Evening journal., 1922-06-23
COL. MILLER
DENIES Big
FEES Charge
Continued From First Page.

| Colonel Miller declares that only
$4,000 has been paid I'm fees TO
lawyers under the present Admins
/ tration as compared with $4,000. 900
under previous administrations. No
properties, except small pieces Of
real estate. have beenNsold by him,
Colonel Miller states.
Mr.. Woodruff further accused
Colonel Miller OF advocating an
amendment TO the peace resolution
TO ratify all seizures OF previous Gus
todians instead OF investigating those
seizures. Colonel Miller says his
amendment, suggested to the For
eign Affairs Committee, was not for
| that purpose. but TO protect those
who had obeyed the law and penal
lie those who had evaded H. He
says Mr. Woodruff's inference is un-
true, adding that the office is too
busy and not sufficiently equipped
with funds TO handle more than the
81 900 active trusts not charged to
the office.
Mr.. Woodruff mentioned the Bosch
magnetic case, the Chemical Foun-
dalton case and the Upmann & Co.
case and L. Vogelstein & Co.. point
ing TO sections OF the recent report
Of Colonel Miller in response to a
Senate resolution as an indication
that this condition still continues
TO exist. a reproach. a scandal and
a menace to the decent and orderly
administration Of the public busi-
ness"
Mr.. Miller declares he will stand
on that report. denying II contains
anything upon which scandal might
be based. He defends canceling re-
ports as a method of overcoming
governmental red tape. adding that
he should be comphmented instead
OF criticized for it.
Colonel Miller. in his reply TO the
woodruff charges. says:
The alien property custodian IS
not personally or officially related
IN any way TO those in the State or
Delaware or elsewhere, who are
fathering the so-called Dye Embar-
20. Il would seem TO be unnecessary
for a public official TO dignity denial
Of such base. personal charges.
AT no time was l ever an officer
or director OF the Chemical Foundas
ton to my knowledge. was in
formed that the board of directors
Of the Chemical Foundation had
elected me an official. and through
no fault OF mine or any other re-
sponsible party involved. my name
was placed on the door of the Foun-
dation's Offices in New York. I'M
mediately upon hearing OF this, /
directed that my name be removed.
l am not Offering this as an explain
alton, but as a statement OF facts.
Last June. when the peace reso-
luton was pending before Congress.
this office was requested TO discuss
the then pending resolution with
the members Of the respective COM
mittees in the House and Senate 10
suggest certain amendments to the
resolution vitality affecting the ad-
ministration of the trading with the
enemy act. Several amendments
were suggested. The ones in which
this Office was Interested were those
that would continue the authority
of the alien property custodian in
following up demands for property
not then reduced to possession, but
WHICH under the statutes and prece-
dents were in the same category as
property that had been surrendered
in response to previous demands.
"If such an amendment had not
been inserted, those who had obeyed
the provisions OF the alien prop
erty act by reporting and surren-
dering enemy property would have
been penalized. while those who had
disobeyed the law or evaded its pro-
visions by refusing to comply with
lust and proper demands OF the
government would have been i'm
mune. II was. therefore, essential
10 this office that the language in
the peace resolution protect and
guarantee compliance with demands
served before July 2, 1921, for the
surrender OF property.
THE fact remains that we have
obtained the amendments that we
wanted. The inference drawn with
regard to the other amendments.
which were not finally incorporated
in the peace resolution, IS untrue.
1T was stated that that Office
has not taken action to reopen and
prosecute certain alleged transac-
lions carried on by this office under
the previous administration. The
entire personnel OF this office, which
is considerably less in number than
before March 4. 1921. is fully en-
gagged in handling current and daily
problems that are presented TO us
in the administration OF the thirty
one thousand active trusts now han
died nv this office. The office is not
equipped. either with appropriation
Of money by Congress or in per-
sonneI to turn itself into a district
attorneys Office or prosecuting at
torney's office. These functions are
delegated to the Department OF Jus
tice and to Congress. II 1t so desires
through select or other committees
of that body. and we have always
complied with any request Tor IN
formation or cooperation from
either of these government agencies
in this particular.
"If any mistakes have been made
bv this Office under the present IN
cumbont. we will be only too glad
20 correct such errors, should they
como TO our attention by public no
tIce or as a result OF our own in
vestigatiOn.
mo lawyers are employed by this
who on one side rep
resent the custodian and on the
other side represent alien interests
1T is not true that the present ad-
ministration OF this office with re-
spect to lawyers fees. rs well as the
ethics OF the profession. is a scandal
under the present administration OF
this office. In the report OF this OF
fee to the Senate on April 10 OF this
wear we showed that a total Of ap-