Evening star., 1924-03-01
Committee to Call
Head of Federal
investigators.
SENDING ADMITTED
BY MRS. DUCKSTEIN
Probers Will Inquire If
Publisher Is Still
Secret Agent.

y new tTdll tlldt dppSdiSd ~ iNoo
directly into the Department OF
Justice was uncovered today upon
further inquiry by the oil committee
into the famous Mclean telegrams
It turned out that one OF the
messages was sent i'll an old Depart
ment of Justice code by Mary Duck
stein, formerly secretary to William
]. Burns, chief of the department S
bureau of investigation.
Mrs. Duckstein still is listed among
the department agents, and the mes
sage she sent, when deciphered, ap-
peared to say that Burns had been
concerning himself about "the Nc
Lean investigation The message
was addressed to w. o. Duckstein
Mary Duckstein's husband and one
of NIcLean's employees at Palm Beach.
VIII Summon Burns.
When Burns is summoned to the
stand by the committee he Will be
asked not only about the telegram,
but whether Mclean himself is not
listed as one of the secret agents
OF the department. entitled to copy
of the code book.
Today Burns denied that he had had
anything to do with the oil scandal.
but declined to deny the report that
Mclean was on the list OF his agents.
Will Call Mrs. Duckstein.
Mrs. Duckstein confirmed that she
had sent the mysterious message, but
I, fur al
will be called before the committee
after it reconvenes next Tuesday.
At today's session John f. Major,
who signed most of the kilograms
sent to Mclean in Florida over COM
lnercial wires, appeared before the
committee. but threw little light on
the points that most puzzle commit
teemen. He said that all the mes
saGe5 sent over the private leased
wire to Florida had been destroyed.
Several bills have been introduced,
including the Mckenzie bill, which is
similar to the measure vetoed by
President Harding. Members of the
committee have indicated increasing
favor, however, for proposals to
make the main feature of adjusted
compensation paid-up insurance poll
C.eS. Such provisions are carried in
bills presented by Representatives
Andrew, Massachusetts, and Fish,
New York, republicans, both of whom
will appear before 'he committee.
Chairman Green favors provision
TO make the insurance apply to dis
bility cases which occurred too late
10 come under the veterans compensa-
tion act. Practically the only actual cash
outlay involved under the present plan
would be the payment of sums of $50
,rade in completing the benefits allowed
those who served for a short time.
In taking up the Legislation today
within sixteen hours after the pas
sage of the revenue bill by the House.
the committee followed the instruc-
tions of n republican party confer
ence held some weeks ago. A DEM
ocratic conference this week also
called upon the committee to report
q bonus bill.
Charged to Post.
This code message was sent on Feb
ruary and was Endorsed in red "Charge
Post, for w. Q. D." with the initials
4. d. NJ. affixed. Arthur D. Marks is
business manager of the Post.
Mr.. Burns said today that he under
stood the code employed in this mes
sage was used at one time by Depart
ment of Justice agents.
At Nominal Salary.
1t is known that in the past a
number of persons have been enrolled
as agents, at a salary of dollar a
that they shall not devote all of their
time to the work of the departme Mt
Such employees have been provided,
however. with badges, pistols and
copies of the department'S secret
code.
Committee members would not dis
cuSs this situation today, beyond say
Ing that Mr.. Burns and Mrs. Duckstein
would be questioned.
While the oil committee was ex-
H.
ployes today regarding the <mysteri-
Gus Washington-Palm Beach mes
sages. w. o. Duckstein and Mary
Duckstein were among the spectators
in the committee room.
Later they conferred with officials Of
the Justice Department, who also
were in attendance at the hearing.
Willing to Testify.
Before he had been notified that
he would be called before the COM
1nittee Mr.. Burns told newspaper men
today that he was anxious to be al
lowed to tell what he knew about a
Telegram to Edward B. Mclean, while
the latter was in Florida.
Il never gave any tips to Mclean"
he said! "The telegram ito Mclean
that 1 knew about was all right. 1t
contained no tips of any kind.
Inittee all 1 know when the time
comes.
The Department of Justice never
had anything to do with the oil
scandal or Teapot Dome," he said.
Mr.. Burns said the code used in
messages between McLean's employees
here and their employer in Florida
was not used by the bureau of in
vestigation now, although 1T still is
in use among certain of the field
agents and United States marshals
IN some parts of the country. The
code used in the Mclean wires was
discarded by the bureau of investiga-
ton when he took office, said Burns.
MESSAGES DECIDED