The Washington herald., 1922-04-12
THREATEN TO SEEK
IMPEACHMENT OF
ATTORNEY GENERAL
House Republican Mem
bers Charge Losses in
War Contracts.
ASK PROSECUTION
Johnson and Woodruff De-
mand Investigation of
Liquidation Methods.

Threats to ask the impeachment
OF Attorney General Daugherty and
martial in the War Department
were made In the House yesterday
by Representative Woodruff. Michi-
gan, and Representative johnson.
South Dakota. two Republican for
mer service men.
They jointly offered a resolution
to appoint a select committee of
the House to investigate the liqui-
dation of contracts under the juris-
diction of Secretary OF War Weeks.
Attorney General Daugherty. Sec
retary of the Navy DENLY and
Alien Property Custodian Miller.
Representative johnson charged
that the War Department in dis
posing OF surplus property is pro-
ceeding in much the same manner
that 1t did under the regime of
Newton d. Baker.
Sell Goods to .Favored buyers"
Favored buyers are given val
liable contracts without competitive
bidding and goods worth millions
are sold for a mere song to those
who have the inside track" he as
serted Candy costing $4,000. and
sold for s335, and canned meat cost
ing 43 cents pound and sold for
cents a pound were cited by
johnson as typical instances.
Woodruff assailed the Attorney
General for failure to prosecute
violators of the law. He was par
ticularly aroused by the inactivity
OF the Department of Justice to-
ward the Lincoln Motor Company.
recently purchased by Henry Ford
or.ss. 900. 900. The company. Wood
run insisted. owes the government
se,1ss,5el. which il was overpaid in
contracts for the air service.
Attacks DauEherty.
"If the Attorney General does not
look fully to the interests of the
government in this case. and allow
the courts to determine to what
extern this company is indebted TO
the government. I shall consldet
him guilty of malfeasance in once
and shall move his impeachment
upon these grounds" Woodruff de-
clared
woodruff furnishes the House
with a detailed history OF the Bosch
Magnetic deal. The Bosch Mag
neto COMPANY was sold by former
ATTORNEY General Palmer and for
mer Alien Property Custodian Gar
van to Martin f. Kern. for s4.l5o.-
600. about half its value, accord
ing 10 Woodruff. The transaction
was handled by tho brokerage firm
of Hornblower e. Weeks. of which
Secretary. Of War Weeks was for
merly member. The profits OF
the Hornblower & Weeks firm on
the deal were about s1.oGo.o0o ac-
cording to Woodruff.
cites Magnetic Case.
MIR. Kern returned from Europe
some time ago" Woodruff contin-
ued. He still is at liberty enjoy
ing the profit and fruits OF the
manipulations. While he was in
Europe it appears that he wrote
some letters which were intercept
ed and finally passed into the hands
of the public authorities.
ITO show the audacity of the
man and the influence which he
thinks he and his associates can
exert upon public officials, I will
luote from these letters. Writing
from the Hotel Maurice. Paris. un-
der date of January 81. 1922, to one
of his attorneys in a Pennsylvania
town. he says among other things.
call Griffiths in. You can trust
him. OF course. he wants to look
out for himself. He always doe.
Surely there must be some way
to make the attorney general see
reason Again writing from the
same place to the same person he
says: Murray seems to have lost
his head entirely, as have I
Why don't Murray and all inter-
ests take John w. Weeks to DauEh-
erty and put a quietus on this
thing" The Murray he refers to
was one of the men who was as
sociated with him In deal. and
who was afterwards president of
the Bosch Magnetic Company.
Says Administrator Hides Fraud.
Representative johnson vigor-
ously criticized the administration
for refusing to air Congress in
bringing fraud and corruption to
light. He rapped Secretary Weeks.
General Pershing and Budget Di-
rector Dawes particularly.
The War Department has solo
property and is today selling prop
erty at ridiculously and criminal
ly low prices to favored customers.
concealing the facts from Congress,
and deliberately misrenresentiny
the facts" said Johnson. THE War
Department is trying to control the
apartment of Justice by putting
men. who ought to be in the peni-
tentiary. on the Department of JUS
tice payroll and asking congress
to appropriate for It."