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WOULD BAR SALE n OF WAR GOODS TO EX-SERVICE MEN! Rep. Graham Seeks Speedy Action on Hill Following Disclosures. MICH FRAUD EXPOSED Federal Suit for Recovery of Exorbitant Claims Also to He Urged. This is the tenth of a series o1 articles published by The New York Herald detailing governmental conditions in Washington and outlining fpospective legislation to remedy affairs. Special Despatch to The Nbw Yo*k Washington, Dec. 14.?a bill making it a crime for any former member of the Army, Navy or Marine Corps to buy or lease any property, real or personal. Bold by the United States Government will be Introduced during the present short session and immediate consideration urged. Representative William J. Graham, Republican (111.), chairman of the select committee on expenditures of the War Department, will confer with- ) in the next day or two with members of the Military Affairs Committee and j KUies v-omnmi.ee 01 me riouse wim n i view toward getting speedy action on the bill. Chairman Graham told a j f Combination S Sitrer-plated AutoStrop , special shaving hrosi shaving aoap in silver tubes; twelve blade selected leather strop, ap prepared. Light and t Dollars. Sterling Silver Set Sterling silver AutoStro, Rat or; twelve blades 11 sterling silver contajner 1 se le c t ed le a t h e r vtrnn j specially prepared. In fines trade black or bro ?i calfskin case, velvet lined Twenty-five Dollars, /4ut ^iip ..... i . . >... ^ ,, .. .., . ; 'representative of The New York Herw.nto-iliiv th.it he was moved to this course a a result of the disclosures his committee had made of the conditions of certain contracts for the disposal of surplus war material in which former service men were interested and ir. which the profits to the contractors appear to be out of all proportion to the service rendered to the Government. ' Representative Graham will shortly | go to Marion for a conference with i President-elect Harding. He will urge i upon Mr. Harding the desirability of appointing under the new Attorney-General a special assistant, whose sole duty will be to prosecute those who. It is alleged, have defrauded the Government and In cases where exorbitant claims already have been paid, to start suit for recovery. One of the chief influences that has moved Mr. Graham to seek immediate remedial action with respect to this state of the affairs of the Government which the new Administration will inherit from the old is the Information I that has come to him from a number 1 of army officers themselves, who have been connected with the Claims Board of the War Department. Under existing piovlsions the War Department's Claims Board will pass out of existence soon after January 1 next. But officers with knowledge of the actual validity of numerous claims that have been allowed in connection with contracts for war material have appeared before the committee on war exnenriituresi and the House Appropria tlons Committee requesting that further | emergency appropriations be made to continue the board so that certain 01 these claims can bo reopened and awards more equitable to the Government arrived at. "I haven't the slightest doubt." said Representative Graham, "in view of testimony adduced before this committee that the Governrm nt has been victimized to the extent of hundreds of millions of dollars by allowing claims that, to use tiie most charitable term, are nt least erroneous. I b< lieve much of this amount can be recovered, but It will require an energetic and vigorous effort on the part of the Attorney-General. For this reason I intend to take up with Mr. Harding as soon as possible the question of the appointment of a sprcinl assistant to the new AttorneyGeneral. who will be placed in charge of this work and who will take advantage ' j Combination S LJ'Ij i*l Gold-plated AutoStror I peiul bhavmil brush ' ih/iving soap in Aotd-t tubes; removable be bplato mirror; twelve i end selected leather specially prepared. In leather case. Thirteen Half Dollars. fff ' " - &v ! J" ; t "** *. ; / I' "tx w | . p f- T^.