The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-08-19
Entry Of Women Into Profession
of Making Spurious Money
Adds New Problem.
SECRET SERVICE IS WORRIED
Increase In counterfeitlng Began
Shortly After the Armlstlce and
Has Been Growing NotlceabIy
Sinee-More Opportunity.

Washington, D. C.-CDunterfeiting
of money has increased to hitherto un.
precedented proportions in the United
States and Is causing much concern
to the secret service of the treasury,
the federal agency charged with sup.
preston of this species of crime. OF
particular interest is the fact that for
the first time in history, women have
entered the counterfeiting profession,
presenting new problems for the gov
ernment experts.
The increase in counterfeiting began
shortly after the armistice and has
been growing noticeably since. 1t is
regarded as a part of the phenomena
of crime which every great war brings
In its wake.
War Draft Trimmed Ranks.
A curious effect of the war while it
was being waged was that it resulted
in almost complete suspension of
money counterfeiting in the United
States. There were two good reasons
for this. First, native-born Ameri-
cans are seldom found in the profess
sion. 1t is department of crime In
which foreigners, and especially south
ern Europeans, engage. Under the re-
servist system of military service
which obtains in nearly all European
countries, these foreigners, living and
cOunterfeiting in the United States,
were called to their home colors and
thereby forced to abandon their pro-
fession here. In the second place, the
war upset the channels of distribution
Of counterfeit money, and turned the
thoughts of all men, including counter
feiters, to other things.
But after the war the profession
came back stronger than ever with
many recruits. Four million Ameri-
cans were under arms. They were
taken to the war from their accus-
toned vocations and pursuits and put
into life which, despite it's manifold
hardships and dangers, was life
lacking in responsibility. No one in
the army had to worry about earning
money for his next meal. 1t came
from the government, as much a mat
ter of course as the sunrise.
Also, the very idea of an army is
the destruction of property and life.
To be sure, it is the enemy's prop
erty which Is to be destroyed, but
among many youthful and irresponsi-
BILE persons the fundamental idea of
&C ntempt for property rights persists
and makes few bounds for itself. II
was natural that among soldiers who
for year or cwo had followed this ir-
responsible existence there would be
some who lacked the force of char
acter to return to the drudgery OF
hard work. They wanted easy money,
so counterfeiting as well as other de-
partments of crime received fresh re-
cruits.
More Money to Counterfeit.
Another strong reason for an In
crease in counterfeiting resulting from
the war was that there was an in
crease in the number of kinds of
money and securities to counterfeit.
When there are only few kinds of
money in general use, the people be-
come so familiar with their appear
ance that they quite readily detect any
fault in design or general appearance
But when there are many new and
unfamiliar kinds, the people are at a
loss to know whether they have gen.
uine money.
Twelve federal reserve banks were
at the time the war began,
and all issued currency of two kinds:
federal reserve notes and federal re-
serve bank notes. Also, the treasury