The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-24
Attorney General Daugherty
Seeks To Recover s21, 100000.
Effort Made To Get Back $4,-
100000 On Funston Contract.
WIDE EXPOSURE PROMISED
Action May Be Taken Against
Every CantOnment in Country.
Claim Profiteering TOtaIed
More Than s7s,OOO,OOO In War.

More Than SIS, 100000 In War
Washington, Nov. 24.-After an in
vestigation of war contracts lasting
more than a yea and a half. Attorney
General Daugherty this afternoon an
nounced the filing in four cities oi
civil suits to recover more than $21,-
100000 alleged to have been fraudu-
lently obtained from the government
in conenction with the construction
of army cantonments during the war
The filing of these first suits today Is
the forerunner of a dozen others 70
be begun later. which probably VIII
involve the construction of every can
tonsnent in the country and aim -
recover more than STS,0oO,OOO for the
government as exclusively announced
by the international News Service TINS
morning. ....
The Cantonments Involved
The cantonments involved and the
contracting firms against whom
Camp Upton. Yaphank, Long Is
land Thompson-Starrett company
camp jackson. Columbia. s. c..
Hardaway Contracting company Co
camp sherman ChiIIicothe. Ohio,
Bentley & Sons, Columbus. o
Camp Funston. Fort Riley. Kan
Kan.
The amount claimed by the govern
ment in each case i5:
Camp Upton. $4,000 900: Camp Jack
son. S6.5OO.OOO: Camp Sherman, So
900 900: Camp Funston, 100000
Total $21, 100000
Actual Cost of Camps.
But the actual cost OF these camps
to the government, based on war de-
- c.a-S,1 TrDto, sis 77O 500. Camp
sherman. S1S.24T.62O; Camp Jackson,
s1f,71O,T20; Camp Funston, $l1,f15'-
..Au Of the actions it was stated
offic:ally at the department of jus
tice. were brought at the same hour
ami IN each case identical legal pro-
cedure was employed, alleging tnat
contracting firms. their agents ana
representa- tives who built the great
army cantonments in which more than
t.OGN.O00 men were trained, had de-
frouded the government at a time
when the nations very life was at
stale"
The evidence. officials said indi-
Gates that the government was ruth
le=5ly victimized by those interests
which apparently put profit above pa
tr.oeisrl-"
Statement of Attorney General.
Immediately upon the filing of the
suits Attorney General Daugherty
m~de the following statement:
work on the part of the department.
of Justice which was begun about fif-
teen months ago and continued by the
department down the time the special
war branch was organized and by that /
branch with all the aid the regular
force could furnish since that time
The work could not have been COM
pleted any earlier than it has been
The amount sued for represents
what those who have been continu-
ous'y engaged in the work of invesu- |
gSSion and preparation believe con- /
servatively the government ought to
recover. What should be recovered !
will now be a matter for the courts to
determine. Considering the fact that /
these cases take no procedure over
other cases in the courts, the cases I
will be tried as soon as all preliminary I
questions. if any. are raised and dis 7
posed of and the courts will assign I
them. We viii use all means within /
our power to hasten trials and con- .
clusions."
In addition to the civil suits brought /
toGay. il was officially stated that 4
many others of a general character .
were contemplated against minor or 1
and possibly criminal .
action in some cases would be con- I
sfdered. The firms named in the suits /
today are listed as the prime con- I
tractors in the construction of the .
four war cantonments.
Petition Filed i'm L. S. Court Here /
Attorney General Daugherty's petit
ton in the suit against the George a.
Fuller company. and asking judgment
for $4,000. OO9 on the grounds of fraud.
arrived and was filed in the office OF
Frank L. Campbell. clerk of the fed
eraI court in Topeka. late this after
noon. The Fuller company. which had
the contract for the construction of
Camp Funston. is said TO be a New
Jersey corporation. with headquarters
in New York City.
Daugherty Defends Himself.
The attorney general in ordering
hese suits provides a preliminary to