The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-05-10
EVIDENCE QUITE
SUFFICIENT. TO
SUBMIT TO JURY
Examinations So Far Disclosed
Indicate That Crime Has
= Been Committed
PARTISAN ROW PROVOKED
BY DAUGHERTY'S LETTER
Charges That Little or Nothing
Was Done by Former
Administration
tBy The Assoelatsd Press,


WASHINGTON, May s.--In de-
tailed statement concerning the prose-
. eution Of war fraud cases prepared
at. the request OF the president. and
transmitted today to the house, At
torney General Daugherty declared
that examinations so far completed
disclosed in each instance sufficient
indications that crime has been com
mitted to warrant submitting them to
a grand jury"
Presented on the event OF a Re-
publican caucus, called to consider
i legislative program including a Re-
publican resolution for investigation
Of charges Of alleged laxity in prosecu-
tions BY the department Of justice, the
attorney generals letter provoked a
partisan row, in which Representative
Garrett, the Democratic leader. broadly
intimated that it was intended to
smother the proposed investigation
Representative Mondeli, the Repub-
llcan leader, to whom Mr. DaAgherty's
letter was sent by the president, did
not Indicate in reply to a question on
the floor as to whether it meant the
resolution, already given privileged
status by the rules committee. never
would be heard from again.
Taking issue with the attorney gem
erai. Representative Woodruff, Re-
publican, Michigan, declared the form
er was requested six months ago to
appeal to congress for half million
dollars TO clear up MS war time dock
et and that he never acted until Re-
publicans had assailed the department
In the house Mr. Woodruff reiterated
that unless the attorney general allow
ed the courts to decide the pending
ease against the Lincoln Moor Com
pany, ION its merits. l win move his
Impeachment In the house Of repre-
sentatives'
The Michigan representative assert /
ed that a Republican congress could
not "face the country in an election !
unless IT clears up war fraud cases
which smell to high heaven"
Charging that little or nothing had |
been done by the former administration |
to bring war robberies to light, Mr.. |
Daugherty wrote the president the |
country would soon have reason to
know that Influential personages in |
tho government who had knowledge of /
these transactions and were in a po-
Stion to make disclosures. were per-
sonaIly interested in concealing them" |
rhe department. he said. was handling I
upward of 200 war cases. and if re- /
eoveries We're obtained IN all. the total I
would reach 500, 900. 600
1t was terrible thing, the attorney
general said, TO charge citizen with
robbing his own government. and for
that reason he had insisted upon a
painstaking Investigation OF all cases
involving charges Of criminality. 1t
was regrettabie, too. he declared, that
public attention, should have been so
strongly focused on these cases on the
eve OF their prosecution
Given a special fund Of 100000. and
with the passage of pending bills for
M1~additionai judges and an additional
grand Jury in the District of Colum-
bia. Mr. Daugherty said the work OF
clearing the dockets would be ac-
celsrated. Two cases of ''the first
magnitude" were ready for prompt
submission, he said adding, however.
tnSk Investigation showed others 'lurk-
ing IN the shadows" and involved in
the unlawful transaction, and that
principals and different groups Of in
dividuals in other parts Of the coun- ]
try might be soon indicted.
Mr. Daugherty reiterated what he
said recently concerning the case OF
the Lincoln Motor Company involving
alleged Irregularities In connection
with the adjustment OF contract with
that company for the manufacture OF
Liberty motors /,
At the conclusion OF the reading, Mr.
Mondell said that the attorney gener-
ais wishes would be complied with
ito the end that all who defraud the
government VIII be brought to Justice
"rhe attorney general comes along
no after fourteen months" said Mr..
Woodruff, and asks congress for $780,
600 with which TO prosecute war
frauds. The chairman Of the war in
vestigating committee, Mr.. Graham
more than six months ago wrote the
attorney general and urged him tol
ask congress for sufficient funds for s
the purpose. The attorney general is
doing today Just exactly what many
other heads Of departments have done
in the post--passins the buck to con- J
vresG"