The Washington times., 1922-04-25
j. s. AGENT
FIRED FOR
'sQl)EAL|NC'
Dismissal of w. o. Watts Fol-
lows His Surrender of Data
To Congressman.

The Department Of Justice has
summarily discharged w. O..
Watts because Of "disloyalty and
a breach of trust" involved in
giving information to Senators
and Congressman regarding Fed
eral litigations.
Attorney General Daugherty
"fired" Watts late yesterday
afternoon as soon as the facts
were laid before him. 1t is pos
tsible a Congressional inquiry viii
follow. =
'''e Leak" Revealed.
Two weeks ago Congressman
Royal c. johnson made a speech 10
the House in which he referred 10
the mysterious delay" in the prose
cutions OF certain alleged war profit
eers by the Department OF Justice
The speech created CONSERVATION IN
the office of the Attorney General
inasmuch as II showed that there
was a leak" in the department.
After an investigation Watts was
asked whether he had given any con
fidential information to Congress,
man Johnson. He admitted he mao
done 80 and wrote the FOLLOWING
memora ndum: IL.
II furnished MIR. Johnson with
some information. In doing TINS
was actuated in the public Interest,"
when | observed in the Consres
sionai Record that the war depart.
ment had submitted the names Oh
Major Lancelot Purcell, Quartermas
ter corps, for promotion to the grace
of lieutenant colonel. This ofncer IL
guilty OF crime in the sale OF GOV
ernment property and the aolus.
ment OF claims, involving the GOV
ernment in large losses, wnlcn
caused to be investigated by the war
Department and the Congressional
committee Of 1920, and again by the
INSPECTOR general in 1921. The proofs
were conclusive and warranted 9
court-martial and prosecution insteao
Of promotion.
/. RepOrt Given Department.
"In discussing these transactions
with Congressman johnson, the
question arose as to why prosecution
had not been instituted. i informed
him that copies Of my proof were
brought with me to the department
,,pon my employment as special
agent in 1921; that / had rendered 9
preliminary report six months later
which was sustained by an attorney
OF the Department OF Justice, and
that case had been referred tc
another attorney on March II, 1922
and was still incomplete as to all
evidence and awaiting the completion
of an ANALYSIS by me OF the inspec
tor generals report and some evi
dence yet to be obtained.
"JJpon questions by Mr.. Johnson
IL became necessary for me to inform
him that satisfactory progress on
the many war fraud cases had been
woefully impeded by lack Of com
petent organization or any definite
plan of operation. Such information
as / furnished Mr.. johnson was given
with the sole view Of obtaining cor
rectiye and constructive improve
ments in the interest of the Govern
meat. and was therefor regarded by
me as being in the real and actual
interest of the Department of Jus
tice."
Attorney General Daugherty's
letter of dismissal follows.
'You. are dismissed from the serv
ice OF this department. effective
Immediately upon receipt of this
letter. You are removed for dis
loyalty to the Department OF Just
ice, inasmuch as you knowingly and
willfully violated the rules of the
department which as you must be
aware constitutes a breach OF trust
Upon application to the disbursing
office Of this department your sal
ary Yill be paid up to this time
Congressman Roy Woodruff, OF
Michigan, has pending in the House
a resolution to investigate all the
profiteering litigation now in the
hands OF the Department Of Justice
particularly relating to war con
tracts. 1t is probable there will
be violent reaction to Attorney
General DauRherty's move I'm dis
missing q special agent because oi
conference with q member of Con
Gr009.