CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 21, 23 December 1942, Page 5

CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY

AMERICAN WAR CONTRACT'S. WASHINGTON, Dec. 21. The Federal Grand Jury indicted the Anaconda Wire and Cable Company and five of its officers on eight counts, charging conspiracy to. defraud the Government on war contracts amounting to approximately 0,000,000 dollars. The Attorney-General (Mr Biddle) Paid this was one of the most reprehensible eases of defrauding the Government and endangering the lives of American soldiers and sailors that had ever come 1o the notice of (he Department of Justice lie could conceive of noiliing more vicious of more treacherous than deliberately supplying the forces with defective war material. ~ . 'lie Justico Department said that some of the Anaconda wive was' sent to Russia resulting in a Soviet complaint. It vva's alleged that defendants removed R,e inspection labels from tested and approved wire and placed thorn on untested material. It was also alleged that, without the knowledge of the Government. inspectors, defendants seerotiy installed a transformer or circuit breaker on the insulation resistance test equipment. commonly called the button-box. * Secret manipulation of this, during tests of wire and cable resulted in inferior and defective material being passed, lie United States Army ordered Anaconda wire to he used only for manoeuvres.