Evening star., 1922-05-11
ENGRAVING BUREAU
PROBE V|ND|CATES
. FORMER OFFICIALS
Report Denies Fraudulent
Duplication of Bonds and
Certificates.
IRREGULARITIES FOUND
TO BE FEW AND SLIGHT
No More Group Dismissals Pro
posed-Plant Now Work
ing Smoothly.


committee which made an 1nvestiga-
ton and inventory of the bureau OF
engraving and printing, to be present.
ed to Secretary Mellon today o's-
closes mo serious Irregularities, II
was said today at the Treasury.
The report in substance Is consid-
cred a wholesale denial OF charges OF
Widespread circulation of fraudulent
duplicated liberty bonds, and also
vindication of former officials, clear
ing them of any aspersions OF dlshon-
esty. alleged to have resulted In con-
ncction with the sudden dismissal OF
former Director Wilmeth and ap-
rointment of Louis A. Hill and his
staff.
1t was learned in official circles
that the report shows at the bureau
for the past four or five years, a as
crepancy of about fifty sheets IN an
of the departments. This Is consid-
cred by authorities a remarkable
showing, especially in view OF the
enormous amount of paper handieo
BY the big government plant IN
turning out the stamps, paper money
bonds and various certificates re-
Guired during the high-pressure days
of war and postwar days.
Report to Mellon soon.
The report was to be submitted to
Secretary Mellon this afternoon, or.
l.. case of late delays, tomorrow
morning, by Deputy Assistant Treas
urer n. Theodore Tate, chairman OF
the Treasury committee. The other
members of the committee represent
ell the internal revenue bureau, Fed
eral Reserve Board. controller OF
the currency and bureau of engraving
and printing.
Agents of the Department OF JUS
'tfce who were loaned for the purpose
Of assisting in the inventory are still
working at the bureau Of engraving
on some further reports, 1t was
learned. .,-~rx--s- -s--,.-----
The inventory just concluded IS not
considered to be an absolute. clean
bill of health for the Institution, 1t
was said in certain quarters today, as
the report does disclose some ~discrep-
ancjes the nature of which are not
known. Such mistakes might be
charged, it was said. to errors OF me-
chanical equipment. though no COM
piete explanation on this score was
attempted.
at the bureau of engraving and print
ing was made shortly after the ap-
pcintment of Director Hill, who also
had insisted that count be made
before he would sign up" for re.
suonsibility over the great piles OF
millions of dollars worth of govern
lnent paper. For the first time In the
history of the plant all departments
handling paper were shut down Tor
week while the count was made. En-
ployes were placed on furlough. or
annual leave, and the plant reopened
on the Monday morning OF the next
week.
Atmosphere Again Calm.
The situation at the bureau itself,
which has been supersensittve since
the dismissal OF former Director
SEilmeth, has-calmed down TO some
extent, Sc that Director Hill has been
able to go ahead with the regular
activity of the plant, although the
s,nminence of a few additional dis
snissals, in accordance with Treas
,ry Department order of last March,
is still a somewhat disturbing factor
There will be no further group dis
snissals at the bureau. Director Hill
has announced. and the additional
persons who will have to be dropped
70 present needs" will be let out a
Sew at a time.
Although 1t was not revealed to-
day whether there is in the COM
mittee report on the bureau any
specific mention of the former ad-
sninistration of the bureau under
James l.. Wilmeth, 1t was made clear
that the substance of the findings
will serve greatly to back up re-
peated statements of not only Treas
irry officials, but the President him
self, that there was in the dismissal
not the slightest intention to reflect
upon the integrity or honesty of any
berson dismissed.
When the entire report from the
Treasury committee will be made
public was not known at the Treas
iiry this morning, but 1t has been
stated that something in detail will
be announced from the report, prob
q oily within a few days.