The New York herald., 1922-05-20
ARMY ANDNAWCLUb
row BEFORE BANTON
Prosecutor Starts Inquiry
Into Charges of Graft
and Fraud.
COUNTER-FIRE DRAWN
Majority Threaten Repri-
sails if Accusations Are
Not Sustained.
MAY CALL ALL MEMBERS
Clubs Own Investigating Com
mittee Expected to Report
Within Week.
MAY CALL ALL MEMBERS

Four steps were taken yesterday in
the internal dissensions OF the Army
and Navy Club of America. First,
Victor Barcas and Z. III. De Lany,
leaders in the movement to have TIE
clubs financial records and affairs
gone over by court. called upon Dis
trict Attorney Barron and asked that
he take action.
In the second place, a movement to
call general meeting of the MEM
bership was started and it was pre-
dicted that such a meeting would see
the $500 members divided into two
warning camps that only very definite
action on the Barcas-De Lany petit
ton would pacify.
Third. 1t became known that one of
the complaints Of the petitioners con-
sidered cardinal Nhe complaint that
the charges have Eeen sleeping in the
investigating committees room for
four months) will be removed. The
Investigating committee Of which
Martin Vogel is chairman purposes
concluding its labors within a week.
Finally the petitioners have drawn a
strong counter fire from the majority
faction against whom many OF the COM
plants have been directed. The home
rule element, being those who oppose
Going into court or the newspapers and
contend that the club is capable Of dis
posing of its own affairs. threaten that
if the charges fall to be sustained or IL
the majority OF them collapse under pri-
Nate investigation, the irreconcilable
petitioners will be made to suffer. Just
what form such reprisals will take was
not made clear.
Seems "Fnmily Affair."
Members of the board OF governors
were willing enough yesterday to ex-
press their private opinions. So were
members OF tho investigating committee.
But none would permit the use of his
name for newspaper quotation. The in
vestigating committee, composed OF Mr..
vogel. Gen. Grote Hutcheson, Col.
Charles Hine. Major Francis M. Weld.
Major William M. Chadbourne and
Iieut.-Col. +. w. Wilson. looked upon
District Attorney Bantons statement as
an echo Of it's own sentimens.
II told Mr.. Barcas and Mr.. DeLany
that there would have to be concrete
evidence OF the commission OF crime be-
fore any prosecution could be gone into"
said Mr.. Banton. They have told their
story and it will be Investigated. l am
inviting members Of the board of gov
ernors to this office on Monday to make
any statement they desire. This seems
to me TO be family affair"
1t appears that one man Is accused OF
stealing money obtained by the club
during its two drives for capital. This
man resigned under charges. Members
OF the investigating committee found
irritation yesterday in the impression
that appeared to be abroad that their
report to the governors had been COM
pleted and that It was on their report
that Messrs. Barcas and DE Lany were
basing their appeal to Mr.. Banton.
1t was claimed that Mr.. Barcas and
Mr.. De Lany carried to Mr.. Banton the
report made TO the investigating COM
mittee by Frank G. Henke, who Is not
a member OF the club, but an outsider
engaged to investigate the clubs finan-
ctal status. Last year. II was explained,
Mr.. Barcas and Mr.. De Lany. supported
by Charles Holzderber of Henry Clews
& Co., Woodruff l.. Post. Lieut. Barr o.
the United States Navy ana Commander
bradshaw, made the complaints OF dis
and inefficiency against the governors.
In January OF this year Franklin Q.
Brown was elected president and he ap-
pointed the vogel COMMITTEES. For the
time being the complainants seemed
satisfied. They say they expected quick
action. Now they tell District Attorney
Banton that It seems to them idle 20
expect sufficient action from the Vogel
committee.
On Trail of S3,OOO.OOO.
Mr.. Barcas and Mr.. De Lany yester-
day declared that through mismanagc-
,nent OF the clubs money or money
given the club by tho public thousands
OF relatives Of officers killed in the war
had had their confidence abused ana
that money these relatives fave during
the clubs S3.000,000 drive for an off
GERS memorial, had been misapproprf-
atcd for any and everything from pri-
vate entertainments to the fattening OF
personal pocketbooks. IL Is admitted,
however, that the Henke report charges
only the man who resigned with theft
Other charges OF misappropriation are
more or less general.
They tell OF the arrest OF a man
caught by patrolmen some time ago
breaking into the Crescent Athletic
Clubs headquarters. After searching
the prisoner the police telephoned the
Army and Navy Club. The police said
that the prisoner had In his possession a
bill from the club for dues and cafe SER
vice. The amount was $500.
"Oh, he's oil right" was the alleged
answer from the Army and Navy Club.
'we know him. He's all right Turn
him loose"
Guess not" replied the police SER
gcant
IL Is charged by the petitioners that
Mr.. Henkc found that the United States
Government was defrauded to the ex-
tent of $500 IN taxes on life member
ships. Furthermore. the former MEM
ber OF the club who Is charged with
theft Is said to have forged vouchers.
II Is charged that he paid a cs sbinet
maker s22 for work done on club furni-
ture and that, having had the bill re-
ceipted he raised the billed figures to
$32e. making a net profit of $500. This
Is but one instance given.
Again II Is charged that a club com
mitteeman stole se.400 from the treas
tiry and hid It In a trunk. Later the
trunk was confscated and the money
salvaged. This alleged light fingered
committeeman was faced with the pro-
posal to Hnd an additional 5 500 (thc
amount OF other alleged peculations) or
40 70 Jail. He is said TO have made
good.