Evening star., 1924-02-09
BREWER DEBATE
! OPENS IN HOUSE
BIanton Would Back Hill as
Director of Engraving
Bureau.

fore the House today when the Treas
ury Department appropriation DILL
carrying appropriation for work at
the bureau, was under consloeratioh.
Representative Thomas l. Blanton,
democrat, of Texas, asked Chairman
Madden of the appropriations commit
tee. If Louis Hill, the director of
the bureau, had not been efficient and
run the bureau economically.
chairman Madden replied yes" and
quoted figures showing that sizable
saving had been made and he COM
Juendcd Director Hill for having been
one of the best business managers
at the bureau for some time.
Chairman Madden declared that ne
was one member of the House who
would back up Mr.. Hill in holding
his job.
BlantOn Backs HILL
Representative Blanton declared
that Congress ought to go on record
as backing up the director If he has
been efficient. and referred to news
papers saying that they were hound
ing him out of his job.
Representative La Guardia of New
York, author of a resolution Seekln 6
an investigation of the bureau scan :
dial, and the purpose of Wnlch Is that
- committee of the House may get
possession of the duplicate Cancelled
bonds which he and 4 group of House
lnembers examined at a Washington
trust company two days ago. spoke
in support of his resolution.
He declared that he had seen and
had in his hands bonds that had been
duplicated. If the House will inVestl-
gate" he said, 1T will find that there
were those irregularities at the ou-
reau of engraving and printing at the
time Mr.. Brewer made his lnVestiga-
tion."
Says Expert Not Required.
He said it did not require an ex-
pert in engraving to detect the dlI-
ference in the bonds, and that at
least twenty-five members OF the
House have interested themselves in
seeing that the scandal is properly
aired and the truth disclosed.
He was questioned why the Depart
1nent OF justice mas not prosecuted II
this evidence has Deen presented.
Representative La Guafdia feplleu
that that Is what the Interested group
OF representatives IS endeaVorihS TO
ind out.
Representative Wingo of Arkansas,
u democrat, said that, speaking en-
tirely aside from party polltlcs, ne
Calmly advised the House membership
that it had better appoint small
special committee of three to five
members to end the uncertainty.
He said that this discussion over
an alleged scandal and irregularity
at the bureau ought to be settled in
a level-headed way. He warned the
republican majority that unless they
did have an investigation they would
be condemned for weakened policy
and it would be charged that they
were covering up something.
Believes No LOSS.
REPRESENTATIVE Wingo expressed
his own belief that it would be found
that the United States Treasury had
not suffered the loss of one dollar.
He believes that n fair and honest
investigation will show that the Sec
retary of the Treasury is right.
But you must protect the good
name of your Secretary of the Treas
ury," Representative Wingo said.
Representative Dyer of Missouri
also said that the investigation
should be instituted to protect the
reputation of the discharged en-
ployeS of the bureau, who had been
unceremoniously subjected to all sorts
of suspicious.
United States Attorney Gordon to-
day served notice on counsel for
Brewer that he would ask Justice
Stafford to hear next Tuesday after
noon, at 3 o'clock, the motion of the
government officials to impOund the
bonds and securities claimed by
Brewer to show irregularities in the
bureau.
Should the court take possession of
the papers. it is expected Morgan ii.
Beach, clerk of the court, would be
empowered by the court to make spe-
cial arrangements for the safety OF
the documents. He would likely rent
u safe deposit vault and assign one
of his assistants to watch over the
documents while they were being eX-
amined by counsel or by government
officials.
Effort was made today to have the
Brewer report on alleged Irregularities at
the bureau of engraving and printing
printed in the Congr Record
today but failed of unanimous con-
sent on the objection of Representa-
tive Strong of Kansas.
REPRESENTATIVE Edward J. King of
Illinois, who during the week round
ed up twenty-six members of the
House, mostly from the progressive
republican group. SO that c. E.
Brewer might have an opportunity to
protect the evidence, he says he has
collected. made the effort to print
the report. REPRESENTATIVE King
later announced he expects to be able
to accomplish this Monday.
United States Attorney Peytor
Gordon, representing Secretary Mellon
and Attorney General Daugherty and
other defendants named in Brewers
suit for injunction, yesterday filed
q motion in the District Supreme
Court to require Brewer to deposit
in the registry of the court evidence
in the bureau case.
-iffidavitS attached to the motion
set forth that it was necessary that
agents assigned to investigate the
case have access to the securities and
other documentary evidence now held
by Brewer.
Brewer was in conference with Sen
ator Caraway of Arkansas, democrat,
yesterday afternoon
Senator Caraway said, following the
conference, that Mr. Brewer had told him
u remarkable story" in which Mr..
Brewer charged that the irregularities
ment bonds were to be traced largely
to the division of loans and currency
of the Treasury Department. Mr.
Brewer said that, undoubtedly, who
larities had confederate in the bu-
reau of engraving and printing.
Further, MIR. Brewer told Senator
Caraway that spurious government
bonds mad been destroyed after being
redeemed at the Treasury, and that
others We're being destroyed.
Senator Caraway said that it was
hard to believe that any such transac-
tions could have occurred in the Treas
ury He said that he would not put
rredence in such reports unless abso-
lutte proof was placed in his hands.
He said that Mr.. Brewer expected to
have a further conference with him and
10 present data he had collected at
that time
President Has Open Mind.