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Show MENACCUSEI ' INDICTMENTS DY U. 3. GRAN 1 JUHY BASED ON CONTRACTS FOR ARMY CAMPS ' Former Official Under Wilson A 1 mlnlstratore Declares Ho Cave Investigators Every Assistance t Washington. Ucnodlct Crowcll, t ) sistunt secretary of war under t s Wilson ndmln'sirutlon, and s'.x "di . lnr a yoar" men nssoclatod with t t council of national dotonso woro I dieted horo by the special grand Ju Involving war fiauds on charges l conspiracy to defraud tho govornmo In construction of wnrtlmo arc i camps and cantonments, i The othor Indicted aro: William A. Ilarrctt, Morton C. Ti tie, Cloaiens V. Lundoff, Cinlr Kos'i John II. McUlbbons and Jnmos Mcars. Tho Indicted charges a consplrai to maladminlstor existing luws ni i regulations ! to control tho giving I contracts to friends, tis.-nciatOH ai i clients undor tho cost plus systo: which it Is charged rerjltcd in a lo to tho government of millions of d lars hud reduced tho morulo of lnbi Tho indictments aro tho first b salvo In Attornoy Uonoral Daughorty attack on raauy wartlmo contrac which tho dopartmont of Justlco hold aftor exhaustlvo investigation, to I fraudlent. Others aro cxpocted follow and it is estimated that tl amounts involved whon tho attorn gonoral's full program Is under wi Will run Into hundreds ot millions ' dollars. Tho indictments camo as tho r ' suit of clnsldorntlon by tho grat Jury ot a mass of ovidonco which tt attornoy general has boon gathorli for clghtoon months. It was pr soiitod by former Hoprcsontntlvo M Culloch of Ohio, now a special assle ant attornoy general. Tho indictments, charging fort Bovon overt acts and applying to a named alike, charges mat contractor their agonts, onglnoors, nrchltects at officers of tho govornmont entered, conspiracy to sot up a system protl ablo to tho contractors and projudlcl to tho government and to control tt giving of contracts to friends, ass cites and cllonts, past and prospo Uvo. Tho omergoncy construction coi mlttco of tho council of national d tonso, tho indictments chargo, wi used as tho vohlclo for carrying oi tho allogod plan. 1'ho govornmoi chargod that tho allogod conspratoi used their membership on tho cor mlttco to unlawfully influonco otht offkora ot tho Lnltcd Stntes la tt plans nnd policies for carrying oi tho wartimo construction program; I attain tho "cost plus" systom; 1 eliminate- usual safeguards for tl: govornmont and to defeat checking u and supervising tho contractors. |