The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-31
END WRANGLE SCANDAL.
BRITISH |DEANET FALLS On.
.REPARAT IONS EX-OFF|C|ALS'
Benedict CroWeII. Former AS.
sistant Secretary of War,
anS Others Are In
Sc ted by Fed
eraI Jury

w OANs iJtNs OVs--tCAi-
edict Crowell, former assistant sec
rotary of war and six other wartime
officials of the War Department,
were charged today in an indictment
returned by special federal Grand
jury here with conspiracy to de
fraud the government and with de-
laying and defeating the administra-
ton of law.
The seven defendants were said
by the jury to have participated UNI
lawfully in the award of contracts
let by the government during the
war and after the armistice, involv-
ing expenditures totaling hundreds
of millions of dollars, and in which
some of their number had Pc
cuniary interest.
Alleged Conspirntors Named
Those named as conspirators with
Mr.. crowell were:
William A. Starrett Of New York,
engineer and architect. said to have
been member Of the firms Of star
rett & Van Week and Thompson
Starrett Co, Inc. and later associated
with the George =. Fuller company.
general contractors. He was chair
man of the war departments commit
tee on emergency construction, con-
nected with the council of national
defense.
Morton c. Tutt1e of Boston, Mass.
said 10 be general manager Of the
Aberthaw Construction company. and
formerly a member or the emergency
construction committee.
; Clemens w. Lundoff. Cleveland.
said to be vice president and general
manager of the Crowell Lundoff-Lit-
tie company, and general manager Of
the Cleveland Construction company.
He also WAS member Of the enlet
geneg construction committees.
Clair Foster. reported te 1.-Two IN
Canada, and formerly associated with
the Thompson tarrett and the
George A. Fuller companies, and also
with the emergency construction
committee.
John IL. McGibbons OF Baltimore
and Chicago, said to have represent
ed a bonding company issuing bonds
for contractors and associated dur
ing the war with the construction
committee.
James A. Mears of Boston and
Springfield, Mass, former general
manager of Fred r. Ley & Co. Inc,
general contractors, to whom the
first contract for construction OF a
national army cantonment was
awarded. He was secretary TO the
construction committee in the war
department during the war.
Are First Returned
The indictment was the first OF its
Ii - l. .f IN,
yestfgations of war frauds cases i'm
itiated by Attorney General Daugh-
erty. Others are expected TO follow
completion of the presentation OF evil
dence by department of justice,
agents, which is Said ito be approach
ing the stdse required for jury con-
sideration.
After identifyin the defendants.
the indictment recited at length the
emergency situation bought about
by the war and the stress under which
the government labored, particularly
emphasizing the Importance to the
construction program out Of which
grew the great army contonments.
huge port terminals, warehouses and
no. ,itals.
Each of the defendants, the indict-
ment asserted Conceived the fraudu-
ttut sChtuit anu pan VI 6tblinE toh-
troll, for their own gain, profit and
benefit, and for the gain, profit and
benefit of their past and future
clients and employers and their
friends, of the administration of the
immense emergency construction
program of the United States during
the war. including the determination
of the policy to be followed, the form
of contract grossly, unconscionably
and fraudulently favorable to the
contractors and in like manner and
to the same extent unfavorable to
the United States
Others Involved
1t was next charged that the de-
PENDANTS, each knowing well all the
premises aforesaid. did unlawfuily
and feloniously conspire. combine.
confederate and agree together and
with divers other persons to the said
grand jurors unknown, to defraud
the United States by unlawfully and
corruptly delaying, impeding, OBJ
sstructing, perv-rting, prejudlcing
contravening and defeating the ad
Immigration of its laws and lawful
regulations"
Violation of federal statutes rela-
tive 90 the procurement OF services
Of contractors for the building con-
struc;icn program of the war de-
partiaent was charged in one count.
In this reference the Indictment said
the defendants cause all competitive
bidding to be done away with in con-
nection WITH the administration Of
substantially all building construc-
ton which Involved expenditure of
hundreds of millions of dollars and
included among other things, Is ma
ltional army environments. 16 national
guard camps, huge port terminals.
many warehouses; hospitals, aviation
fields, ordnance plants. and fortifica-
tons, comprising over 500 separate
contracts.
the defendants. it was charged, adj
ministcrsd laws and regulations of
the war department contrary to true
intent and "in manner not in the
best interests of the United States
but in great part in the interests and
for the uncomfortable gain. profit
and benefit primarily of certain fa-
vored contractors selected by de-
fendants."
Array Officers Deceived
The indictment recited the names
OF numerous army officers who, IL
said. were deceived. mislef and over
ridden by the defendants. causing
great waste of money and unjusti-
tContl.-ed .. Pass Two)