Evening star., 1938-04-30
32OE.b. |. AGENTS
co ON FURL0UGH
F0RMONTHTODAY
Many Probes Are Suspended
in Drastic Move to
Meet Deficit.
HOOVER MAKES URGENT
PLEA FOR MORE FUNDS
Emergency Economy Orders
Curtail G.Men's Travel and
Living Expenses.

Half of the Nation wide force Of $40
G-men will go on months furlough
at the close Of business today, due to
lack Of funds with which to carry on
full-time operations during the re-
mainder of the fiscal year.
OF the 800 special agents furloughed
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
for the next month. IL are attached to
the Washington field division, head
quarters of which are in the Depart
ment Of Justice Building. A score OF
the employees of the fingerprint divi-
sion here have been dismissed recently
and no requirements will be made for
an indefinite period
Meanwhile, Department of Justice
officials have been making a desperate
final effort to obtain deficiency ap-
preparation to meet the sits, 900 deficit
incurred by the bureau as a result of
mounting crime investigations, in
cluding the Mattson, Fried and Levine
kidnapings and other special cases.
Hoover Makes Plea.
The Executive Committee Of the
District Department of the American
Legion passed resolution demanding
that President Roosevelt and Con-
gress provide the needed extra funds,
pointing out that the F. B. I. is the
keystone Of national law enforce
ment In criminal fields"
j. Edgar Hoover, director Of the
F. B. l., made an urgent plea to the
Budget Bureau for more funds at a
special hearing Thursday, it was
learned today. The attitude Of Budget
Bureau officials could not be learned
The emergency economy orders for
the F. B. I. include curtailment of
travel and per diem living expenses
Of G-men. The overnight slashing in
half Of the investigative force and re-
striction on travel and other expenses
cripples the bureau severely at time
when more than 10000 Investigations
are pending in all parts of the country,
with more than 5000 cases waiting to
be assigned.
Investigations on which the 800 fur
loughed agents were working will be
suspended until they return. These
cases include bank robberies, extortion,
white slavery, bankruptcies and sundry
other crimes within the Jurisdiction
Of the F. B. I.
Orders were issued today for the i'm
mediate closing Of field offices in
Hawaii and>Alaska, bringing to five the
number of branches abandoned within
the past few weeks in the interest Aof
economy.
AZ soon - the 800 agents return
from their furloughs on May 30 the
other half of the force will go on fur
Tough until the end OF the current
fiscal year, July /.
In this way Mr.. Hoover hopes to
make up the sl0s,ooo deficit for the
year remaining after a credit of $65 900
from next years appropriation is
spent in advance Of July /, under
special authority granted by Congress.
Mr.. Hoover has asked the Budget
Bureau for S6,474,905 for next year,
but budget officials recommended to
Congress only s6,o43,2O0. which was
the sum granted in the appropriation
bill. The deduction Of the s65,Q00
credit from next years appropriation
will leave the bureau with nearly
$4,000 less than it started out with
this fiscal year.
Situation Deplored.
The plight of the G-men has
brought storm of protest to Govern
ment officials and to the Capitol. it
was learned. The District Of Co.
lumbia Department of the American
Legion today sent to the White House
and Congress copies Of special reso-
lutions deploring the situation and
urging appropriation of adequate
emergency funds to operate the F. B.
l., the keystone Of national law en-
forcement in criminal fields, at maxi
mum efficiency during the remainder
of the present fiscal year."
The departmental resolutions also
urged that the national headquarters
Of the American Legion take similar
action.
Chairmen Of Appropriations Com
mittees Of the House and Senate also
have received resolutions of the Ma
tional Society of the Daughters Of
the American Revolution requesting
support Of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in the development Of
its important work."