The Washington times., 1922-05-22
UNTERMEYER
REJECTSB|DT To
ACT IN FRAUDS
Flags Daugherty and Declines
to Have Any Connection
With Case.
Continued from First PagsJ

grave indictment against the bar OF
the country. II is due to the bar that
our profession shall not be pictured
as so wanting in patriotism and
public spirit as Is implied in this
charge"
Untermeyer's interests In the pros
seoution was brought about by
Woodruff. who sent him a telegram
calling attention to Daugherty's
statement and inviting him to tender
his services OF the Attorney General
for the investigation. In his reply he
states that except for a number Of
considerations, he would be glad
to tender his services without COM
pensation. and purely as a public
service. The objections to volun'
teering TO assist Daugherty are emu.
merated by him as follows:
Asks Clear Pathway.
IF Congress intends to investi
gate, the resolution introduced by
you should be considerably enlarged
and should contain a provision for
immunity 80 that the committee will
not be met at every step by refusals
to witnesses to answer questions on
more often feigned to shield others,
that their answers would tend TO in
criminate them. The committee
should be in a position to compel
disclosures from minor offenders in
order to reach the men at the top.
Untermeyer adds that without such
an investigation a large amount OF
money will be spent, lot OF 'camou-
flage" official propaganda will be dis
penssd intended to prove the tre-
mendous activity that is going on,
until public attention has been SUI.
ficiently diverted TO permit the usual
underground wires TO get into action
and finally the whole thing will
sink into oblivion and collapse"
Where the facts are complicated.
the rich and powerful criminals are
not brought to justice without the
step" says Untermeyer. Cynical
and discouraging as that statement
may appear, II is sadly true.
II Congress should order an in.
vestigation OF the right kind. Un-
termeyer declares. and his services
would be Of value. he would regard
IL as a mandate which no self.
respecting member Of the Bar has
the right to refuse TO obey in view
OF the importance OF the task" 1t
would be necessary. however. he
says. to have the investigation
broadened so that II would be fear.
less and non partisan. He pointed
out In his letter that in the Puto
investigation, despite his protest
against accepting any fee. Congress
fixed his compensation at $4,000.
This was violently opposed on the
floor by the most powerful financial
interests in the country, he says.
! who raised heaven and earth TO
discredit the investigation until I
disclosed the fact that I had per.
sonally expended over $4,000 (al,
lowing nothing for my timel, as
against the $4,000 that was voted
me against my protest"
Big Scale Or Nothing.
Untermyer says II will take him
about four weeks longer TO complete
the housing investigation, at the
end OF which time he intends TO 90
abroad. An investigation properly
conducted Of the war frauds. he
points out. should require at least
three months OF careful prepara ton
before opening public hearings. His
letter concludes with this statement:
Unless Congress is prepared TO
enter upon this venture on the scale
| indicated, ! think II had better
leave the whole business alone, for
II done in a superficial way il will
result only in leaving In It's trail
withdrawing expedition, a great
| deal OF Injustice and perhaps some