Evening star., 1923-02-17
DRY LEAGUE HEAD
WARNED TO TALK
Prosecutor Threatens Ander-,
son if He Continues Hamper
ing Inquiry Into Funds.
MAY CALL GRAND JURY
New York Superintendent's Ac-
ouracy Questioned by District
Attorney.
MAY CALL GRAND JURY
Rr the Associa ted Press.

By the Associa ted Press.
NEW YORK, February lift Will
liam II. Anderson. state superintend-
ent of the state Anti-Saloon League,
continues to hamper official inquiry
into his financial records, Ferdinand
Pecora, acting district attorney, is
prepared to pursue the inquiry in
some other>way," he declared in a,
letter to Edgar T. Bracket, counsel
for Anderson.
Mr.. Pecora declined to reveal. how
ever, whether the "other way" he
had in mind was the grand jury
method. He expressed grave doubts
as to the accuracy" of Anderson's
story of how he obtained s4,7o0 to
advance the league for publicity"
and Of how he spent the money.
Profits of Real Estate Deal.
The letter said Mr.. Anderson told
Mr.. Pecora that the money repre-
.ented profits on personal real estate
transactions while he was head OF the
Maryland branch of the Antt-Saloon
League. Details of the transactions
had been withheld, as had been the
names OF persons to whom Mr.. Ander-
son had paid the money, the attorney
declared.
The letter made public for the first
time what had been brought out In
the inquiry CONDUCTED by Mr.. Pecora'
licitor for the league. had charged tne
superintendent with splitting COM
missions on contributions.
Anderson's Statement.
Mr.. Anderson has declared to me,
tho letter said, that the moneys were
paid out by him in currency from
time to time to certain persons whose
Identities he will not disclose; that
these payments were made for pun
ltcity work on behalf of the league;
that he has no vouchers or written
records of any kind which would
show the respective dates and speclnc
amounts of such payments. and that
he cannot from memory give such
data; that he cannot produce a single
copy or piece of printed matter that
was used in such publicity work; tnat
all of such moneys came from ms
personal means. which he did not
keep In any bank or other such de-
pository, but which he kept in a safe
in tho office of the respective head
quarters of the league In the states
of Maryland and New York; that he
made such expenditures upon his own
initiative and judgment and without
his having consulted the board Of d.
rectors of the league with regard to
them"
Declined to Tell of Friend.
'.Mr. Anderson's statements" the
letter continued, were, that for sew
eral years prior to his assuming the
York state. on January 1. 1914, he
had been the superintendent OF the
league in the state of Maryland; that
his salary was $4,000 per year; that
during that period he maintained
personal deposit account in bank;
that he had acquired the sum of $24.-
700, not as the result of savings from
his salary. but from certain invest
ments which yielded him profits some
what in excess Of $24.70N; that most
of said investments were In realty;
that he could not give me the loca-
tion even as to county or state OF
any parcel of realty involved in any
such investments; that he could not
refer me to any public records show
ing the realty transactions; that he
had no written data which would en-
able him to give any of the details of
any such investment; that such in
vestments were made for him and for
his exclusive benefit by a friend
whom he knew in Baltimore; that
these investments were made by such
friend with funds furnished exclu-
sively by his friends. and that all
the profits therefrom were given to
Mr.. Anderson; that not dollar of
such profits was paid to him in the
that all were paid to him in currency;
that he did not deposit any of these
profits in his existing bank account,
but kept such currency in safe
in the office Of the league.
Thereupon, in order to obtain con-
frmation Of Mr.. Anderson's state
ments, I asked him to reveal the
identity of the friend who made the
investments referred to. This is ono
of the questions which Mr.. Anderson
declined to answer"