Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-27
Is
Approved
for Probe.
Criticism Of Attorney General
for Failure To Prosecute War
Profi'eers Halted by Ap.
poinimenl Of Nebraskan.
Is Experienced in Work
By GEORGE !. AurHIER.

Washington Correspondent Omaha lice
Washington. May 26.- Special
Telegram. )-Appoiniment OF Repre-
sentative {. Frank Reayis az chief
assistan, prosecutor OF war frauds
by Attorney General Daugherty. has
apparently spiked the guns OF those
who have been attempting 10 put the
attorney general IN the light OF fall
ing TO prosecute the war gralters.
Those who know Representative
Reayis and his previous attitude on
the subject OF war frauds. know he
will never stop until he has run them
10 earth, ii II is possible. Any attack
upon the attorney general now will
be interpreted by Representative
RcaviS' friends as an attack upon the
sincerity OF the chief assistant m
yestigator.
Representatives Woodruff aud
Johnson had not given up their phns
oi forcing the resolution investigat-
ing the Department OF Justice for
alleged laxness in prosecuting war
frauds from Representative Camp
bells committee on rules today. Rep
-resentative Woodruff appealed from
ruling Of the chair to the effect that
the committee OH rules was not cont
PEELED to report the resolution Of in
vestigation. In spite OF spirited fight
by Representatives Woodruff and
Johnson OF South Dakota, Speaker
Gilctt WAS sustained by vote OF
l4S to ia.
First Test of Strength.
This was the first test of strength.
foiic wing Mr. Reavis' appointment.
and il showed the house believes his
appointment is fair test OF the at
torney generals sincerity and that
that official has moved cautiously
and not with laxness.
Representative Reavis held re-
ception in his office all day today,
Representative Woodruff being one
OF those who congratulated him on
the appointment.
During his seven years in congress,
Representative Reavis has won the
reputation of benig the best cross
examiner in the house and has torn
the testimony of many witnesses TO
pieces. Among those who have felt
the power of this talent is Governor
w. P. G. Harding of the federal re-
serve board. 1t is this talent which
is believed to qualify him especially
for his present job He shares with
Rodenburg OF Illinois the distinction
Of being one OF the best orators III
the house. He has been member
OF number Of social committees,
although the judiciary committee has
been his chief committee assignment.
As member of the judiciary CO.
mittee he was strong opponent OF
the anti-lynching law, alleging it was
unconstitutional, although approving
OF it in spirit. His view has been
sustained by the senate committee.
Boys in Service. ,..-
Mr.. Reavis' interest in war frauds
is not one of the passing moment.
He had two boys in the flying ser
vice, one in the navy and one in the
army. He went to France i'll l9l8
and saw the American doughboys
take off" at Chateau Thierry and
came Back with the expressed deter
mination that if he ever got chance
to put the war grafters in jail he
would do so.
He was largely instrumental in
forcing Secretary of War Baker to
put the surplus army food stocks on
the market, thus breaking the back
Of the high cost of living. He was
instrumental, also, in compelling the
Baker-ruled War department to care
for the surplus army automobiles
which were allowed to rust in the
open throughout the country and
forced their distribution among the
state highway commissions.
Father Was Judge.
Mr.. Reavis is the son OF the late
Judge Isham Reavis, who studied law
with Abraham Lincoln at Springfield
and was named federal judge of Ari-
zona by President Grant. He started
his law practice at Falls City, later
moving to Lincoln, where he has
lUi HlEu law WIN VAoE>
Beghtol, where the firm name will
be Reavis & Beghtol His resigna-
ton on June 4 merely anticipates the
determination to retire at the end OF
his term.
There have been rumors that Mr..
Reavis is planning to contest the re-
publican nomination for senator with
Senator Norris. His friends say his
present object is to acquire a conf
petence, that he is 81 and his salary
in congress has not been sufficient
for him to lay aside cent.
Experience in Work.
His experience in having headed
the subcommittee which investigated
the expenditures in the. quartermas-
ter's department will stand him in
good stead now. 1t is in this depart
fru,n In Page Two. Column One)