Vernon Parish Democrat., 1922-06-08
.DAUGHER ERTY AFTER
WAR PRlFITEERs
ATTORNEY GENERAL PROMISES
THEY WILL BE INDICTED
AND PROSECUTED.
big MEN 10 Be UNDER FIRE
Proceedings Against These Characters
win Have Considerable Effect on
the Legislation 10 Pay Bonus to
Those Who Fought.
Ry EDWARD 3. CLARK


on the passage Of bill for an addi-
tional grand jury for the District Of Co
aumbia, cases which have been pre-
pared against alleged wartime profi-
teers win be taken up for indictment
and for the prosecution of the In
dicted.
For weeks charges were made free
" that the Department OF Justice was
q laggard In its attempts to get at the
prOhteers. The matter was taken up
in congress and direct charges against
the department were made by some
Republican representatives, and Of
course the Democrats have been max
ing capital out Of the controversy.
A promise Of prosecution and a
statement Of what has been done were
made BY the attorney general In let
ter to the President. The direct word
is that some Of "the big ones Of earth"
will be under the fire Of the courts be-
fore much time hes elapsed.
The fate Of the blu for bonus for
the former service men Is perhaps In
some measure dependent upon what
happens to the protiteers or to the men
alleged to be such. If there had
been no proiteering during the war,
there probably would have been no
demand for bonus from veterans of
the World war. Rhe majority in the
senate today Is trying to figure out
some means Of providing what is
equivalent to cash bonus and doing
It ia such way that II will receive
the Presidential sanction. If develop
ments prove that men IN business life
most active In opposition to the bonus
proited largely at the expense of the
government during the war, it seems
likely that opposition to the cash pay
ments to the veterans will melt away
like snow on southern slope under
q spring sun.
No Politics In the Bonus.
or course the fact that some men
protiteered during the war, "did" their
government out Of money and en-
riched themselves at the expense of
the taxpayers does not in itself form
an excuse for the calling upon the tax
payers to pay more money, but it sup
plies the human reason for the de-
mand Of the ex-service men that they
get a bonus, and it also supplies a rea-
son why the men asking for the bonus
get considerable sympathy from the
people for their demand.
Members of the lower house who
voted In favor Of the bonus have told
your correspondent that they do not
believe that vote for or against the
bonus Will have any political efRect
one Waysor the other. These members
said they thought men who voted
against the measure win get as much
voting benefit at the polls from their
action as would come to men who
voted for the measure.
One Of these representatives has
told me that he was moved to vote
for the bonus by the comparatively re-
cent action Of certain great business
organizations Of the country which
came out In bitter opposition to the
payment Of anything to the former
service men.
This man said that study of the
personnel Of the business organiza-
tions showed him that a large number
Of the memberships are held by men
wao reaped financial harvests from
the war, although he would not say
whether or not he thought all these
men actually were intentional prof.
teers The representative added that
opposition to the payment Of compare
lively small sums Of money to the
men who served did not come with
good grace from men who did not
serve and who made large sums Of
money as a result Of their business
activities during the war.
Many Charges BY Both Parties.
The prOHteering charges have been
provocative Of all kinds Of charges
AGAINST individuals and corporations III
Drlvatc life and against officials Of gov
arnment. Democrats and some Repub-
ncans with them have charged that the
present administration has endeavOred |
throug it's Department Of Justice to
cover up some Of the profteering.
Many Republicans have declared. on
the contrary, that the Department of
Justice has been at work unearthlng the
facts Ia the various cases, and that
when they are disclosed to the public
view 1t win be found that officials Of
the previous administration winked at
pro1teering operations.
That there was proHteering during
the war Is known 70 every American.
Mem who made fortunes ont of the
government contracts spent their ac-
aulred riches 10 glaring living ii New
York city, and. in winter az Florida
resorts and elsewhere. They iiaunted
their wealth. It Is said that many
6f fhen since have gone broke. not
being able TO stand the prosperity
ahfel suddenly came 70 them.
Bureau Transfer Controversy.
IS attended to transfer some
tain hufeaus of government from
aenaf Sd which they have opef=