Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-06-15
WAR PROF|TEERS
FACE NEW PROBE
BY GOVERNMENT.
Attorncy-General Daug herty
Announces Plan for Sweep
ing Investigations.
DECLARES TALK OF GRAFT
MAKES ACTION NECESSARY
Enormous Profits Gained by
Graft and Trickery Must
Be Disgorged.
bN John Gicissnor.

United News star Correspondent.
wAsiIl>pN. June i,-con,rac.
tors who preycd ON the goycrnrn.n,
~ Wartime. aud gathered cx,or,ion-
a,o Profits are to be forced ,o dis
gorge
Also. criminal statute. viii he in
r".cd against them.
Ait"rncy-Gcncrai Dauch.r;y made
tins hnown today following a cusi
net meeting at which the suhjoc, was
discussed Tho undertaking. II can
"a" stated. has tho fun Endorsement, rf
Preside Harding and his advisors
aud is tho result of study which
tas h""n proceeding quietly almost
ever since TIA" nov administration as
srnn-d power
The invcstiga;ion of war contract.
WIN particular r"tcronc. to those
against which accusations hnv. been
made. VII bc Carried out by a sn..
"a! division of the Department Of
Justice. which Dauuh.rt is now or
"aniHinE. Tho best legal talcn, OH
ta'nablc viii b" employed in this di
vision. Daugh"rty said. and an Of
fort VIII be mad" 10 get a, the roo,
OF charges of graft and crookcdness
which hav" been made continually i'm
Congress and elsewhere almos. from
the date OF Americas entry into Tn.
war.
Tho public. In DauEhorty's view.
is entitled To know to just what cx.
tent the government Was mad. III.
victim OF proitccrs. and to just'yh,,
extent trickc-y prevailed lie holds
also that business is entitled to have
removed the stigma which has at
Ia ched 10 II as result ot the charges.
through 4 separation Of the guilty
from those who honestly supported
the war
Daughcrty emphasized that tho de-
nartment did not intend to mucl !
rake or indulge in sensationaiism or
persecution
have no doubt that III. great
ma 'or'tN Of the men who did busi-
ness with the Eovernmen, did IL on
"n abbsoluiciy fair basis" n. s,id
rms Is department. OF justice. and
"c intend TO see that no reflections
are cast on honest men. our NTH.
'udc VIII be like that OF Judge.
But at the same time there has
bccn so much talk Of graft that the
administration has had to take cog
hlzance OF it. The public is entitled
I" know just what is back Of these
charges. When the department, is
through, eNpec; 10 he able To mn ke
run report II is big job. but in
IN" end think we will get at the
bottom of things
We Will be AS glad to say to a
man go free as you're guilty and
must suffer the fun penalties OF the
law"
DauGherty declared that "uncon
scionabi" profits. obtained by schemes
and trickcry. are not to he upheld
by. the government"
During tn. war everyone was sun
pos"d 10 he patriotic md carry "a par,
OF the burden" he said "pishoncst
practices in time like that can
never bc justified
Where il is believed law violations
are discovered. diStric, attorneys will
prosecute. DauEh"rty explained. They
VIII have the assistance Of men from
thc special Investigating division in
Washington where this is deemed
necessary. Settlements with the gov
eminent will be dcma ndcd where ir-
rcEGlariticS are discovered and proved
criminal statutes viii likewise he en-
p!oyrd if there is Justification.