-r^rr^ 1< UTOLIUp 1 a razor and stropping device cc ?saves constant blade cxper ? ? ? THE NEV of the Information unearthed by this committee. "There are now pending before the Claims Board of the War Department about 30o claims atiarri ratine approximately $600,000,000, w ith a probable liability to the Government of $00,000,000 or $100,000,000. It is the opinion of this committee that these eiaims should be turned over to the Court of Claims and thut any further adjustments of war contracts should be made by a court of record." Some interesting facts in connection with the War Department's practice of settling claims for contracts cancelled idiiuwir.k uir uituihiiti. ti 11 fj :it me mime time expending money from the W?r Emergency Appropriation for the same sort of material covered In the contracts Is disclosed In the report of the subcommittee on Foreign Kxpenditures, of which Representative Royal C. Johnson (Rep., S. D.) is chairman, which is now before the full committee. The report shows that while a claim was paid to a corporation manufacturing the "Militor" truck for the cancellation of a contract involving 1,000 trucks, and while large numbers of trucks were being returned-from France, the department went ahead and ordered 75 additional new trucks at a cost of $8,000 each. The original requisition called for 150 of these new trucks, but a strenuous protest by Quartermaster-General H. L. Rogers, In a letter dated October 11, 1919, probably resulted In cutting the order In two. In any event the War Department last February contracted for "5 of these trucks, and The New York Herald has been Informed that the order has not been cancelled. The report of the subcommittee on Foreign Expenditures on this transaction I follow s In part: ii is> toiuuioucu in eviuenoe mat wo still have on hand at least 6,800 first (lass tractors for the hauling of guns and an abundance of trucks and tractors for general military purposes. It Is also established that these gun tractors are better than any that the Allies used in the war. With the most libera, allowance for tractors for ordnance purposes, even to meet a motorization programme far larger than any contemplated, ordnance experts testify in effect that the number of military tractors we now have on hand, of excellent quality, will be sufficient to equip an army three or four times as large as our post-war army Is going to be. Notwithstanding such an ample supply, the Secretary of War in February of this year, over the objection of the Quartermaster-General, approved an order for 75 trucks known as the 'Milltor' at a cost of $8,000 each. Bring Chris ei OPENED morningHow oft &tj\ Don't let that h him this year. \\ There is one g day?that will e have in shaving. ' j Unstropped re ?scrape?cause al troubles once 1 Christmas. It v clean as his first! >et Built right in1 simple, efficient 5 bi'dJi blade. It renews *bu?i the blade or tak and a ?< . . This uniaue r day?a present every morning. The new De this page are e: Any man will b distinctive outfii Make your gii ;9 your dealer tod? jjj shown on this ps Flat Metal Set Silver-plated AutoStrop Resort twelve blades in silver-plated blade container; selected JR. leather strop, specially tif prepared. In flat silver-plated "j case, handsome ribbon design, IhJ engraved top, velvet lined. .J Ten Dollars. lazor mbined \se ijL Standard Set ' \L Sif*ar-plat?d AutnStrop Kaaor twalrm bind*' and nolmctai >7 leather a trop, apaciallj ifc?"" praparad In aoft laathar oaaa ralrat linad C.aia onmai i? black, maroon, rad, groan 01 blue. Fir a Dollata V YORK HERALD, WE totalling, with additional tires and spare \ G l arts, $726,000. This purchase U or- ^ dtred to be made out of War Emergency Appropriation. "In 1917 the Commanding General of IS the A. E. F". asked that a standard truck be designated to meet the mll.tary conditions abroad. The War Department thereupon proceeded to work out ; and adopt a design which came to be known, and Is now known hh the Mill- [ tor. and the Mllitor Corporation proceeded to make six of such trucks for experimentation and test at an expense | = of $.739,003.31. The department decided ; to use large numbers of this truck. It j did so, however. In the face of opposl- j ; tlon from some of the leading makers ; of truck#. "The net result Is ttiftt the department has paid out to the Militor Corporation a total of $1,230,213 for seventy-five ; trucks, whereas the same company offered to produce 500 trucks for only $274,000 more. Eighty-one Mllitor ; trucks are to cost the Government ; ' $2,063,003.20. Of these only six have ; been delivered. It is to be remembered, too, that this Is the truck that was re- : quested by the army in France In Sep- :: tember, 1917, for its urgent needs. "It is clear to the committee that the ; Mitltor trucks recently ordered are not needed by the army. The department In un orgy of money spending, recommended the purchase of 150 of them. Seventy-five, however, were ordered In the face of the opposition of the yuartermaster-fJeneral. "Here at home we are buying trucks we do not need here, whereas In France we sold trucks without retaining any whatever for the removal of our dea l from their resting places on the battlefield to the ports of embarkation." An English W By EVELYN, Prir The Evening Post says "almost alone o of the enemy country, her diary is neither