Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-06-08
WAR CRAFT MADE
EASY AND LEGAL
WHY WAR GRAFTERS ARE NOT
BRIUGHT TO JUSTICE TOLD
BY GRAHAM.


stration, which was responsible for
it, and an explanation as to why the
Department Of Justice since March
4, 1921, has not beea able to bring
war grafters TO book was made on
the floor of the House by Represen-
tative Graham, of illinois. Mr.
Graham is especially qualified to
speak knowingly upon this subject
because he was a member of the
special House commission which in
vestigated the expenditures of the
War Department.. Mr.. Graham,
speaking in reply to the Democratic
queries as to why the Department
Daugherty had not initiated any
prosecutions of alleged war graftcrs,
stated that when the subject of war
graft and waste was being investi-
gated by a special House committee
the Democratic minority" in
every instance filed minority reports
and did everything they could to
obstruct the investigation and prose-
cutlon. When we put our finger on
some scalawag who had defrauded
the government and ought to have
been prosecuted the minority came
in with a report and the Secretary
of War Newton ID. Baker, appoint
ed committee to go out and white
wash him." At this point in his
remarks Mr.. Graham was interrupted
by Representative Johnson, of Miss
issippi, who asked as it not a fact
that Democrats voted for every in
vestigation?" AT this point dia
logue ensued which may. be quoted
from the Congressional Record:
"Mr. Graham, of Illinois. Oh, yes
they voted for it, but they never
voted for any recommendation for
prosecutions and the parties were
whitewashed.
"Mr Andrews, of Nebraska. Who
had the power of prosecution prior to
the 4th of March, 1921?
"Mr Graham of Illinois. 1t laid
with the Department of Justice and
the administration, but you could not
get anywhere; You could not get a
prosecution started; there was not
one. The way the records were left
when this administration came ina
confused mass of intricacy-you
could not start prosecution without
very long research.
"Mr. Longworth. Were there not
cases where important papers were
missing
"Mr Graham, of Illinois. Yes But
] did not intend TO discuss this sub
ject when / arose. Let me tell you
one thing that happened. There were
people brought before our committee
and people brought before the grand
jury out Of the War department who
were concerned with the keeping Of
these records, VINO deliberately hid
and lost papers for the purpose Of
keeping members of the committee
and officers of the Department Of
Justice from examining them.
am not saying that the prosecution
ought to be delayed, but | say that
a reasonable time ought to be given
for investigation, and then the law
ought to be enforced as quickly as
possible under the circumstances. A
great deal is being said about the
failure of the Department of Justice
to prosecute. No lawyer, care not
what his ability or standing, could
have gone into the Department of
Justice when this administration did
and, out of the utter confusion that
reigned there, had any of these high
~ important war fraud cases ready
for trial before this time. But the
country now expects vigorous action,
and | have all confidence that the
Department of Justice will respond
readily and fully to the demand.
In this connection it should be
borne in mind that the investigation
referred to in this dialogue was con-
Quoted by the Republican Congress
elected in 1913, but it was conducted
during the last two years of the Will
son adm instration when A. Mitchell
Paine was Attorney General, New
ten II. Baker, Secretary of War, ar
the Democratic administration was in
control Of all the admir- straiive Of
fices.
Representative Graham charged
that over One-half OF the money cX
pchGcd in the war, raised by sale of
be~ty bonds and taxes was I'M
ccubtedly squandered lie shovel
that under the administration of the
War department $116,l9I,974 was
spent on nitrate plants which pro-
duccd no nitratcs; S20,OO0,00O on by
product coke ovens that produced
rothing; $35,OOO,0O0 on pierre acid
plants that produced nothing; untold
millions on tanks and yet no tanks
were constructed; $116,000,000 for
poison gas and no poison gas was
obtained; $20O,OOO,O0O for powder
plants; that produced no powder
$127,O0O,O0O for port terminals that
locked no ships; $1,051, $4,000 for
aeroplanes and no aeroplanes were
produced; 81 ,2OO,O 100000 for the con-
struction of army environments in
which it is capable Of demonstration
that one-half was graft and waste.