FRAUDS GALORE

Evening Post, Volume 65, Issue 65, 17 March 1924, Page 7

FRAUDS GALORE

OIL, AIRCRAFT. PICTURES, AND VOLSTEAD ACT.

(STDNET SUN CABLE.) (Received 17th March. 11 a.m.) WASHINGTON, 16th March. Before the Oil Inquiry Commission, Gaston B. Means, a former secret agent of the Department of-Justice,'added"fur-ther sensational evidence to that previously given. He declared that he asked for no quarter and intended' to give none. From diaries covering the past few years, lie produced evidence that he had been .acquitted on a charge of murder, and had worked as a secret agent for Britain, and then for Ger-. many, and later still for America. Ho was discharged in November, 1922, for ■which he demanded from Daugherty specific reasons. Daugherty explained that he had been too active in investigating oil matters in 'Mexico, and that another Cabinet Minister demanded his head. He took his instructions from Smith, who he often saw in Daugherty's office, TO CATCH MELLON". Witness added that Smith wanted to catch Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury, and did so. It was found that Mellon had entered into an agreement lo furnish certain permits, but lie slipped through their fingers at. that time. Witness detailed investigations in conI nection with Senators Caraway and La, Follotte, when they were "attacking Daugherty aiid the late President; Harding in Congress. He instanced how coloured servants were bribed to write down what was said at the tea table, and also to go through La Fbllette's mail. In reference to the receipt of 100,000 dollars from the Mitsui Company in connection with the aircraft frauds, for which Daugherty was being riha'rged with failure to prosecute the Standard Aircraft Company, witness said that during the recent congressional investigation of the matter the Department of Justice had agents following witnesses And investigating the affairs of various Congressmen. The Aircraft Company was trying to evade claims for 2,000,000 dollars by the Government. The company had not been prosecuted, and documents were submitted indicating that the Mitsui Company were acting as paymasters for the Japanese Government, and controlled the Standard Aircraft Company-, which was selling models of American aeroplanes to the Japanese Government. Gaston Means -further explained the permits Secretary Mellon v had issued which had to do with the liquor re.movals under the Volstead Act. Witness said that he had received probably 40,000 dollara from different people, for his services. Smith always gave him instructions alone, and never in Dau"herty's presence. He added bitterly that they knew the game. FIGHT PICTURES. Frank Quinby, a New York "movie" operator, told how the Dempsey-Car-pentier fight pictures ■ were exhibited through 30 States, though such action was in defiance of the law. He and Tex Packard entered, into an agreement with a reporter on Edward M'Lean's newspapeaand another man friend. Smith's plan was to exhibit the film in each State, first before returned soldiers' organisations, then, if the officials were complacent, other showings were made In one case they were fined a thousand dollars. Ihey. were furnished with a list of lawyers v, each Stale, through whom tlio Jegai formalities could be arranged and it worked in every case except one'