Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-23
MILLER IN DENIAL,
IS VERY EMPHATIC
Corrects MIsstatements and
Erroneous Conclusions of At
tacking Congressman.

Special Correspondence Every Evening.
Washington. June 2s.-JThe attack
on Alien Property Custodian Thomas
w. Miller In the house yesterday after
noon naturally created much com
ment, in Official circles. Congressman
Woodruff also included former Allen
Custodians A. Mitchell Palmer and
Francis p. Garvan in his criticism or
charges Of maladmin1stration.
Directly after the attack our cor
respondent had an interview with MIR,
Miller who presented the following
statement, making general denial of
the charges and explaining wherein
Woodruff had made erroneous charges
or drawn wrong conclusions. Mr.. Mil
ler's statement follows:
AT no time was ] ever an officer or
director OF the Chemical Foundation
TO my knowledge. / was informed that
the Board of Directors OF the Chemical
Foundation had elected me an official,
and through no fault OF mine or any
other responsible party involved. my
name was placed on the door Of the
Foundations Office in New York. I'M
mediately upon hearing of this. l di-
rected that my name be removed. /
am not Offering this as an explana-
| ton, but as n statement OF facts.
| THE Alien Property Custodian is not
personally or officially related In any
way to those interests In the State Of
Delaware or elsewhere, who are fur
therinS the so-called dye embargo, 1t
would seem TO be unnecessary for a
public official to dignity by denial such
baseless, personal charges.
ut was stated that this Office has
not taken action TO reopen and prose-
cute certain alleged transactions car
ried on by this Office under the pre-
vious administration. The entire per-
sonnel OF this office. which ia consid-
erably les sin number than before
March 4. 1921. is fully engaged in
handling current and daily problems
that are presented 10 us in the ad-
ministration of the thirty-one thou
sand active trusts now handled by this
office. The office is not equipped
either with appropriation OF money by
Congress. or in personnel, to turn
itself into a District Attorneys or
Prosecuting Attorneys Office. These
functions are delegated TO the De
partment OF Justice and TO Congress
IL II so Desires through select or other
committees of that body. and we have
always complied with any request for
information or cooperation from,
either of these Government agencies in
this particular.
IF any mistakes have been made
by this office under the present in
cumbent, we will be only too glad tc
correct such errors. should they come
to our attention by public notice o,
as a result OF our own investigation.
last June when the peace resolu-
ton was pending before the Houses
of Congress-. this Office was requested
> OF discuss the then pending resolution
with the members of the respective
committees In the House and Senate
for the purpose OF suggesting certain
: amendments 10 the resolution vital,
affecting the administration Of tn,
Trading With the Enemy act A mum
5 Der Of amendments were suggested
= The ones In which this office was IN
? terested. were those that would con
ttnue the authority of the Alien Prop
erty Custodian In following UP de
nands for property not then reduced
r TO possession, but which under the stat
! utes and precendents, were in tn
D same category as property that hat
= been surrendered in response 10 pre-
vious demands. II such an aInendmen
o had not been inserted. those who ha,
. obeyed the provisions of the Aliel
Property Act by reporting and sur
. rendering enemy property, would hav
been penalized. while those who ha,
disobeyed the law or evaded It's pro
visions by refusing 10 comply wit
just and proper demands OF the Gov
ernment, would have been immune
II was. therefore, essential to this OF
fee that the language in the Peac
Resolution protect and guarantee. b
in compliance with demands serve
before July .. 1921 for the surrende
of property. The fact remains tha
e We have obtained the amendments tha
s we wanted. The inference drawn wit
q gard TO the other amendments, whic
were not finally incorporated in tn
Il Peace Resolution. is untrue.
d Congressman Woodruff in hi
Q