MILLIONS IN BRIBES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1386, 12 March 1912, Page 5

MILLIONS IN BRIBES.

SENSATIONAL TRIAL IN RUSSIA. CORRUPTION IN THE ARMY. By Teleerapu-Presß Areociation-CoDyrißhl St. Petersburg, March 10. Tho trial is taking place of four colonels and two lieutenant-eolonels on charges of corruption in connection with the Army Supply Department. Kvidciico was given that Tiel and Company spent Jii.OOO.OOO in bribes in twenty, iivo years. A single bribe sometimes amounted to JC2500. "TRIAL OF TIU? Cfi." Tho "trial of Ihe lie," ns it i s popularly called, reveals (said Kcuter's Moscow correspondent Inst year) an astounding slate of corruption in the Moscow Supply Department of (ho Russian armv. Of (ha members of the Moscow Intoiidancv between I<Jol and 11)10, two generals. 21 colonels, and "8 captains, besides Jour Councillors of Stale, aro charged -vitfi systematic extortion, dishonesty, anil bribe-Uking. The majority of tho accused are in uniform, and wear various orders . and decorations. The sums alleged to liavo been illicitly obtained bv them runue downwards from ,£27,000, which is raid In have been the share of one. of the members (if the. receiving committee.' of. tta liitendniic.v. It is calculated that one fivin alone m tho course of i>B.years has paid .£2,000000 in bribes lo Die members of thfl Moscow .Supply Department. One of the counts of the indictment is that tho Department accepted from lln< contractors boots of such wretched quality that the soldiers could not wear them, fi,Jl sold them for what they would Vntoh. The boots eventually found their way l.ucV t,i he contractors, who delivered tliein again u> .the Department, Tho soldiers were obliged to sell their food in order to proeuro boots for themselves. It is declared that clerks in the D<viirfcmenl doliWnlriv spoiled the samples of any firm which did not givo them bri'je.s.