Evening star., 1922-04-18
MUST BACK CHARGE
OF FCOUNTERFE|TS
Secretary Mellon Makes De-
NAL and Tells Coleman to
Furnish Proof.

by Secretary Mellon to explain his
charges that the country was flood
ed by counterfeit government money
and securities. and to present evil
dence to support his claims.
Mr.. Coleman was not available at
lis Office today, and could not be To-
Gated by the press.
! The sweeping statement made by
Mr.. Coleman in his union paper was
challenged by the Treasury Secretary
not only in an official statement made
public last night, but in a personal
letter to Mr.. Coleman, in which Mr..
Mellon said the charge of the union.
'if uncontradicted. might tend to in
5ure the credit and standing with the
public of the securities of the gov
ernment."
2 In his statement Mr.. Mellon de-
ciared he desired ito state in the
most emphatic terms that the public
heed have no apprehension as to the
gsnuineness of the government Sc
curities and currency now outstand-
ang."
| When asked yesterday what evil
! dence he had for support Of his
charges. Mr. Coleman drew from his
desk a little booklet about eight
| inches long and five inches wide
This book" said Mr.. Coleman, "is
| private and secret intelligence, which
could not be printed for the public,
| but IT contains sixty-five pages full
! notes. money and government securi-
1 ties which are now in circulation"
Mr.. Coleman charged that the govern
| ment did not like to make public the
number Of counterfeit bills outstand-
ing because it would tend to under
| mine confidence in the paper money
! of the country. He. did not hesitate,
however, further to emphasize the
statement made in the Plate Printer
that counterfeit money was flooding
| the country.
Takes Action Mt Once.
upon the publication of Mr.. Coleman's
| charges yesterday. issuing yesterday
afternoon public denial His state
! ment said:
in view of the statements made
| in publication known as The Plate
| Printer which are receiving wide
publicity to the effect that the coun-
| try R flooded with millions of coun-
T, terfeit banknotes. bonds. war saw
[ ings and other stamps and war bonds
and coupons the Secretary of the
| Treasury deems it proper to make
public announcement that no such
! condition exists.
mo information has come to the
Treasury of any overissue or coun-
terfeiting of United States bonds or
( LAS regards war savings and other
stamps. bank notes and other forms
| of currency, attempts are made from
! time to time to counterfeit the issues
or raisesthe denominations of genuine
| issues. The Treasury is constantly
on the alert to stop such attempts.
| In substantially every case where ef-
forts have been made on any con-
siderable scale the guilty parties
have been apprehended and brought
to trial and their activities ended.
The Secretary of the Treasury de-
sires to state in the most emphatic
terms that the public need have no
| apprehension as to the genuineness
of the government securities and cur
rency now outstanding"
Asks for Evidence.
In his letter to Mr.. Coleman. Secre-
tary Mellon inclosed copy of the Of
fetal statement TT has been the
tary Mellon, to circulate widely the
announcement of every counterfeit
issue when it is discovered, and such
circulars are sent to you in each case.
II request that you Immediately
furnish me with any evidence, other
than that contained in such circulars,
upon which you based the statement
referred to above. The Treasury will
be glad to receive such evidence and
will investigate it at once with the
greatest care.
At the Treasury this morning It
was indicated in certain quarters
that perhaps the book Mr. Coleman
yesterday referred as containing
sixty-five pages of records of coun-
terfeits, was simply a summary of
all the announcements made by the
Treasury heretofore. Many of the
counterfeits included in the sixty
five pages, it was thought were
probably of such old issue that they
had been discovered, the perpetrators
thereof brought to justice, and the
issue stopped.
Louis A. Hill. director of the BUREAU
said today that the function of the
bureau in the matter was simply to
produce as fine product of bank
note, or security of the government
as possible, SO as to make it difficult
to dunlicate. The bureau. Mr.. Hill
said was getting down to business
in good condition, now, following
the shutdown during the taking Of
inventory last week.
The report of the special Treasury
committee which took the count is
understood to be under way, now,
a nd expected to be turned over to
the Secretary of the Treasury with
in a few days..