Evening star., 1902-01-09
REPORT ON HEMP INQUIRY
No REFLECTION ON OFFICERS OF
THE GOVERNMENT.
Review of Facts Brought Before In
yestigatinE Committee Present.
ed to the Senate.

The Senate committee on military aHalrS
today unanimously agreed upon a report
on the case making charges against Lieut.
Col. r. o. S. Heistand of the army. and
the report was presented to the Senate by
Senator Cockrell soon as that body con-
vened. The report contains concise state
ment of the facts in the case as brought
out by the inquiry, and casts no reflection
upon any of the cfficers of the government
whose names were mentioned in connection
with the case.
The First Charge.
The report cites the charge quoted in the
resolution of inquiry that Colonel HeiStand
was in 1899 engaged in forming combina-
tion for the purpose of controlling the
hemp product of the Philippine Islands,
and that the names of Assistant Secretary
Meiklejohn, Assistant Attorney General
Boyd, Assistant Secretary Allen and Ad-
jutar General Corbin had frequently been
mentioned by him as associated with him in
the enterprise.
The committee finds that the charges
made in the first paragraph of the pre-
amble to the resolution are not true. the
facts in that connection being that Colonel.
then Major, Heistand, about May. 1899,
proposed to Maj E. L. Hawkes.. who had
a scheme for establishing a manufacturing
plant in Manila for the manufacture of
the hemp product in those islands, and
suggested to Major Hawkes. to take charge
of it. which offer the latter accepted. The
company then prepared a prospectus and
a blank for the names of subscribers but
the Incorporation of the company was
never consummated and no subscriptions
secured.
Second Charge.
ola ai,--
ing government officials the committee finds
that Heistand and Hawkes. canvassed the
possibility of interesting those whose
names are mentioned in the resolution. 1t
is found that ,Heistand wrote to Hawkes. in
1899 as charged. sending documents and
making suggestions about the Philippine
tariff but the committee says that these
suggestions are capable of different con-
structions. 1T is says the report. "Impos-
sible for the committee to divine Col.
Heistands intention when he said OF
course the needs of the future will be met
as they require referring to the Philippine
tariff
Did Guarantee Place to Hawkes..
The committee also finds that Hawkes.
made a claim upon Heistand for compensa-
tion for services, but the charge that AS
sistant Secretary Meiklejohn guaranteed to
Hawkes. a position in the government ser
vice IN part SeItlGmenC OF tnlS claim IS not
sustained by the committee, but it Is found
that Meiklejohn did in March, 1900 ap-
point Hawkes. to the position of Inspector of
the customs service in the Philippines, but
that this appointment was revoked by
Secretary Root in the May following
Other findings are: That while Heistand
was the protector of the hemp company he
was not authorized to represent the other
government officials who We're engaged
with him and that tariff duties would be
adjusted for their benefit.
That the matter of the adjustment Of the
tariff was never mentioned directly or in
directly by Col. Heistand to Gen. Corbin
Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn Assistant
Attorney General Boyd or Assistant Secre-
tary Allen.
That Heistand asked Cen Corbin to take
stock and that the latter first assented and
then declined.
The testimony concerning the charge that
Heistand had promises from Assistant Sec
retary Allen and Assistant Secretary Mel
klejohn is repeated without comment but
the following Is added: Your committee
further finds that the assistant secretary of
government positions for the purpose of
paying private debts of any officer of the
government"
The committee finds that the letter of
communication of Hawks of date July 13.
1899, signed Jointly by Col Heistand AS,
sistant Attorney General Boyd and Assist
ant Secretary Meiklejohn, was not signed
omcially by these officers, and also that the
words The government will look with
favor on the same, meaning the enterprise.
were not IN the correct copy Of the letter.