The Washington times., 1924-03-03
HISTORY OF
BONDS IS
TRACED
Congressman Testifies al
Hearing On His Resolution
Asking Probe.

sensational evidence regarding
the duplication of bonds at the
Bureau of Engraving and Print
ng was today presented to the
louise Rules Committee at its
opening hearing en- the King reso-
ution, providing for, investigation
If the Treasury Department and
Department of Justice.
King Chief Witness.
Congressman Edward j. King Of
Illinois, author of the resolution
and chairman of a voluntary in
Vestigating committee. was the
chief witness. King took up in
detail the entire history of the
bond duplication cases.
He declared that President Hard
ing in discharging the twenty.eight
bureau of Engraving officials and
employees on March 81, 1922. had
been acting with his usual care
and knew exactly what ne was
about.
King explained that President
Harding had learned that Charles
b. Brewer had been assigned by
the Department of Justice as q
special Investigator in the bond
cases. He stated that Harding had
called Brewer to him and told him,
Go out and get the truth and IL
there are any blocks put ia your
way let me know"
BLOCKS had been put in Brew
earG and m
occasion President Harding had re-
moved them"
Congressman King declarde that
on the last Sunday in December,
1922, a meeting was called at the
private office of the President on
the second floor Of the White
House, "a meeting which is bound
to become celebrated in history"
Proofs Were Shown.
THE purpose for which it was
called" Congressman King stated,
was to show Secretary Of the
Treasury Mellon, and Attorney
General Daugherty the proofs
which had been disclosed to the
President, and his assistant, Mr..
Brewer.
There were also present S.
Parker Gilbert, now undersecretary
OF the Treasury; w. H. Broughton,
commissioner of the public debt:
Elliott Wadsworth, Assistant Sec.
rotary of the Treasury; William H,
Moran, chief Of the secret service
OF the Treasury. and Mr.. Brewer.
Brewer exhibited the proof of the
duplication of bonds and the further
evidence that the numbering could
not in any way be made by
machine repeating, because the
numerals on the duplicate bonds
were Of type of different fonts.
Brewer called to the stand, de-
clared that he had in his possession
above $1,000,000 worth Of duplicate
bonds. He submitted photostatic
copies of a number Of these bonds.
Congressman King stated that an
inventory Of these bonds is now
being made and he will submit n
report to the committee within a
few days.
Either there has been one huge
mistake on the part of the engrav.
ing and printing in permitting the
duplication Of these bonds-showine
-eprehensible negligence or there
as been organized the greatest ring
fleece the government that this
'vernment has known" King de.
AIRED.
BIames Loans Division.
Attempts to trace down RESPONSE.
tlity for the duplication Of bonds
the division of loans and cur.
9ncy were made by Brewer at the
earring.
Brewer testified that extraction Of
-iginal bonds and substitution of
curious bonds could only. have
lken place in the division Of loans
nd currency. He also charged that
his division had illegally DESTROYED
22,OOO,O 900 worth of bonds, much
( which should have been pre-.
erved as evidence. He declared
hat the office Of the registrar alone
ad the power to order this de.
truction.
Brewer charged that the Gov.
rnment had paid at least 81, OOO, 900
vice on duplicate bonds, according
evidence which he has in his
possession.
He told the committee that the
hole system Of safeguarding
curities broke down during the
uance Of liberty bonds and that
zee separate checks on the paper
q finished bonds were at com.
to variance and that a fourth
sck which agreed with none of
others was accepted as accurate.
charged that during the past
" weeks he has been unable to
,ure satisfaction from Officials at
Treasury Department and that
re In "a stone wall around AZ.
ney General Daugherty" THROUGH
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