Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-25
FRAUD CHARGED
IN 100000
SUITS BY j. 6.
Government Sues Can
torment Builders in
T Four States.

Washington, Nov. 24.-(By The As
| ISOLATED Press.)-Legal action to re-
cover more than 500 O0, 900 alleged to
| have been obtained fraudulently from
the government in the construction OF
four army environments during the va
was instituted Friday by Attorney
General Daugherty as the first forma!
step in a ~far-reaching prosecution Of
those who held contracts for the build
ing of war camps.
The four suits, began Friday. were
filed simultaneously in United states
district courts in four states and IN
volve charges of fraud in connection
with the construction OF lamp Upton,
n. Y, Camp jackson, $. c.: Camp
Sherman. Ohio. aud Camp Funston,
Kansas. Other civil actions and pos
sibly criminal prosecutions are to fol-
low, it was said at the department of
justice, involving a total of more than
$75,OOO,0OO and reaching into virtually
every part of the country.
In each Of the four cases the suit
was filed against the prime contrac-
tor reported for construction of the
camp The four defendant concerns
and the amount the government seeks
to recover from each are the Thomp-
son-Starrett company. builders of
Camp Upton, 100000; the Hardway
Contracting company, builders Of Camp
Jackson, So. 800, 900: A. Bentley &
Sons, builders of Camp Sherman. So
600, 900, and George A. Fuller COM
pany, builders of Camp Funston, ST.
900. 900.
More Action Coming
The Camp Upton suit was filed at
the attorney generals direction at
Brookline, n. Y; the Camp Jackson
suit at Columbia, s. c.: the Camp
Sherman suit at Columbus. Ohio, and
the Camp Funston suit at Topeka.
Kansas. 1t was indicated that similar
actions would be brought at these
places later against minor construct
ing firms who helped in the construc-
ton of the four camps, and that should
any criminal action be sought the
evidence would be placed before the
war frauds grand jury now in
session in the District Of Columbia.
The bills of complaint drawn up Mt
the department of justice as a result
Of more than a year of investigation
are virtually Identical of the four suits
filed Friday and allege that the de-
contractors and their agents
were guilty Of fraud. gross negligence,
inefficiency and waste III their reIa-I
with the government at & time
government officials were I'M
because of the stress of the war
to fully inspect the work of construc-
ton.
At such a time, the complaints de-
the defendants betrayed the trus..
placed by the government in their
patriotism and conniyed to render a
minimum of return for the money they
received. The result, it is charged. was
lot only a loss of q large percentage
IF the funds invested by the govern
in its army camps, but also en-
1arrassment and delay in the nations
for prosecuting the war,
Half of Value Involved
In the case of Camp Jackson. the
sum fixed by the government i~nvesti-
as recoverable and named in
he suit against the Hardway com
,any is more than half the total cost
# the camp, while in the other three
asses the amounts asked for are close
40 per cent of the whole construc-
ion outlay. Camp jackson cost the
government $12.710,720; Camp Upton