland of the house com
mittee on accounts and has not been
paid.
Their names were brought before the
general investigating committee last
June, Mr.. Flood said in denying
charges then by Republican members
that the war departments attitude Nas
unfavorable to the investigation, de-
clared the only refusal was in the case
of Hill and Lindsey, who were seeking
certain secret records containing the
settlement of contracts. This action,
he charged, was taken after the de-
partment authorities had found that
their real purpose was to obtain money
from a newspaper for information sup
posed to be on file among government
records "in, the event they were un-
able to obtain a large sum through
blackmai1."
Chairman Ireland in the house this
week criticised the expenditure of large
sums by investigating committees, de-
claring he had seen no real applica
ton of concrete results from the war
investigations and that his committee
undoubtedly would have disapproyed
many of the contracts had it known
about it. 1t was indicated tonight that
another resolution bearing on the case
would be introduced Monday.
In his statement TO the committee.
| which he made public today, Mr.. Flood
said Hill and Lindsey went to tho Wa;
department with letter from Samuel
cate general of the army counsel fer
the Johnson sub committee.
4 Mr.. Floyds statement to the Gra-
/ ham committee last June said:
! THE sub committee has assumed to
investigate the conduct of the war, and
such testimony as il has taken with
respect to expenditures is only Incl
dental to this main purpose. The gen
! tlemen who constitute the majority OF
this subcommittee charge that the war
departments attitude was unfavorabls
to the investigation and that certain
/ fiscal records were not available. There
| is nothing in the conduct of the war
department to justify this charge and
the statement that the records are not
available is wholly without foundation
/ and fact.
'The only instance in which the war
department declined TO honor investi-
cations was that of Mr.. Hill and a
Mr.. Lindsey. who went to theswar de-
partment with a letter from General s.
t. Ansell, the $4,000 attorney, request
] ing that these gentlemen be given &C.
cess to certain secret records contain
ing the settlement of certain contracts.
4 "Upon investigation. the war author
tiles found the real purpose of Mr.. Hill
and Mrs. Lindsey was to obtain money
from newspaper for this information
in the event they were unable to oo-
tain large sum through blackmaif
The proper authorities in the war .lc-
partment very properly refused To
honor General Anselrs request, and the
secretary of war wrote a letter to the
chairman OF the select committee. in
which he set forth reasons for sucn
refusal Mr. Graham, the chairman
} naturally agreed with the secretary OF
wars presentation of the matter and
his refusal"