The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-28
THE HEMP ENQUIRY DELAYED
Hearings Again Postponed. This
Time Until Next Winter.

Adjutant General Corbin yesterday
stated that the hearing on the Manila
| hemp scandal would not begin until some
| time next winter. This is the plan
| ranged by Senator Proctor, the chairman
| Of the special committee appointed by the
Senate in April to investigate the matter.
| The hearings were to have begun on April
l. but were later delayed until May l. and
now it has been decided TO postpone the
enquiry until next winter
This Is regarded as significant In view
of the fact that while the Senate com
mittee, which was empowered to compel
witnesses TO appear before IT and to take
their sworn testimony. served summons
on Lieutenant Colonel Heistand Assistant
Adjutant General. then in China, seven
weeks ago, ordering him to proceed to
Washington at once that the hearings
might begin. Colonel Heistand has not
yet left Tientsin and has been ordered by
| the War Department to remain there I'M
til ordered home
The Senate committee was organized by
the adoption of a resolution by Congress
demanding an investigation into charges
| made against many prominent officials
by Major e. L. Hawkes., formerly In the
volunteer service in the Philippines
Major Hawkes. charged. and made affi-
davit. that George d. Meiklejohn, Assist
ant Secretary of War. Adjutant General
Corbin. Lieutenant Colonel Heistand
Charles II. Allen, Governor of Porto
Rico, Postmaster General Smith, and
| other officials had organized a corpora
ton known as the Manila Hemp Com
pany. and had used their offices to Sc
cure an Illegal tariff reduction on all
bales. coming In or going out of Manila,
tha rlr of tho
In this way it was proposed to make
great profits. as no other hemp company
could compete. 1t was further charged
that Illegal franchises and concessions
had been given the proposed company
and that it had many army officers and
Government officials in the Philippines in
IT'S employ.
Major Hawkes. has received a letter
from ex-senator Pettigrew in which the
latter charges corruption on the part of
the accused officials. and holds that the
scandal will never be probed by the COM
mission, because the proofs are too strong
and because the Administration desires
to shield the accused men.
Senator Proctor. who called on Adju-
tant General Corbin on Wednesday. gave
as a reason for the delay in the investi-
cation. the statement that as Lieutenant
Colonel Heistand was still in China, and
as Adjutant General Corbin leaves Wash
ington on Monday for the Philippines to
remain several months, and as both were
important witnesses, the investigation
cannot be held until both are in Washing
ton
Senator Proctor gave no reason why
Lieutenant Colonel Heistand had not
obeyed the subpoena of the special COM
mittee. except that he had been ordered
to remain in China by the War Depart
ment
II is now stated by Democratic Sem
ators and members of Congress that 1t is
obvious that the accused officials will
never be brought to trial unless strong
effort is made by the minority of the
Fifty-seventh Congress-
Adjutant General Corbin refuses to dis
cuss his implication in the scandals. save
that he is going to Manila. and will not
be able to appear before the committee