The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-14
PROBE OF ACTS BY DAUGHERTY
 BEING SOUGHT New Resolution Alleges Failure To Take Ac-
 tion On Charges SAYS HE IS SATISFIED
 WITH ACCOMPLISHMENTS Gives Details Of War Fraud Cases To Coolidge In Vol
 luminous Report

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.--Attorney General Daugherty acquainted the President and the Senate today with what the department of justice is doing with respect to disposition of the many "war fraud" cases. Simultaneously there was formal move in the Senate to provide for broad injury into de- partment of justice affairs, the attor- ney general being charged in resolu- tion with failure to perform properly the duties of his office.
 The Senate resolution was offered by Senator Wheeler, democrat, Montana, and declared that MT. Daugherty had failed and neglected to press prosecu- tion in many cited instances and pro- posing to invest the Senate judiciary committee with power to delve into all phases of departmental affairs. The resolution was laid on the table at its sponsors request and may not be called up for several days.
 Denies Immunity Given
 Earlier in the day, Mir. Daugherty had sent response to the Senate reso- lution, introduced by Senator Norris, republican, Nebraska, denying emphat- ically that immunity from criminal prosecution had been promised ill the settlement of any war fraud cases pro- vided the civil liability involved was met.
 The attorney general said that while many cases had been settled without criminal prosecution, those involved in the main over-payments by. the govern ment through mistake of law or facts. He added that plain warning had been given by departmental officers in all cases that if criminal liability was de- veloped, not only what the defendants did, but what they said would be used against them in prosecutions.
 Daugherty Satisfied
 In letter to the President, Mir. Daugherty expressed satisfaction at the work of the departments war transac- ions section in disposing of the many cases that have come before it. The letter embraced volumipous report from heads of various divisions of the war transactions section, preparation of which was begun last November p.
 The President was advised by the at- torney general that there are claims by the government under consideration by which negotiations for settlement are pending involving $41, 100000, while court action is under way in other claims involving approximately $62,- 100000. The government had recov- cred to February l more than $4,5OO,. 900, MT. Daugherty's letter explained and added that more rigid work wss |impossibiS EcagSe4 of congested c0ndi tions existing in every federal court in the land.
 Two Billion Involved
 Nearly two billion dollars was in- volyed in 2,200 cases pending in the court of claims, the letter showed, and attention was called that department of justice representatives must handle the governments interest in all of them. From July 1 to December 1 last year, 3S7 of the court of claims cases were disposed of, MT. Daugherty reported, adding that while the claims were for more than $13, 900, ,000, only about three million dollars in judgments were ob- tained.
 The detailed report. signed by for mer Governor Hardwick, of Georgia, and Judges T. M. Bigger and Charles Kerr, members of the war transactions section, was compiled and collated at the direction of the attorney general, it was said, in order that Mir. Cool idge might be fully informed concern ing all phases of the departments ef- forts. MT. Daugherty, who went over himself much of the mass of data thus brought together on his recent trip to Florida, advised the President that he was able say that his directions and instructions had been fully carried out by his subordinates in handling the null hilarious questions involved.