The Washington herald., 1922-06-10
Arrest of Phillips Is
Branded in House
AS "Frame-Up."
DECLARED MOVE
TO "LULL PUBLIC"
Transfer of Bootlegger to
Hospital Compared to
Morse Case.

Criticism of Attorney GeneraI
Daugherty for his conduct OF the
war fraud cases broke out with re-
newed vigor yesterday in both
branches Of Congress.
Senator Caraway. Democrat or
Arkansas. nayed Mr.. Daugherty for
an alleged order issued at tie De-
partment OF Justice transferring
Harry Brolaski, convicted bootleg
gers leader In San Francisco. from
the FEDERAL penitenttary at Nc
Neirs Island to a hospital for treat
ment. CarawRy held UP the case OF
Brolaski as analogous TO that OF
c. w. Morse. whose release from
the Atlanta penitentiary. partially
through the efforts Of Attorney
General Dsugherty. while a prac
ticing attorney. has been under Ere
for weeks.
Attorney General Daugherty's IA
vorable action on Brolaskis appIi-
cation for a transfer. Caraway de
clared, was taken after the plea
OF the bootlegger had been turned
down as totally unworthy" by the
judge who sat in the case. by the
district attorney at san Francisco
and by State and Federal prohibi-
Mon agents.
Hfts st Phillips Case.
Reading from a newspaper story
which quoted Mr.. ~ugherty as
81. .OoO, 900 for his Job. now" Car
away declared. Apparently the At
torney General is getting on to tho
opportunities offered by his ONCE"
In the House. open charges were
made from both sides of the party
fence that the present activity or
the Department OF Justice in the
war fraud cases n blind" de-
signed to quiet suspicion and iun
public criticism
The attack was started by Rep
resentative Larsen, Democrat. OF
Georgia 1mpugning the motives OF
the Attorney General IN ordering
the arrest of John L Phillips. rich
Georgia lumber man. on charges Of
defrauding the government on war
contracts. Larsen declared. 1T Is
apparent that the whole thing was
staged with the view OF gettine
newspaper publicity and divertinE
public opinion.
Prepared for Arrest
Il doubt very much" said Larsen.
whether Il is the purpose OF the
Department of Justice. especially
the Attorney General. TO indict
Phillips. In my opinion. HIS arrest
was simply q big scheme to shield
the Attorney Ge enerai against the
attacks that have been centered on
him.
We were well prepared in ad-
vance for what Attorney General
Daugherty did. For several davS
the public had been prepared f-r
II. We were told that a great
sensation was in store for US. that
some prominent ofacial was going
to be prosecuted and prosecuted
with bells on. These reports eula-
mated from the Attorney Generals
office and were published through
out the country.
Well. IL turned out that a Re-
publican was selected. Repub-
lican from away down in Georgia.
where there are no Republicans 10
be offended, where there exists no
Republican party and never will be.
and, Of course, as a part OF the pro
gram he had to be arrested not
for the purpose Of prosecution but
for the sole purpose Of divertsnR
public attention. Quite a perform
ance."
~FrameCp.-. He s.y..
Representative woodruf. ,oInt
author OF the woodrurf-Jobn.on
fraud resolution recently killed hv
administration leaders. also denied
the sincerity OF the Attorney GEN
erals campaign on war grafters.
He declared information had come
to him from reliable sources TO ne
effect that the Phillips arrest was
framed up" between the lumber
man and the Department Of Justice.
Displaying Newspaper accounts
giving notice that Phillips was TO
Ing to be arrested. woodruT said
that IF the Department of Justice
adopts as permanent policy the
course pursued in the Phillips case.
IL will probably result in a LOT ~
culprits getting out Of the country
before they can be caught"
I want 10 say. however" contIn-
ued Woodruff, that In this particu-
lar case / do not think any damage
was done. for the reason that on.
week before news that Phillips wa.
going to be arrested was given
through the press. IL came to me
through three very reliable chan.
nhN HNdNeo TO some
Of his Intimate friends that condI-
tions had become such on Capitol
Hill that he probably would have
TO be indicted, But that Il would
not 60 any further than that.
want 70 notify the Department Of
Justice here and now that I shall
watch developments IN this case
very. very carefully"
Sees Need for Probe. Es.r
Declaring that Attorney Generai
DauGherty was In once fourteen
months without taking action
against war criminals. woodruff de-
clsred. 'it seems to me that these
teverish preparations now going on
have for their Immediate object ~s>rs :
iulling to sleep Of an expectant
public
A Congressional Investisati ton into
the war frauds. Woodruff asserted. is
{ Just as necessary now as II was two
months ago. During the past two
months have cited on the floor
case after case which have lain IN
the archives OF the Department Of
Justice for periods ranging from one
month TO more than a year without
step having been taken 20 protect