The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-10
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC .. HAsKN. Director.
WashinKtOnE ID. O
MAKING BAD MONEY Blooms.

in the United States and is causing
much concern to the secret service of
the treasury, the federal agency which
IS charged with the suppression of
this species OF crime. OF particular
interest is the fact that for the first
time in history, women have entered
the counterfeiting profession, present.
ing new problems for the government
experts.
The increase in counterfeiting be-
gan shortly after the armistice and
has been growing noticeably since
then. 1t is regarded as a part or the
phenomena of crime which every
great war brings in its wake.
y A curious effect of the war while II
was being waged was that 1t resulted
in an almost complete suspension Of
money counterfeiting in the United
States. There were two good reasons
for this. First, native born Americans
are seldom found in the business. 1t
is a department of crime in which for
eigners, and especially southern Euro
peans, engage. Under the reservist
system of military service which OBJ
tains in nearly all European countries.
these foreigners living and counter
feiting in the United States were
called to their home colors and there
by forced to abandon their profession
here. In the second place, the war
upset the channels of distribution of
counterfeit money and turned the
thoughts of all men, including coun-
terfeiters, to other things.
But after the war the profession
came back stronger than ever with
many recruits. Four million Ameri-
cans were under arms. They were
taken by the war from their accus-
toned vocations and pursuits and put
into life which. despite it's manifold
hardships and dangers, was a life
lacking in responsibility No one in
the Army had to worry about earning
money enough for his next meal. 1t
came from the government, as much
matter of course as the sunrise.
Also, the very idea of an army is tho
destruction of property and life. To
be sure it is the enemy's property
which is to be destroyed. but among
many youthful and irresponsible per-
sons the fundamental idea of contempt
for property rights persists and makes
few bounds for itself 1t was natural
that among soldiers who for a year or
two had followed this irresponsible
existence there would be some who
lacked the force of character to return
to the drudgery of hard work. They
wanted easy money, SO counterfeiting
as well as other departments of crime
received fresh recruits.
More Money to Counterfeit.
Another strong reason for an in
crease in counterfeiting resulting from
crease in the number CT kinds of
money and securities to counterfeit.
When there are but a few kinds of
money in general use, the people be-
come so familiar with their appear
ance that they quite readily detect
any fault in design or general appear
ance. But when there are many new
and unfamiliar kinds, the people arc
at a loss to know whether or not they
have genuine money
r Ia 1<e
established at the time the war began
and all issued currency of two kinds:
Federal Reserve notes and Federal
Reserve bank notes. Also, the treas
ury issued billions Of dollars in liberty
bonds. victory notes, war savings GER
tificates thrift stamps and treasury
certificates of indebtedness. These
were all new to the people and of I'M
familiar design They constituted
paradise for counterfeiters.
One of the most difficult obstacles
for the counterfeiter is the distinctive
paper on which government notes are
printed. 1t is made by secret proc
ess and has so Individual an appear
ance and feeling that almost everyone
can detect a substitute. All denomina-
lions of American money are printed
on notes OF a uniform size. There
fore a faYorite device of the counter
feiter is to take 81 bill and raise its
denomination. He will bleach it and
have a piece OF nearly white dis
tinctIve currency paper on which he
will print a note of a higher denomi-
tect. especially if the counterfeiter
prints a $50 or 500 note of a new
and unfamiliar series.
Another scheme is to take q note
and change only the figures. This
proves a snare to the counterfeiter II
he gives such a note to a man familiar
with the designs of money. Such
man knows that $50 note has
buffalo in its design, but no $50 nor
800 issue has. This sort of counter
money because the counterfeiters
know that few people are familiar
with the designs of the various new
issues.
The same is true of the liberty bond
issues. No two issues are alike and
a counterfeiter changing the denomi-
nation of a 800 bond to 81 900 could
readily be detected by one who had
studied bond designs.
Experts in Secret Service.
The secret service at Washington
has many experts who are very hard
to fool with even the cleverest coun-1
terfeit, and while counterfeiting has
increased to a great extent, the cir
culation of counterfeit money has not
done so. The new counterfeit issues
are detected very early in their ca
reers and the source discovered and
stopped. It means more work ami
constant vigilance for the government
agents and greatly increased investiga-
tive work.
The appearance of women in the
counterfeiting profession has caused
the secret service many difficulties
The women are not engaged in the ac-
tual manufacture of counterfeits, but
are confederates in the passing of the
spurious currency.
Counterfeiters seldom work alone in
spite OF the fact that the records show
that only the counterfeiter who plays
a lone hand meets with success for
any extended period of time. But it
is hard to practice the profession
singly. The great difficulty is in get
ting The cnnnrnfnr-faif int