The Washington times., 1922-04-01
SUMMARY
REMOVAL
Of CHIEF
At TTACKED
Demand for Inquiry In Wiimeth
Case ls Made by Sena-
tor caraway.

A bitter partisan row in the
Senate has been provoked by the
dismissal Of James j.. Wilmeth,
former director of the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, and all
Of his bureau chiefs. by executive
order Of President Harding.
Senator Caraway of Arkansas,
from whose State Wilmeth comes,
today expressed himself with
great bitterness on the subject.
He intends to call the issue to
the attention Of the Senate on
Monday.
Outrage" Says Carawsy.
s"Thfs action Of the AdmipisTation
In an outras~.'f se.d Senator Car
away. 1T II ons the cheapest things
have ever heard Of. think It
should be investigated by the Senate
ITO force Wilmeth to resign would
have been bad enough. but 70 dis.
miss him without notice and to
blacken his character by inference
10 an infamous proceeding. II the
Republicans simply want the Jobs,
so much patronage for their hench-
men, they should have said so. At
least such an action would have
been honest
but to dismiss an old and trusted
employee of the department. for the
good of the service Is to tell the
world that he has been forced out
under q cloud and that charges
against him have been sustained. l
do not believe this to be true for
| 1 have known Wilmeth for a great
many years and / know that he has
been an efficient and faithful en-
ploye-" ,
win Assail Action.
Senator Caraway does not expect
that the Republican leaders in the
Senate will permit an investigation
of the affair. He Till join with
other Democratic Senators, however,
in trying to place the facts before
the country.
The matter may be brought up
in connection with the investiga-
ton of the administration Of the
Civil Service Commission with refer
ence to postmasters, that Is now
being conducted by the Senate Ju-
dietary Subcommittee.
Wilmeth's Challenge.
Challenging an investigation of his
administration, Mr.. Wilmeth de-
clared the bureau has been and Is
now running efficiently and hon.
estly."
Rumors that Irregularities in the
! money ey-making establishment caused
he sudden Dismissal Of bureau chiefs
! we're secuted by those fired. Poll
! tcs, purely politics" was the reason
8 signed today by tho ex-chiefs.
! Coming on the heels Of sweeping
cs snges in the Government Printing
crfcc, which recently affected the
a, puty public printer and a score of
SUB chiefs, the shake-up at the bu-
vsar today was termed as the most
drastic political move ever made in
= Wilmington"
N some quarters. the wholesale
Nscharges were regarded as a pre-
lnriasry to sweeping changes In
othm Government departments.
The possibility of additional
changes, affecting the personnel OF
ths bureau, loomed today. Reports
we're circulated in the bureau that
500 employees would be dismissed
end than evcry remaining chief and
I sGhchief would be ousted from their
iooa ia the next month.
I Hul on Job Early. 5"
Z louis a. Hill. former chief of the
d'vsicn 81 engraving. named to sue
cscd W,inneth. was at his post early
'this morning. He took over the Of
iNs shortly after the issuance of
Harding : order, which came at 6A5
80 night,
ror1nsr Director wilmeth de-
clate3 To-Day that his dismissal came
a. a complete surprise.
II had no intimation that the
1'rS ddcnt contemplated such drastic
aet6n" he declared. II know of
no tsaiJn Why President Harding
snoWt vsnt such complete reor.
gana tiop,
"sirse have BEEN chief OF the
bures = ererylhing has been run effi-
cien1i Nend honestly. I challenge
.inyvR,,s,tior ~ rty administration
rhTeea feasibility Of Con-
toSugsd on PAGE 2. Column 81