The New York herald., 1921-05-12
DEATH IN SALMON
CANNED FOR ARMY
Firing Squad Deserved by
Packers, Says Report Sub
mitted TO Harding.
SUITS TO BE ENTERED
Malefactors Got BIG Con-
cessionS in Money When
Fish Were Returned.
WAR DEPARTMENT LAX
Of 39,232.032 Cans Examined
5,013,t20 Were Found to
Contain Spoiled Goods.
WAR DEPARTMENT LAX
Special Despatch 10 THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Mashington. ID. O.. MNy III.

Special Despatch 10 THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., My III. }
I In it's investigation OF graft charges
1 in connection with the purchase of
army supplies during the war and
the resale of surplus stock, the De-
partment of Justice is considering
/ legal steps TO recover from salmon
canning companies money received
through concessions obtained from the
War Department in the return of $S,-
490, ,1S0 worth of salmon, much of
which was found TO be rotten, and
also the institution of criminal pro-
ceedings against Gamers who packed
and sold or attempted to sell adulter-
ated salmon 10 the Government.
All evidence in these cages gathered
by the Graham committee in the last
Congress has been laid before President
Harding and Attorney General Daugh-
erty along with evidence bearing on the
so-called harness scandal and alleged
graft in connection with the construc-
ton of army camps and cantonments.
THE course or action on the part of
the purchase OF the 1918 pack of salmon
and the contract entered into with the
packers with reference to its return.
would indicate fraud on the part OF the
packers" reads the official committee
summary OF this evidence. "and pathetic
tenderness OH the part of officials OF the
War Department toward those who
sought to defraud.
1T is inexcusable even in time OF
war for the War Department to accept
canned salmon that IL eaten by our sol
diers probably would have resulted In
their death, especially In view of the
fact that the War Department had no
ticed that rotten fish were being packed.
The Gamers who packed it, knowing 1t
was intended to be eaten by our sol
diers. should have been brought before
firing squad that would have been
mild method of dealing with them
but the War Department, knowing the
fact. did not even ask that they be
prosecuted under the available criminal
laws"
Representative Graham (Ill), chair
man OF the committee, holds that even il
the War Department had no knowledge
Of any fraudulent or criminal acts on
4 the part Oh tnc pdCkers IL Is lnCOnceN-
able Mat when 1t was discovered that
Y 5.O13.l20 cans of 39.232.032 examined
I by the Bureau OF Chemistry contained
rotten fish, the War Department should
go 10 the packers ION bended knee" and
say you have given us rotten fish I;
won't you take It all back? III YOU
will we win sell 1t back TO you at
price that will enable you TO make
huge profit"
The War Departments excuse was
that the packers guaranty covered only
"spoils" and "swells" and not rotten
fish; that the time was fixed within
which these might be returned and that
IL some arrangement was not made be-
fore that time there was no redress from
the packers.
The concessions made by the War De-
partment to the packers were in part
the cost Of strapping the original cases.
the cost Of labor and material for re-
casing and freight both ways. Further
more, the Gamers were allowed six
months In which TO accept" the re-
turned goods no charge to be made for
interest and storage.
Rebates to the packers were more
than $500. 900, not counting the freight
already paid by the Government. the
handling OF the orders given by the
packers for shipments and the storage.