OCR Text |
Show I PROSECUTIONS TO START PROIBPTLY Three Army Officers Face Trial by Recommendation of Former Justice Hughes. WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 Prosecution Prosecu-tion of the three army officers held by Charles B. Hughes, In his report on the aircraft investigation to be guilty of dealing with corporations in which they were financially interested is to be started without delay, it was said today at the department of justice. The cases may be laid before a federal grand jury in Washington. The officers are Lieutenant Colonel J, G Vincent, former vice president of the Packard Motor Car company; Lieutenant Colonel George W. Mixter, a stockholder in the Curtiss Airplane aild Motor corporation, and Lieutenant Samuel B. Vrooman, Jr., a stockholder in, the S. B. Vrooman company of Phil-j adclphia, If substantiated the charges I niade against the officers would in-1 volvc imprisonment of not more than I two years and fine of not more than $2000. Reports that other army officers 1 commissioned since the nation entered ' the war have been dealing with firms ( I are being investigated by agents of the department of justice. II was understood under-stood that the number of officers under un-der investigation is small. Secretary Baker said today he had not completed his study of Mr. Hughes' report and was not prepared to announce an-nounce his action upon the recommendations recommen-dations of Mr. Hughes that Colonel E. A. Deeds, attached to the bureau of military aeronautics, be brought to court martial for the alleged supplying of confidential Avar department information infor-mation to former business associates in Dayton, Ohio Request for an inquiry by the war department into aircraft affairs was made some months ago by Major General Gen-eral George A. Squier. Colonel Deeds and other officers, but Secretary Baker held it in abeyance until the investigation investi-gation of Mr. Hughes and the senate committee had been completed, Mr. Baker did not indicate today when the department inquiry would be started, start-ed, but ft was regarded as almost certain cer-tain that the officers request would be granted. Further investigation into conditions in the spruce producing section of the northwest, as recommended by Mr. Hughes, is to be undertaken by government gov-ernment agents, it was said today. |