The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-04
UNITED STATES
 SECRET SERVICE
U. s. Government Operative Tells of Work of Depart ment Which Makes War Against Counterfeiters.

This important division of the Uni ted States Treasury Department was | created for two specific purposes. First, the detection and bringing to
 trial of all persons engaged in violat- | ing the laws of the United States pertaining to counterfeiting. and sec
 ondly, for the protection of the per son of the President of the United States.
 There is something like a hundred
 million people inhabit.ng the 4s states that go 70 make up the United States. Each and every one of these millions | able to read and write, or able to distinguish the difference between a S1 note and a S5 note I believe are interested in the safeguarding of our currency. Were counterfeiting to be left to go on :ts merry way without check or hinderence, a few short years would suffice to tumble in to the economic chaos that besets Rus sia today
 A better idea of the absolute neces- sity for a bureau for the protection of our currency can be had by giving the reader the record of the Secret Service for one single year. The rec ord I am about to give is that of the year just gone by.
 When you walk into a bank. draw a check, get your money and put it in transaction with the usual ease of an ordinary purchaSe-do you know the men on Uncle Sam's payroll who place your money operations above suspicion?
 William H. Moran, chief of the United States Secret Service, and the 107 men on his staff, is your answer. There may be some other answers
 but for bringing home the bacon as an annual habit and delivering the
 goods to the entide satisfaction of your Uncle Sam, you can't beat the chief of the Secret Service and his men.
 The Secret Service bagged 259 for 0f DI, past year.
 It investigated $500 forged check cases, 1,250 altered forged Liberty Bond cases and 56O altered and stolen indicted and convicted SPA criminals guilty of altering and raising gov ernment bank notes from lower to higher denominations Captured or I'll counterfeit note plates, IA en- graved dies and AS sets of molds for the counterfeiting of coins. Arrest ed e6 persons, guilty of counterfeit 'bottled in bond" bottleg whiskey. The men of the Secret Service ran down 2S new counterfeit note issues during the year, some of which were received in remittanceS from foreign countries. Most of the foreign coun- erfeits were of poor workmanship and easily detected by anyone used to money. United States cur
 
 rope owing to the sorry dehation of foreign exchange that it is said that one could pass United Cigar coupons without much trouble in certain >iso- lated sections. Seven hundred thou sand dollars in stolen or forged bonds were recovered by the agents of the Secret Service and returned to the government or to banking institutions in different sections of the United States.
 Quite a task and wonderful results you will agree dear reader. All the more wonderful when you stop to think that the task was assumed and carried through by scant 107 men.
 One hundred and seven men assum- ed the burden of protection and safe guarding the rock upon which your currency. Eight of these men of the Secret Service staff are continuously | on guard at the White House for the protection of the President. That | leaves but 101 for field work.
 Moran's men are highly specialized l according to General Dawes, chair | man of President Harding's Budget | Committee. schooled in the work of counterfeit | detection. Every so often two or | more are called to Washington and | to the Bureau of Engraving the different processes in vogue for the engraving and print ng of our paper money. In this way | hey become familiar with the many | ng of bank note. They often get first hand knowledge of coin making 1t the mint of the government In his manner they gradually acquire ] keen eye for the counterfeit and the -ea1.
 The task of the Secret Service would be made much easier if the small storekeeper and merchants who Ire the chief victims of the counter 'eiter would cooperate to the extent ,f reporting a counterfeit note to the | ocal office of the Secret Service as soon as the counterfeit is discovered, md not wait until the trail Of the has grown cold, and inn possible to pick up gain until he again irops a note or two in some other locality far removed. Some of our are of the opinion that hey have a perfect right to pans on ! counterfeit note to their neighbor or O some unsuSpecting customer. To hese I would give piece of advise. The advise will cost you nothing. but o disregard the advise may perhaps mean your arrest and conviction for passing a counterfeit coin or note The Federal law states that, Where | person knowingly and willfully passes or attempts to pass counter eft coin or bank note he or she is guilty of counterfeiting." To pass a pad note or coin even though you had nothing to do with making it, places Tou in the same position as that of he actual maker of the note. If you nave a sincere civic pride and con- sider yourself a good citizen you will forget your loss and report the coun :erfeit to the Secret Service and be | repaid with the thought that you nave not only rendered a public ser vice to your government, but have also rendered a great service to your neighbors in business with you.
 
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