The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-04

1
men l have above mentioned are re-
onsbler had then been In effect, this
action would have been impossible
and most OF the criminals would un-
questionably have escaped. No more
striking instance can be ina gined OF
1 the deSIrability of having q central
corps OF skilled Investigating agents who
can at any time be assigned, II neces-
sary IN 'arge numbers. to investigaE @
some violation of the Federal statutes
in no matter what branch Of the pub
nc service. In this particular case most
9f the men investigated who were pub
branch Of the Government But IN Ore
son. where an enormous acreage OF
fraudulently alienated public land was
. recovered for the Government. a United
States Senator, Mr.. Mitchell, and q
member OF the lower house, Mr.. Will
Hanson, were convicted on evidence OBJ
tanned by men transferred from lhe
Secret Service. and another member OF
Congress was indicted.
Successful Investigation.
From 1901 to 1904 successful investi-
cation Of naturalization affairs was
made by the Secret Service with the
result OF obtaining hundreds of convic-
tons OF cOnspirators who were con-
Voted Of selling fraudulent papers Of
NATURALIZATION. subsequently, Congress
passed q very wise law providing a spe-
cial service and appropriation for the
prevention OF naturalization frauds: bur
unfortunately at the same time that the
action against the Secret Service was
the result Of Gripping the effort 10 stop
frauds In naturalization The fugitiVes
Greene and GaynOT. implicated in a. pc
culiarly big Government contract fraud,
were located and arrested in Canada BY
the SeCTcS Service, and thanks TO this
they have since gone to prison for
their erin es-
The Sefrct Service was used TO as
sist in tie tr.yestigation of crimes I'M
der the peOi.s sc laws, and owing part
" thereto numerous convictions were Sc
cured and the Objectionable practice
was pracu ally stamped out, at least
IN many districts. The most extensive
smuggling OF silk and opium in the his
tory Of the Treasury Department was
investigated by. agents OF the Secret
Service in New York and Seattle and 3
successful prosecution Of the offenders
undertaken. Assistance Of the utmost
value was rendered to the Department
or Justice In the Beet trust investiga-
ton at Chicago prosecutions We're fol-
lowed up and fines inflicted. The cot
tOn-leak scandal in the Agricultural De
parment was investigated and the re
spOnsible parties located What was
done in connection with lottery investi-
cations IS disclosed in a letter just sent
10 me by the United States attorney for
Delaware, runniIE as follows.
The destruction on the Honduras Ma
uonal Lottery Company. successor 10
the Louisiana Lottery Company. was
entirely the work Of the Secret Service.
This excellent work was accom-
plished by Mr.. Wikie and his subOTdi-
Mates thought It might be timely TO
recall this prosecution
Fines Collected.
Three hundred thousand dollars in
fines were collected by the Government
in the lottery cases. Again, the ink
contract fraud In the Bureau OF En-
craving and Printing "a bureau or the
Treasury Department. was investigated
by the Secret Service, and the guilty
parties brought TO justice. Mr.. Tawney
stated I'm the debate that this was not
investigated by the Secret Service, but
by a clerk down there" conveying the
impression that the clerk was not in the
Secret Service As a matter OF fact,
he was in the Secret Service; his name
assistant chief for the excellence Of his
work in this case. The total expense
for the office and field force OF the
Secret Service last year was Sl35.000
and by this one. investigation they
saved to the Government over 100000
a year Thanks TO the restriction i'm
posed by Congress, IL Is now very diff
cult for the Secretary OF the Treasury
10 use the Secret Service freely, even
I'm his own department: for instance, to
Use them to repeat what they did so
admirably in the case OF this ink con-
tract The Government IS further Grip
pied BY the Law fOrbidding it 10 employ
detective agenC ies- OF course the Gov
eminent can detect the most dangerous
crimes, and punish the worst criminals.
only ~ the use, either OF the Secret
Service or Of private detectives; to
camper IL in using the one, and forbid
II to resort TO the other, can inure to
the benefit OF none save the criminals.
The facts above given show beyond
possibility Of doubt that what the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury and I had both
written prior 10 the enactment OF the
obnoxious provision. and what ! have
since written in my message to the Con-
eress, state the facts exactly a. they
are. The obnoxious provision is or
benefit only To the criminal class. and
can be of benefit only to the criminal
class II il had been embodied In the
law at the time when I became Presi-