envenomed by partisan intention. . . . Informal, rac personal incident with political h: $6.00. It should be on sale in your t E. P. DUTTON & CO., G8 back h tmas sn my day with a word of thanks on ?the next day put aside an< en that is the fate of an illi ^ 1 o i _ * appen to tne v^nristmas presei ;ift that will save him discomfc liminate the needless trouble s< \zor blades grow dull quickly { tersmart and burning. To end t or all get him an AutoStro; /ill give him every day a shave shave with a new blade, to the frame of the AutoStro] stropping device which quickly: the edge in a few seconds withe ing the razor apart, azor is a gift a man will enjo that will bring back his Chr Luxe AutoStrop Razor sets c specially appropriate for Chri no Vi o nrvxr f a nti/n aaa nf 1 I ts. Ft this Christmas an AutoStrop ly to show you the AutoStrop age as well as others he may fa ' (In rtton, tin * , manufactured # trademark "V, trademark " Ai r indication th productt of th Company, New ) DNESDAY, DECEMBER 1 a i A GIFT OF LASTING VALUE I I A Christmas present that E a introduces your son to ? 3 sound principles of invest- g" ment is a gift of lasting E value. Our 5y/i% Guaran- ? teed Mortgage Certificates r? ^ are unsurpassed for safety El and certainty of income [| and they never depreciate. g 3 Thov make an ideal <Jifr ft 3j J - *?-- - BW 3 to a boy who will later have g sj money of his own to in- [a vest. $200 and upwards. | LAWYERS TITLE 1 & TRUST CO. 160 Broadtfav, New York E 188 Montagus 5t, Brooklyn 44 Court St, Brooklyn j| 3 367 Fulton St.. Jamaica, M. Y. [S :?:i K. M9tli St.. N. V. ra] 1354 Bruadwiij, MrookJye r? a] 100 Main St., W. Plain*, N. t. gL a m jjiBi5J3rr9i9r9JPJiy9JS?9j^[2^j?j2j2!2!2!2!2!i2 FOR CHRISTMAS GIVE I LE2 WILSON DODD'S Book of Snsan I 12.00. If not on sale In your book store I can be had front E. P. DliTTON & CO., 681 5th Ar.. N. Y. j? a a wa l I i. II He in nerun icess BLUCHER f the chronicles that have come out presents a portrayal of events that s. o nor warped by propagandist y < * the moment, lively in mingling lppening." ookslore; if not, can be had from 5! I Fifth Ave., New York is lile i j f i Christmas d forgotten, chosen gift! its you give >rt day after d many men ind pull and hese shaving p Razor for : as cool and i Razor is a sharpens the >ut removing y day after istmas smile described on stmas gifts. 2 handsome, Razor. Ask > Razor sets we in stock. opa, hladaa, ate , haraattar by in we thall apply tha ntet" in addition to tha itnStrop" aa an additional at they are th? genuine o AutoStrop Safety Fa tor York. 1 |l 5, 1920. ++4 9 F ranee ^ 4-L ^ i. t uure me Drum: Just as we needed France before the armistice, so she needs us to-dav--To help her people to help themselves, To provide nurses for children dazecl by four years of privafion-and for the care and education of expectant mothers, I 7 ? To supply looms and sewing machines, | To start schools of domestic science and manual training, To grant loans of money to farmers and merchants against the war indemnities which Germany, under the Treaty, must be forced to pay. To rloiro 1 rtr\ +110 Hov Soonfc o-P TTN'o-n/io rVio r\-P JL. KS UV*ViV|^ VllV i-?VJ KJVV/UtO \J 1 X 1 CX I I V/t 1 V/X IH^ OUIWJ U.I the men of to-morrow. To install library rooms replacing the complete destruction of books, To provide tools, seeds, building materials to recon- 1 struct homes, schools, churches and farms. What did we here in New York know of the complete devastation of war? In the four counties of France where this Committee's work is concentrated the destruction was com- j plete. , Of P rance's 1,500,000 dead, more than 600,000 men j came from the desolated areas. But France is still fighting-?fighting back to | peace. This isn't charity?it's an investment in mankind! The French are rebuilding and repaying. They pay back their loans as soon as they get a new foothold. Since this Committee's work began in 1917, it has received 11,000,000 francs in contributionsIt has spent 15,000,000 francs and? It still has on hand 1,000,000 francs! i Yes?the French repay! All they need is help to help themselves! But never was the need so great. .More counties call for help. New York won't fail to answer. Never before since 1917 has this Committee asked the New York public for a penny. But to-day?this week?it asks for $250,000. Think of your own home and what it was spared? think of those other homes in France and what they withstood? Then invest in the new generation of France! American Committee For I Devastated France, Inc. Make checks payable to Joseph R. Swan, Treasurer, American Committee for Devastated Space donated France Campaign Fund, Guara welt-know tr??' anty Trust Co., 140 Broadway, rnmpar- Depository. I