Evening star., 1924-01-26
REVELATIONS SHOW
HARDING M|SLED IN
CURT DISMISSAL OF
BUREAU EMPLOYEES
Charles B. Brewer, Who Will
Leave Justice Department
Soon, Presented Data
Which Proved Unreliable.
CRlSSlNGER. ALSO DUPE,
AIDED TRAGIC EPISODE

Mellon. Who Had Given 20 Ac-
eused Men Clean Bill of Health
i'll Previous Inquiry.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
Within a few days there will be
dropped from the rolls OF the De
partment OF Justice special attor-
rcv named Charles +. Brewer.
Brewer is the man who persuaded
President Harding to remove, under
sensational circumstances. on March
s.. 1922, James L. Wilmeth. director
ci the bureau OF engraving and
trinting, and twenty-eight subordi-
nate officials. Brewers retirement
will ring down the final curtain on
one OF the most tragic episodes III
federal history Since they were
publicly disgraccd without stated
cause. the traduced mer aud women
have been cleared OF the stigma un-
Justly placed upon them. But their
.eXoneration cannot be made COM
plete without disclosure OF all the
incidents that led up to it. 1t has
fallen to the lot OF this writer to
lift the veil from the mystery which,
for nearly two years, has enveloped
a case that Sherlock Holmes might
have called The Amazing Affair at
the Bureau
Brewer, a young Alabamian. who
entered the government service as a
clerk in the Navy Department fifteen
wears ago, fooled President Harding
into action that the latter deplored
20 his dying day He persuaded Mr..
Harding that the bureau of engrav-
ing and printing reeked with cor
ruptiou and crime: that il was the
ssCene of irregularities in the pro-
duction Of government bonds, which
Threatened a financial panic of gi-
Eantic dimensions; and that unless
fae "rasrals'' We're turned out" in
calculablc disaster was inevitable.
I'lausiblc. apparently disinterfSted.
always dramatic, Brewer played so
,.tfectually upon the emotions and
patrioti" suSre ptibiliti"S Of the high
principlcd President. that Mr.. Hard
juS acted upon them without consul
ration either with Secretary Mellon
or with the secret service. Thr secret
service is directly charged with safe
guarding the currency and securities
OF the United states government
Proofs Without Foundation.
As all the world knows. Brewers
charges and proofs" long ago were
shown to be utterly without founda-
ton The United States government
las offered such restitution as it
could TO public servants. whose good
name was blasted by Brewers wild
accusations. On February Ii, 1923,
president Harding. convinced that
lis good faith had been imposed
upon cruelty, restored civil service
status to twenty-five of the removed
officials. Previously he had rein
stated three Women-the Misses
Maggie kerfoot. Nellie c. Wilding
eud Elizabeth NJ. Scott-in their
former Treasury posts Six weeks
before amends could be made to him
through restoration TO civil service
>,ank, one of the dismissed bureau
officials, Eugene l.. Beech. died-of
q broken heart. his friends believe.
This week another OF the maligned
tnen, George Il. SHlilllt- IOTHSFly SUI
perintendent of picture engraving,
passed away. He, too. died broken
IN body and spirit, it is thought, be
cause of the bureau AFFAIR. Smile
had been in the federal service twen-
weight years when he was sum-
y.ariIy dismissed.
President Coolidge, on Christmas
sye, 1923, took the last step by re.
storing the civil service status or
tie removed director, James l.. Will
meth, and his associate. James h.
Chamberln. About the same time,
Louis A. Hill. who succeeded MI. VII
meth as director of the bureau
rendered his resignation. Meantime,
Secretary Mellon had announced that
Tho ouStcd officials would be oHereu
either their old positions or eqdlVa-
Iant posts. James l.. Wilmeth was
Urged to retake the dictatorship, but
declined Reinstatement. He was called
10 Washington from his present head
quarters in Philadelphia, and was
personally offered his old post by
Mr. Mellon. constituting in effect a
federal government apology for the
,nistreatment given him two years
ago.
No UefectiOn on Harding.
Tho facts herein to be narrated
rast no reflection upon President
1Iardins. The President was mer-
eiIessly misinformed. He was not
fbe victim of senseless gullibility.
Mr.. Harding acted on what appeared
20 be evidence no man of presiden-
fal responsibilities could have ig-
,,ored Brewers evidence" had
been presented convincingly to two
other high officials of the United
states government. 1t had made a
profound impression upon d. Il. Girls
singer. then controller of the cur
renCy and one of President Harding's S
bosom friends and most trusted
Counselors Brewer sold his case
against the bureau officials to Mr..
Crissinger before he sold 1t at the
White House. Mr.. Crissinger was
not the only victim of Brewers per-
suasiveness outside of the executive
mansion. The leading authority in
congress on government finance,
Louis T. McFadden of Pennsylvania,
chairman of the House committee on
banking and currency, became con-
WINGED, in q spirit of genuine SINGER
sty that Brewers story seemed de-
serving of going investi-
.E:ation. Mr.. McEad6en is president
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