The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-14
HOUSE APPROVES
FRAUD EXPENSES
Committee Indorses Plea
for Money and Men to
Prosecute Graft

WAsH1NGTON. May 10. Tho
amount the government will recover
from alleged war fraud cases. win
be many times the amount granted
10 defrny expenses incident TO thclr
prosecution" tho house appropri-
alton committee declared today in
reporting a bill carrying $500. 900
for use hy the department Of Justice
as a special investigating and prose-
cutting fund.
Explaining tho need OF assistance
through money and men. Attorney
General Daugherty told the COM
mitteo. as revealed by printed hear
lngs made public today, that about
275 such cases ranging from several
thousand dollars to several million
dollars. were pending and that the
total amount involved aggregated
02,0OO,OO0.
Quick Justice Urged
Urging speedy passage of tho bill
40 that the department OF justice
might be adequately equipped "fOr
successful disposition Of the case"
the committe declared those who
had defrnudcd the government dur
ing tho war would be prosecuted to
the limit with all the vlgor the gov
ornmcnt could command, while
those upon whom unjust suspicion
might rest were entitled to know
promptly that such suspicion was
not justified.
The committee reported that the
character OF the CHses was such
that the expense OF handling them
"is greater than that OF any class OF
work tho department has to deal
with except, perhaps. antitrust
prosecutions" and that some OF the
ablcst lawyers In the country had
been engaged az counsel by those
against whom the government was
contemplating civil and criminal ac-
tion.
Wants Best Lawyers.
Mr.. Daugherty said in his testl-
mony II was his intention to engage
tho best lawyers btainable and to
investigation and prosecution OF al
legged fraud cases.
Under the bill. as amended by
tho committee, the attorney-genera
would he authorized to employ one
lawyer without Limitation as to sal
airy, hut all other salaries of lawyers.
experts or accountants would be
limited To $4,000 n year.
Rechecklng OF accounts. Mr..
Daugherty said, will Disclose many
mistakes and he predicted that many
of the persons who ala business with
the government will be coming in
now"
Anticipates Big Profit.
81 think you will agree with mo
That tho work should be cleaned
up" he added, at IL due the people
OF the country that they should
know the real history of these trans
actions. The government. I think.
will realize very material profit
on this Investment. We have gotten
to the point where we are up against
IL for money and men"
Tho attorney general declared he
was mot begging for this mohey.
adding: ut Is as much your re-
sponslbility as mine. i am Just CIV
Ing YOU my recommendation after
some experience In the matter for a
year and after consultation with
those under mo who are doing this
work"
Number OF Cases Unknown.
Representative Ryrnes. democrat.
he could say how many fraud
cases were on nand In the depart
ment July |, 1921.
81 don't know" he replied.
Tho department. he explained.
found the number constantly chang .
Ing as II received word from the wat
department that settlement had bees
completed, while his department
was still working on cases.